Energy Transition

Oil and gas companies are redoubling their efforts to tackle methane emissions. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Following the launch of the Oil & Gas Decarbonization Charter (OGDC) at COP28, oil and gas companies are accelerating efforts to track, monitor and control their methane emissions

Eni has been awarded “Gold Standard reporting” of the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 (OGMP 2.0) for its commitment to reporting emissions at the highest data quality levels. OGMP 2.0 is an initiative of the United Nations Environment Programme’s International Methane Emissions Observatory, aimed at setting the global standard for methane accountability and transparency in the oil and gas sector as a necessary step to effectively track and target mitigation with measurement-based data. Eni has been awarded “Gold Standard reporting” for having effectively reached highest data quality levels.

Eni has set itself the goal to reach near zero methane emissions by 2030, in line with the OGDC objectives, and has more than halved methane emissions between 2018 and 2023. Eni’s Upstream methane intensity of 0.06% in 2023 places the company among the leaders in the sector. A founding member of the UNEP Oil & Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP), the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) and Methane Guiding Principles (MGP), the company is signatory to the OGDC as well as the Global Flaring and Methane Reduction trust fund (GFMR), an initiative launched by the World Bank to support governments and operators in developing countries to eliminate routine flaring and reduce methane emissions from the O&G sector to near zero by 2030. Eni has also signed collaboration agreements with National Oil Companies (NOCs) aimed at sharing its industry-leading experience in methane management to enable methane reduction across the sector.

Meanwhile TotalEnergies, which is also aiming for near-zero methane emissions by 2030, has announced that the company is going a step further in the monitoring and reduction of its methane emissions with the deployment of continuous, real-time detection equipment at all of its operated Upstream sites, enabling real-time identification of methane emissions, both fugitive and stationary, and immediate corrective actions to stop them. This continuous detection plan will be fully implemented by end-2025 and will use existing and proven technologies such as loT2 sensors, InfraRed cameras, flowmeters and Predictive Emissions Monitoring Systems on combustion sources.

The company will meet as soon as this year its target to reduce emissions by 50% compared to 2020, a year ahead of plan as a result of numerous initiatives, including the successful deployment of its AUSEA drone campaigns.

“Slashing methane emissions is a short-term priority to contribute to the fight against climate change. Continuous, real-time detection will enable our operators to act in an even more decisive manner in order to reduce our methane emissions and to repair leaks to achieve our near-zero methane emissions ambition. As a champion of the Oil & Gas Decarbonization Charter (OGDC), I am proud that TotalEnergies is leading the way in deploying such equipment at large scale and we will continue to work with the industry to share best practices in measuring and fighting methane emissions”, said Patrick Pouyanné, chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies.

See also https://oilreviewmiddleeast.com/energy-transition/positive-progress-towards-ogdc-goals

Geothermal energy is fast gaining traction as a important source of renewable energy. (Image source: Synergy Consulting)

Synergy Consulting discusses the potential of geothermal energy

Geothermal energy is fast gaining traction as a important source of renewable energy, harnessed from the immense heat stored beneath the Earth’s surface. This heat, originating from the planet’s core, is generated by the decay of radioactive materials and the residual energy left from the Earth's formation over four billion years ago. This geothermal energy that lies within the Earth’s crust can then be tapped to produce electricity or used directly for heating purposes, offering a clean and reliable power source.

Located roughly 2,900 km below Earth’s crust, the core is the hottest part of the planet. Although some of the core’s heat is residual from Earth's formation, the majority is continuously produced by the natural decay of radioactive isotopes like potassium-40 and thorium-232. This process sustains geothermal heat as a renewable resource.

When underground rock formations are heated to extreme temperatures of 700-1,300°C (1,300-2,400°F), they can become magma -– molten rock filled with gas bubbles. Magma exists deep in the Earth’s mantle and lower crust, sometimes rising to the surface as lava. This magma heats nearby rocks and underground water reservoirs, which can be released through natural outlets such as geysers, hot springs, and steam vents.

Geothermal power plants

Geothermal power plants are built on this principle and capitalise on the natural heat by using steam or hot water reservoirs beneath the Earth’s surface to drive turbines connected to electricity generators. In some cases, water is injected into the ground to be heated and brought back to the surface for energy production. This process is not only efficient but also relatively low in emissions compared to fossil fuel-based energy sources.

While still a niche technology, geothermal energy already plays a substantial role in power generation for several countries. Iceland, El Salvador, New Zealand, Kenya, and the Philippines rely heavily on geothermal energy to meet their energy needs. The United States has also been a long-standing pioneer in this field, with its first geothermal district heating system established in 1892 in Boise, Idaho. This system still provides heat to hundreds of homes over a century later.

