Gross emissions from the production of oil and natural gas are increasing faster than the actual rate of production, consultant group Wood Mackenzie found.

The group drew on its records for oil and natural gas production to carry out what it said was the first comprehensive study ever to look at upstream sector emissions. It said that gross emissions from the assets it examined are increasing at a rate of about 17 percent through 2025, compared with production gains from the same assets of 15 percent over the same period.

"This is being driven largely by the higher intensity of primary growth themes - heavy oil, oil sands and liquefied natural gas," Amy Bowe, the head of upstream research at Wood Mackenzie, said in an emailed statement. "Conventional onshore assets are still the largest single source of emissions and production to 2025, but they represent a declining share in each case."

By country, the results are mixed, the report found. Malaysia, Nigeria and Venezuela rank as the country's with the highest level of emissions because of their concentration of heavy oil operations, though they aren't among the largest in terms of production.

By resource, the report found LNG emissions are on pace to increase quicker than all of the others included in the study. Emissions from liquefaction, the process for cooling gas to the liquid form, are on pace to increase by 43 percent over the study period, compared with 22 percent gains in production.

Liquefied natural gas is gaining ground because it offers a cleaner fuel resource and more maneuverability in terms of delivery. Conventional gas is shipped through transnational pipelines, which are exposed to geopolitical risk.

Gavin Law, the head of natural gas and power consulting for Wood Mackenzie, said the study matters for investors looking at plans to advance a global low-carbon economy.

"The carbon emissions targets set by the Paris Agreement, together with potential policy changes, are starting to influence investors' capital decisions and shape companies' long-term corporate strategies," he said.

Wood Mackenzie studied emissions from fields owned by 25 different companies.

Tweet

Kazakhstan gets support to diversify away from oil
Washington DC (UPI) Sep 18, 2017
Oil-rich Kazakhstan has ambitions to become a "high-income country," but it needs support to diversify its economy, the Asian Development Bank said. "Fulfilling the country's potential to become a high-income country will require substantial knowledge contributions and financial resources," Giovanni Capannelli, ADB country director for Kazakhstan, said in a statement. Since joini ... read more

Related Links
All About Oil and Gas News at OilGasDaily.com

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only