When it comes to reducing greenhouse gases, reducing methane emissions are as critical as hydrogen or carbon capture to climate management. Most people think that carbon dioxide is the only culprit to climate change, yet methane emissions contribute 10% to greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon dioxide is more abundant and longer-lived than methane, but methane is far more effective at trapping heat. Over the first two decades after its release, methane is more than 80 x more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of warming the climate system.

Where does methane come from?

Methane is emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil. Methane emissions also result from livestock and other agricultural practices, land use and by the decay of organic waste in municipal solid waste landfills. Almost 44% of Canada’s methane emissions come from upstream oil and gas facilities. To meet federal and provincial government regulations, Alberta operators have agreed to cut their emissions by 45% before 2025.

Canada’s Oil and Gas sector is a Global Leader in Methane Detection and Reduction Innovation

A growing number of Western Canadian  companies are committed to servicing this sector. 60 companies are already providing a variety of methane detection and reduction products and services to the oil and gas producers. 3 such companies have developed innovative solutions to address methane emissions:

1) A Calgary-based company Questor Technology, offers an innovative combustor that collects and converts methane gas into less intensive impacts like carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapour and heat.

2) LCO Technologies. It has invented a high-efficiency drive system that requires a fraction of traditional solar power and allows companies to eliminate methane emissions from chemical injection pumps and pneumatic instruments.

3) NEXT Compression in Rocky View County, Alberta, has developed a vapour recovery compression technology to help gas plants and refineries reduce or eliminate fugitive methane emissions.

“Our vision is that by next year the industry will have enough collective technology capacity to reach the 2025 target. Producers are committed to addressing methane. Government has acted like a partner providing financial incentives. And Canadian technology providers are global leaders. When we put all these things together—intention, commitment and capability – we are there. The key is to push to reduce the technology costs even further for more industry action to happen.” Asgarpour says.

Learn More about PTAC: https://www.ptac.org/ptac-has-reach-its-goal-of-developing-the-technology-capacity-to-reduce-the-sectors-methane-emissions-by-45/

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