Oil & Gas Emissions: In Context
Air Emissions 101
What are Some Types of Emissions?
CO2 - Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas and is
formed as one of the major products of
combustion.
CO2
CH4 - Methane, also known as natural gas, is
considered a greenhouse gas. Methane is not
considered an ozone precursor
NOx - Nitrogen oxides result from the products of
combustion and form quickly from emissions from
cars, trucks, buses, power plants, and off-road
equipment. Nitrogen oxides are an ozone precursor
VOC - Volatile organic compounds are any
compound of carbon, excluding carbon monoxide
(CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbonic acid, metallic
carbides or carbonates, and ammonium carbonate,
which participates in atmospheric photochemical
reactions. VOC's are an ozone precursor
NO
N2O
VOC
NO2
How is Ozone Formed?
+
NOx
+
VOC
=
Ozone
Sunlight
Colorado NOx Emissions
VEHICLES
POWER PLANTS
OIL & GAS
AREA (DISPOSAL FACILITIES, OTHER INDUSTRIAL, ETC.)
Source: Air Pollution Control Division - Colorado Dept. Public Health & Environment 2010
Colorado VOC Emissions
PLANT LIFE
OIL & GAS
VEHICLES
AREA (DISPOSAL FACILITIES, OTHER INDUSTRIAL, ETC.)
POWER PLANTS
Source: Air Pollution Control Division - Colorado Dept. Public Health & Environment 2010 & WestJumpAQMS 2008 Photochemical Modeling
Where Do Greenhouse Gasses Come From?
in Colorado
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Agriculture
Waste
Industrial Processes
Oil & Gas
Residential, Commercial Industrial
Transportation
Coal
Electric Power
Colorado Dept. Public Health & Environment - Air Pollution Control Division - 2010 Inventory
Million Megawatt Hours
U.S. Electricity Moving Away From Coal
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Coal
Natural Gas
07
08
09
10
11
12
Year
Coal
Natural Gas
Why This Matters To Our Environment & Air
Since 2007
37% Decrease in Coal Power Generation
25% Increase in Natural Gas Power
Generation
8% Decrease in U.S. Carbon Dioxide
Emissions
Source: EIA & EPA GHG Inventory
Million Metric Tons CO2e
CO2e Emissions from Energy
8000
7000
6000
5000
4000
20-Year Low!
3000
2000
1000
0
1990
1993
1996
1999
2002
2005
2008
2011
Carbon Dioxide From Energy
How?
101: Natural Gas Emissions Are Less Than Coal
Burning natural gas emits half the CO2 as coal.
1
Burned natural gas emits virtually no particulates,
about 1/3 the nitrous oxide coal releases,
and 1% of the sulfur dioxides (SOx) of coal.
2
Particulates
Sulfur Dioxide (SOx)
How are they measured?
MASS + TIME =
Air emissions are calculated using both a
measurement of mass and time to represent how
much a source is emitting.
It’s hard to think of air as having any mass.
However, all molecules, including those comprised
in air, are made up of atoms. And all have mass.
Unlike solids, gasses increase mass by becoming
bigger and occupying a larger volume instead of
weighing more.
What is a ton of gas?
1 ton of CO2 = 17,850 cubic feet
1 ton of NOx = 16,500 cubic feet
1 ton of VOC = 12,650 cubic feet
A 2,ooo sq. foot home 8 feet high is
approximately 15,840 cubic feet
Common Emissions Per Year
1 Car
1 Truck
4.85
Tons CO2
6.785
Tons CO2
.0135
Tons VOC
.016
Tons VOC
.009
Tons NOx
.0125
Tons NOx
1 Household
Furnace
10,668 pounds CO2
9 pounds NOx
DIA
1,235
Tons VOC
4,290
Tons NOx
0.5 pounds VOC
In other words: Round Trip Flight Denver to NYC
.45 tons CO2 per person
910 tons for a full flight of 200
In other words: 1 Gallon Can White Paint
1.3 pounds VOC
Source:http://www.kellymoore.com/userfiles/file/pdfs/km-15_tds.pdf
In other words: Household Furnace
10,668 pounds CO2 per year
9 pounds NOx per year
0.5 pounds VOC per year
Source: http://www.pubstaff.commerce.state.nc.us/psngas/information/applianc.pdf
In other words: Cattle & Dairy Farm (10,000 Cows)
6,000 tons Methane per year
75 tons NOx per year
Source: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2011/110719.htm
Did you know? VOCs come from plants
Plant life is the largest
source of VOC
emissions in the state
of Colorado, emitting
275,000 tons per year.
Source: WestJumpAQMS 2008 Photochemical Modeling
Who regulates oil and gas emissions?
Colorado Department
of Public Health
and Environment
Federally guided state
regulations
Greenhouse Gases
Green Completions
Clean Air Act
Ozone, hazardous air
pollutants
Permits guided by state
and federal standards
National Ambient Air
Quality Standards
New Source
Performance Standards
Risk Management
Plans
For more information please visit www.coga.org