Dr. David Allen, the Norbert Dittrich-Welch Chair in Chemical Engineering and a Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, presents “Increased Oil and Natural Gas Production, Methane Emissions, and Climate” as a part of the Distinguished Lecture Series in Energy on Wednesday, January 15, 2025.
Abstract
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Hydrocarbon products derived from horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing of shale formations (shale gas and shale oil) have greatly expanded US oil and natural gas production, and have made the US the world’s largest natural gas and petroleum producer. Collectively, these resources have transformed North America’s energy landscape. However, the environmental impacts associated with ‘‘fracking’’ for shale gas and oil have made the process controversial. This presentation will focus on one of the environmental issues associated with shale gas and oil production: the emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Data from recent field studies will be summarized and the role of “super-emitting” sources will be described. Super-emitting sources are often due to equipment malfunction, so quickly identifying and repairing these sources can significantly reduce emissions. The potential role of multi-scale emission measurements in identifying super-emitting sources will be described and the design and deployment of multi-scale methane emission measurement networks will be discussed.