Journal of Petroleum & Environmental Biotechnology

Abstract

Better Way to Estimate Emissions from Oil and Gas Sites

Susan K Stuver, Jesse R Alonzo, David B Burnett and Richard C Haut

This research was performed by the Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources (IRNR) who traveled to a hydraulic fracturing site on the Eagle Ford Shale Play and collected real time activity data from equipment that has the potential to release large amounts of air pollutants. Actual run times and load factors of the engines were measured. The activity data was then compared to data collected in the traditional manner of conservative off-site emission assumptions. This study demonstrated that the difference between an emissions inventory using worst case estimates and an emissions estimate using field data resulted in 539 pounds per hour overestimation of NOx emissions at oil and gas sites.