ADNOC sets upstream methane intensity target of 0.15% by 2025
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has set a new upstream methane intensity target of 0.15% by 2025, a target the company said is the lowest in the Middle East. By setting this target, ADNOC will be ranked in the Gold Standard category by the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 (OGMP 2.0), a multi-stakeholder initiative launched by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition.
“Today’s announcement reinforces ADNOC’s status as an industry leader in efficiently reducing methane emissions, as part of our commitment to provide the energy for sustainable, economic development, while delivering tangible, positive results for our climate,” said Abdulmunim Saif Al Kindy, Executive Director, People, Technology & Corporate Support Directorate at ADNOC. “At ADNOC our aim is to reduce the methane intensity from our operated oil and gas assets, at the same time as we meet the forecast growth in energy demand for decades to come.”
The new target of 0.15% methane intensity reflects industry best practices that report total volume of upstream methane emissions from all operated upstream oil and gas assets and where emissions intensity is calculated as a percentage of the volume of total gas marketed for the same upstream sector.
The announcement of the 0.15% methane intensity target coincided with the publication of the UNEP’s 2022 International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) on the opening day of Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition Conference (ADIPEC) in Abu Dhabi.
“Congratulations to ADNOC for its effort to reduce methane emissions. ADNOC has achieved OGMP 2.0 Gold Standard status for having submitted high quality data and a clear and robust plan to achieve its methane emissions target. Reducing emissions of this powerful greenhouse gas is an essential short-term action if we are to meet the climate goals of the Paris Agreement,” said Mark Radka, Chief, Energy and Climate Branch at UNEP.
As part of its sustainability strategy ADNOC plans to test and deploy the latest in emissions detection and quantification technologies by 2023, enabling ADNOC to move towards improved and continuous measurements at source-level. It will use the data to define baselines for further reductions and target reductions from major emitting sources, including flaring, combustions and fugitive emissions.
At the same time, ADNOC will continue to reduce methane emissions through the use of flare gas recovery systems and regular leak detection and repair programs. Hand-held infrared cameras are used to detect small leaks of fugitive emissions and to prioritize the company’s repair program. ADNOC is also exploring pilot technologies such as satellite monitoring and deployment of drone-mounted sensors to enhance the monitoring of methane emissions.
