Standards Development

Scope

This document provides:

- A list of methane emissions from upstream oil and gas assets.

- A list of BAT and their limitations, abatement and residual emissions expected for each source.

- Information on the main BAT.

This document covers oil and natural gas exploration and production, oil and natural gas gathering and processing, LNG and well activities.

This document does not cover midstream and downstream activities. This document covers the main situations that can lead to ventilation or flaring of methane such as normal operation, maintenance and abnormal operational situations and safety related situations.

This document does not include fugitive leaks and unburnt methane from combustion devices.

Purpose

Venting and flaring

The standards will help competent authorities to ensure that operators effectively comply with the obligations laid down in applicable regulations.

 The objectives of the regulation as regards the obligations on venting of methane emissions is the achievement and reporting of demonstrable, verifiable, reductions in flaring and venting emissions from components where flaring and/or venting can occur across the oil and fossil gas value chain. A general ban on flaring / venting is only practical with specific exceptions where flaring / venting is allowed.

The standards will specify the equipment selection needs to be installed in order to minimise, to the fullest extent possible, venting from such components.

Context of the 3 ISO standards on methane emissions

There are currently many parallel initiatives to standardise around methane and methane emissions, as this is recognized as one of the critical areas in the move towards net-zero.

ISO TC 67 (Oil and gas industries including lower carbon energy) have been asked to bring global experts together to deliver high level standards based on a consensus of international expertise.

One key driver for this initiative is a European Commission’s request is to provide three standards on Methane as reference documents for implementing the European Union Methane Emissions Reduction Regulation:

1. Quantification

2. Leak Detection & Repair

3. Flaring & Venting

Similar methane emission regulations are currently under consideration in USA and other parts of the World.

The development of standards for onshore midstream and downstream gas infrastructure is progressing currently through European Standards Body CEN Technical Committee TC 234 Gas infrastructure.

The European scope for upstream oil and gas, including offshore infrastructure sits with CEN TC 12, which historically has looked to adopt international standards by supporting the development of standards in ISO TC 67.

Thus, alignment of developing standards between CEN/TC 234 and ISO/TC 67 (CEN/TC 12), and leverage existing IOGP publications (on Methane, Flaring & Venting etc.), OGMP 2.0, et al., is essential.

Proposal for development of standards for oil & upstream gas, including offshore gas infrastructure:

1. Methane emissions are a global problem and the development of standards to reduce methane emissions need to be undertaken at an international level involving global experts.

2. It was agreed by CEN/TC 12 and ISO/TC 67 that the technical documents required to support the EU regulation will be developed under ISO/TC 67 in collaboration with CEN/TC 12 under Vienna Agreement (= joint Work Group, parallel commenting, voting, and publication).

3. To achieve standards of value to users and regulators, it will be important to ensure that the scope of is centred in the first edition to the priority needs and that focus is kept on higher-lever requirements while reference is made to more detailed good practice.