ESTIMATES OF METHANE EMISSIONS FROM THE

U.S. OIL INDUSTRY

FINAL DRAFT

Prepared for:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Prepared by:

ICF Consulting

October 1999

http://www.epa.gov/ghginfo/pdfs/oilstudyfinal.pdf

The largest combustion emission source for methane among the smaller sources is offshore

platforms in the Gulf of Mexico at 0.3 Bcf per year. Since these emissions are primarily from flaring and

the engines that drive generators and compressors, the opportunities for emission reductions are limited.

Flaring is used to dispose of small gas volumes that cannot be recovered economically because of the

platform location relative to gas gathering systems. The technical potential for emission reductions are

judged to be no more than 10 percent, or 0.03 Bcf. Economically feasible emission reductions are judged

to be insignificant. These same levels of emission reduction are estimated for the remaining four

combustion sources that release an estimated total of 0.04 Bcf per year. The four sources are heaters, well

drilling, offshore platforms other than in the Gulf of Mexico, and flares. See Table F-1 of Appendix F for

estimates of emission reductions by sources and the options available for the reductions.