Page 12 - EurOil Week 25 2021

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OGA gets tough on North Sea

flaring, venting

UK UK oil and gas regulator OGA announced on the basis of zero routine flaring and venting. We
June 22 tougher measures to curb methane flar- will monitor actual outcomes closely and reflect
Operators may have ing and venting, as part of plans to phase out the in decision-making when operators apply for
to curtail production routine use of the techniques by 2030. consents and authorisations.”
to ensure zero routine Operators resort to flaring and venting when Under the new rules, permitted flaring and
flaring and venting. they have no other means of utilising methane venting volumes will be based on the highest
such as commercial sale or injection under- possible standards of operation and mainte-
ground to boost reservoir quality. The logic nance at installations, OGA said, and operators
behind flaring is that methane is a far more will need to show they have explored all other
potential greenhouse gas (GHG) than the result- options, including, in some conditions, curtail-
ing CO2 emitted when it is burnt. But flaring is ment of production. They also need to deploy the
sometimes not possible and operators must vent best technologies and practices to minimise the
the methane, deliberately releasing it into the activities, and include flaring and venting man-
atmosphere for safety reasons, for example dur- agement in their action plans for curbing GHG
ing unscheduled maintenance shutdowns. emissions. Flared and vented volumes should
According to the OGA, flaring is responsi- be kept at the minimum level possible without
ble for a fifth of CO2 emissions relating to UK compromising on safety, OGA said. Operators
offshore oil and gas production, and 1% of the will also have to meter, monitor and manage
UK’s annual CO2 emissions, whereas venting their flare gas composition and flare combustion
accounts for 0.15% of total UK GHG emissions, efficiency to ensure minimum emissions, again
including 1% of methane emissions. using the best technologies available.
“We are committed to driving down green- Operators will need to have credible plans
house gas emissions from the oil and gas sector, in place for reducing flaring and venting to
both supporting and holding industry to account zero by 2030 or sooner, and new projects will
in reaching its target to become a net-zero basin be designed for zero routine use of the tech-
by 2050,” OGA’s director of strategy, Hedvig niques and only a minimum use for safety rea-
Lungerud, said. “Today’s publication marks sons. Operators should have contingency plans
another step on that path, with a clear focus, for storing or exporting gas during operational
including new developments to be planned on issues or maintenance periods. ™

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