Standards Development

Scope

This document covers gas transmission, distribution and/or storage system and LNG terminal This document lists the equipment and/or components that can be venting by design and the operating situations that can lead to vent or flare, including maintenance.

This document makes clear what are the applicable mitigation measures to venting and flaring and their limitations, as well as what a zero emitting equipment is.

In such, this document gives guidance on:

— the best available techniques in terms of zero or low emissions, and the right applicability conditions for such techniques, for equipment designed or potentially designed to vent including but not limited to:

- Compressors

- Dry Gas Seals

- Measuring devices

- Pneumatic devices

- Atmospheric pressure storage tanks

- Gas quality measurement

— the best available techniques to recover or utilize on site otherwise vented or flared methane and their associated applicability conditions.

— the conditions in which venting is unavoidable and flaring can’t be used.

— the condition in which flaring is unavoidable.

Finally, the document describes criteria to be considered to set an efficient and realistic mitigation plan implementation schedule. 

Purpose

The European regulation on methane emissions reduction in the energy sector is asking for three standards supporting its implementation, including one standard related to limiting venting and flaring equipment. The standards will help competent authorities in individual Member States to ensure that operators effectively comply with the obligations laid down in this Regulation. There are currently no EU-wide minimum binding requirements for limiting practices of venting and flaring. The objectives of the regulation as regards the obligations on venting of methane emissions is the achievement and reporting of demonstrable, verifiable, reductions in venting of emissions from components where venting can occur across the oil and fossil gas value chain by all operators active in the EU. The regulation specifies a general ban on venting and lists specific exceptions where venting is allowed. Some of those exceptions include components installed with equipment which can be manufactured to vent by design, provided such equipment is not used. 

The standards will contribute to the realisation of these objectives by specifying, for the benefit of the obligated operators, what kind of equipment must be installed on components to minimise, to the fullest extent possible, venting from such components.

Marcogaz authorised the use of the publication “Best Available Techniques to reduce methane emissions from venting and flaring activities in the mid-downstream gas sector” as a basis; furthermore Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP) and Methane Guiding Principles (MGP) documents will be considered to elaborate the appropriate provisions.