Gulf of Mexico flaring and venting data have been sorted for the years 2015-2021. The reporting of these data is mandatory and strictly enforced, so these ONRR numbers should be accurate.
Biggest surprise: The biggest surprise is that there were no big surprises in the data. The % of gas flared and vented were generally consistent with expectations based on familiarity with historical data.
Encouraging sign: The % of oil-well gas vented has ticked down over the past 2 years which is encouraging from a GHG standpoint. This is presumably because most associated gas is produced on modern deepwater facilities equipped with flare booms. An astute politician would be rushing to take credit for this achievement.š
In particular, this suspension would allow the parties to examine the effect of unprecedented commodity price increases, interest rate hikes, and supply shortages on the overall viability of Commonwealth Windās offshore wind generation project that is the subject of the PPAs (the āProjectā), including whether it remains economic and whether it can be financed under the current terms of the PPAs. A one-month suspension would also enable the parties to consider potential approaches to restore the Projectās viability ā including cost saving measures, tax incentives under the newly enacted Inflation Reduction Act, an increase in the PPA prices, and improvements to Project efficiencies ā and to determine whether additional time, beyond the period requested in this Motion, is needed to resolve the appropriate path forward or provide a complete record.
At a minimum, the expected commercial operation date, already more than 5 years into the future (2028), would seem to be threatened.
The supply of diesel in the United States has dropped to its lowest seasonal level since 1945, according to federal data, meaning thereās less than a month of the fuel stockpiled in the country.Ā
LONDON, Oct 29 (Reuters) – Russia’s defence ministry said on Saturday that British navy personnel blew up the Nord Stream gas pipelines last month, a claim that London said was false and designed to distract from Russian military failures in Ukraine.
No evidence was presented to support the Russian claim; nor was any information provided on the results of their blitz investigation.
Tennessee Twist:TC Energy’s $29.3 million investment in a RNG (renewable natural gas) production facility near the Jack Daniel’s Distillery will see the Canadian operator producing RNG with a carbon-intensity score that is 50% lower than traditional natural gas, saving up to 16,000 tonnes of CO2e per year, according to the company.
āThis investment is our first in the production of renewable natural gas,ā said Corey Hessen, TC Energy executive vice president and president, power & Energy solutions. āThe production of RNG onsite at the Jack Daniel’s Distillery offers TC Energy one more opportunity to meet the challenge of growing energy needs and reducing emissions while providing customers with access to an affordable, reliable, source of energy.”
Nord Stream AG, or the operator of Nord StreamĀ 1 pipeline, sent a specially equipped vessel on Thursday toĀ investigate damage to the pipelines under the Baltic Sea.
Nord Stream AG, whose majority shareholder is Russia’s state energy giant Gazprom, said the chartered vessel arrived at the location of damage in Sweden’s exclusive economic zone.
The vessel, bearing the Russian flag, would haveĀ specialists aboardĀ to assess the damage within a day andĀ investigation would take three to five days, the company said.
Nord Stream AG said it didn’t haveĀ relevant permits to conduct an investigationĀ until now.
By comparison, vented Gulf of Mexico methane emissions in 2021 totaled 1953 mmcf. This converts to 82 million pounds at atmospheric pressure and 60Ā°F. The identified Turkmenistan sources would thus release the amount of methane in a month that all Gulf of Mexico facilities vent in a year (2021).
East of Hazar, Turkmenistan, a port city on the Caspian Sea, 12 plumes of methane stream westward. The plumes were detected by NASAās Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation mission and some of them stretch for more than 20 miles (32 kilometers).
ONRR mandatory production reporting data are being sorted to assess GoM flaring and venting trends. This will help resolve inconsistencies previously identified. In the meantime, the table below summarizes the 2021 data. 1.03% of the gas produced that year was flared or vented. 0.25% of the gas production was vented.
Interestingly, more gas-well gas was vented than flared. This is presumably because older shelf facilities without flare booms still produce 25% of the gas (versus only 7% of the oil), mostly from gas wells. More to follow.
gas production
flared (%)
vented (%)
flared & vented (%)
OWG
582,204
5919 (1.01)
1405 (0.24)
7324 (1.26)
GWG
209,779
311 (0.15)
548 (0.26)
859 (0.41)
total
791,983
6230 (0.79)
1953 (0.25)
8183 (1.03)
OWG=oil well gas; GWG=gas well gas; all volumes are in MMCF