In 2022, geothermal energy generated approximately 92bn kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity across 24 countries, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The European Commission notes that deep-geothermal energy has the highest capacity factor among renewable sources, exceeding 80%. This high efficiency makes geothermal a highly scalable option for industrial-scale energy production. Projections from the IEA’s Sustainable Development Scenario anticipate that global geothermal power will triple by 2030, from 92 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2019 to 282 TWh.

As the world faces increasing demand for energy, geothermal power offers a reliable, clean, and efficient way to augment traditional energy sources. With its high potential for scalability, it could play a crucial role in meeting global energy needs while reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

This article is authored by Synergy Consulting IFA.

The majority of signatories are pursuing investments in new energies. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

The majority of signatories to the Oil & Gas Decarbonization Charter (OGDC) are on track to meet its goals, according to a progress report

The Oil & Gas Decarbonization Charter (OGDC) is one of the landmark initiatives launched at COP28, with objectives including net zero operations by 2050, and reduction of methane emissions to near zero and the elimination of flaring by 2030. 54 oil and gas companies - representing almost 45% of global oil production, have signed up to the Charter.

In the past 12 months, OGDC has established a governance framework and launched a survey to determine signatories’ emissions reduction ambitions and implementation plans to set a baseline to track future progress.

OGDC has also implemented a Collaborate & Share program to disseminate solutions, promote peer-to-peer collaboration and encourage the adoption of best practices to reduce emissions. The initiative has also attracted three new members, with Oil India Limited, PetroChina and Vår Energi joining.

“We are proud of the 54 companies that have already signed up to the Charter and are encouraged by the extent of their engagement in this first major piece of work that helps to establish a base on which to build future success,” said OGDC’s three CEO Champions and founding members – Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) CEO Sultan Al Jaber, Aramco CEO Amin Nasser and TotalEnergies chairman and CEO Patrick Pouyanné, in a joint statement.

Investing in future energies

According to the survey, most of the signatories are already investing in future energies, including renewable energy, energy storage, low-carbon fuels, hydrogen, methane abatement, carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) and carbon removals technologies, and plan to increase investments.

Bjorn Otto Sverdrup, the head of the OGDC Secretariat said: “A survey of oil and gas industry climate performance has never been attempted on this scale. Participants ranged from companies that pioneered decarbonisation decades ago to those still in the early phases – all with different capabilities and reporting methods. The lessons learned will be used to improve reporting visibility and data quality and to create more targeted programs.”

Over the next year, OGDC will focus on providing the resources and guidance the signatories need to reduce their GHG emissions, methane emissions and flaring. OGDC will also help signatories to shape their net-zero roadmaps and develop emissions reporting to ensure progress can be tracked and to demonstrate how collective action can deliver positive climate impact on a global scale.

AI will play a crucial role in accelerating the pace and scale of this transformation. (Image source: Alain Charles Publishing)

The energy transition is a critical challenge facing the world, and as discussions at this year's ADIPEC conference have highlighted, artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to play a pivotal role in driving this transformation.

In a captivating session, Andrew Smart, the senior managing director from Accenture, introduced the distinguished Dr. Anima Anandkumar, a Bren professor of Computing at the California Institute of Technology. Dr. Anima's work at the forefront of physics-informed AI has yielded groundbreaking advancements in the energy sector.

As Dr. Anima explained, "One cannot exist without the other - the two-faceted energy for AI, AI for energy is really perfect."

Her research has focused on bridging the gap between the digital and physical worlds, leveraging AI to accelerate solutions in areas like weather forecasting, carbon sequestration, and nuclear fusion.

A holistic approach

"AI is clearly accelerating by a huge margin what could be done with traditional numerical methods," Dr. Anima noted, highlighting how her team's AI-based weather model is 10,000 times faster than conventional approaches. This enables more robust probabilistic forecasting of extreme weather events, a critical capability as the world grapples with the impacts of climate change.

Andrew Smart emphasised the importance of this work, stating, "When we think about the energy transition, two major works continue to come to mind: pace and scale. It's well established that science has many of the answers, but in order to accelerate and to scale, this is really where we're hoping and expecting AI to play this pivotal role."

Dr. Anima's vision extends beyond weather modelling, as she shared examples of using AI to optimise carbon sequestration and nuclear fusion reactor design - both essential components of the energy transition. "Thinking of both traditional energy sources, making all of those processes more efficient, and at the same time, thinking of renewables, where the prediction is so critical," she said, underscoring the holistic approach needed to harness AI's transformative potential.

As the energy sector continues its transition, the insights and innovations shared at ADIPEC underscore the crucial role that AI will play in accelerating the pace and scale of this transformation.