Electrification, Flaring and Methane Leak Detection at bpx Energy

In anticipation of a lower carbon future, some oil and gas companies are seeking to reduce the emissions intensity at existing operations.

The American onshore division of British oil giant bp – bpx - is no exception to that. The division has invested in state-of-the-art technology to detect methane leaks, eliminate routine flaring in the Permian Basin, and electrify its oil field operations.

“We’re pivoting from an oil and gas company to an integrated energy company delivering solutions to our customers,” explains Dr. Faye Gerard, Vice President, Low Carbon and Sustainability at bpx energy, speaking at a recent Oil and Gas IQ conference.

As part of that “pivot,” BP announced a goal of reducing operational emissions by 50% by 2030 with the goal of achieving net zero by 2050 or sooner.

Here are three things that bpx is doing to reduce its operational emissions.

Methane Leak Detection

Methane is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. It is naturally released during oil and gas extraction; the IEA estimates that the oil and gas industry contributes to one-third of global methane emissions.

Reducing emissions from methane has taken on greater urgency as the world tackles climate change; the gas is both more potent than C02 and faster to break down in the atmosphere.

bpx has been heavily investing in new technologies to reduce emissions from methane leaks. The company began looking for methane leaks in its operations by using hand-held optical imaging cameras in 2006. Then they moved to aerial surveys, laser mounted drones, and are now installing continuous monitoring methane measurements at all its sites in the Permian Basin.

Currently the company is on a “find and fix footing,” explains Dr. Faye Gerard. When methane leaks are detected, the company quickly generates work orders and dispatches crews to fix them.

In the future, she says, the company would like to be on a “predict and fix” footing where they are able to proactively generate work orders and repair predicted leaks.

Reducing Flaring in the Permian Basin

Oil companies use flaring to burn off excess natural gas during the extraction of oil. The practice mitigates the risk of explosion from excess gas, but it also wastes otherwise useable gas and releases carbon dioxide and harmful particulates into the atmosphere.

The World Bank has called on the industry to end the practice.

bpx has been working to reduce the flaring intensity in its Permian Basin operations. The Permian Basin is one of the world’s most prolific oil fields. 

“Since acquiring BHP’s assets in 2018 we’ve reduced our flaring intensity by 95% - down to less than 1% today,” says bpx’s Dr. Gerard.

Electrifying Wells

In the largest infrastructure project to date for bp's US onshore division, bpx’s Grand Slam facility is aiming to significantly reduce emissions and improve efficiency by replacing gas-driven equipment, compressors, and generators. The Grand Slam facility is an “electrified central oil, gas and water handling facility.”

It has innovative technology that helps to reduce flaring. It’s a win-win for the company. By keeping gas in the pipe instead of burning it off, bpx can sell the gas that would have otherwise been wasted.  

The facility is highly automated with technology that can provide near real-time insight into operations and machines. This, says the company, means that there are fewer “operational upsets.”

These new approaches are helping bpx tackle the challenge of reducing carbon emissions while maintaining output and preparing for a low carbon future.  

“The best time for improvement is today,” says Dr. Faye Gerard. “Getting to net zero will require a comprehensive approach.”

Interested in learning more? 

If you’re tasked with reducing methane emissions in your operations, join us at the National Summit on Methane Mitigation, taking place at the Norris Conference Centre, Houston on December 6-8, 2022.

Join over 200 of your industry peers to get insight into best practices to identify, measure, monitor and eliminate methane emissions, factor emissions reduction into operational planning and build a culture focused on methane mitigation.

Find out more here.