Comparing Permitted Emissions to Atmospheric Observations of Hydrocarbons in the Eagle Ford Shale Suggests Permit Violations
| Autor: | Gunnar W. Schade, Joel Holliman |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
Eagle
Control and Optimization 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences Energy Engineering and Power Technology 010501 environmental sciences Atmospheric sciences lcsh:Technology 01 natural sciences Air quality monitoring biology.animal Volatile organic compound Electrical and Electronic Engineering emissions permitting atmospheric measurements Engineering (miscellaneous) Environmental quality 0105 earth and related environmental sciences chemistry.chemical_classification biology lcsh:T Renewable Energy Sustainability and the Environment business.industry Fossil fuel Unconventional oil Sustainable energy chemistry shale oil and gas excess VOC emissions Environmental science business Oil shale Energy (miscellaneous) |
| Zdroj: | Energies, Vol 14, Iss 780, p 780 (2021) |
| ISSN: | 1996-1073 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/en14030780 |
| Popis: | The recent decade’s rapid unconventional oil and gas development in the Eagle Ford of south-central Texas has caused increased hydrocarbon emissions, which we have previously analyzed using data from a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality air quality monitoring station located downwind of the shale area. Here, we expand our previous top-down emissions estimate and compare it to an estimated regional emissions maximum based on (i) individual facility permits for volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, (ii) reported point source emissions of VOCs, (iii) traffic-related emissions, and (iv) upset emissions. This largely permit-based emissions estimate accounted, on average, for 86% of the median calculated emissions of C3-C6-hydrocarbons at the monitor. Since the measurement-based emissions encompass a smaller section of the shale than the calculated maximum permitted emissions, this strongly suggests that the actual emissions from oil and gas operations in this part of the Eagle Ford exceeded their permitted allowance. Possible explanations for the discrepancy include emissions from abandoned wells and high volumes of venting versus flaring. Using other recent observations, such as large fractions of unlit flares in the Permian shale basin, we suggest that the excessive venting of raw gas is a likely explanation. States such as Texas with significant oil gas production will need to require better accounting of emissions if they are to move towards a more sustainable energy economy. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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