The Impact of the Oil and Gas Industry on Air Pollution

More than 95% of the world population does not live in a healthy environment by the current standards of WHO (2005, WHO air quality directive). Although various environmental activities (volcanoes, fire, Etc.) release different pollutants into the atmosphere, anthropogenic activities are the leading cause of environmental air pollution. In addition, the production, processing, and use of the oil and gas industry, which has become an indispensable resource for modern life, also emit many greenhouse gases, mainly methane.

In 2016, despite rapid developments in renewable energy technologies, oil and gas accounted for more than half of all energy consumed worldwide. Moreover, using horizontal drilling with hydraulic fracturing to access gas fields has increased oil and gas production. This production growth has led to balanced development in oil and gas transportation, processing and refining, use in agriculture and manufacturing, and energy exports (Allison & Mandler, 2018). However, the recent increase in oil and gas production raises long-standing concerns about its effects on the environment.

Methane is a more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide (Allison & Mandler, Methane Emissions in the Oil and Gas Industry, 2018).

All commonly used combustible fuels emit harmful gases and burned particles to generate energy. Fixed resources such as oil and gas fields, oil refineries, and gas processing plants are smaller than those from burning fuels. Still, they can have significant local impacts (Allison & Mandler, Air Quality Impacts of Oil and Gas, 2018). Air toxicants related to oil and gas can be emitted during oil exploration, production, refining and processing, and combustion, and these toxicants also drive climate change. Chief among these gases are methane (CH4), nitrogen oxide (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that contribute to the formation of harmful ozone in the lower atmosphere(Butler & Fekete, 2005). VOCs are emitted from vehicles and equipment used in oil operations and surrounding roads and communities. VOCs also evaporate directly from oil and gas extracted, stored, and transported around the oilfield (Allison & Mandler, Air Quality Impacts of Oil and Gas, 2018).

Refineries convert crude oil into products such as gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, jet fuel, asphalt, and liquefied petroleum gas and emit pollutants from several different sources. For example, leaks, flames, and excessive emissions from refineries release dangerous air pollutants or toxicants known or suspected to cause cancer and congenital disabilities and severely impact the environment. In addition, leaky valves and pumps cause fugitive VOC emissions in this area (Butler & Fekete, 2005).

The net zero emissions target affects the energy sector the most.

The energy sector has the most significant impact on climate change. It is among the industries that will prepare new action plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with the latest climate policy, the Paris Climate Agreement, which entered into force in 2016 (KPMG, 2021). In this direction, it is necessary to phase out fossil fuels and end the existing fossil fuel supports and incentives. This situation will mean that oil and gas companies will no longer be satisfied with just decarbonizing their corporate footprints; they will have to balance their environmental commitments.

Integrating the oil and gas sector into the new process is possible through new technologies and techniques. First, leak detection and control are essential to reduce air pollution and minimize environmental effects. To reduce downtime, maintenance costs, and processing times and increase resource efficiency and emission control, sector players should also set up process control systems. The most crucial step for this is the spatial management of emissions in oil and gas production facilities, not at one or several points but in all production areas and instantaneously monitored. Detecting and reducing emissions requires continuous monitoring; low-cost air sensors, widely used worldwide, are an essential tool at this point.

With the increasing global demand for clean energy with the climate crisis, the growing pressure on oil and natural gas companies to decarbonize, and the concern about the effects of the industry on the environment and human health obliges oil and gas companies to adapt to the new process. Therefore, sustainability and climate risk management of the oil and gas sector with new technologies will be vital in determining whether they can continue their business. Therefore, oil and natural gas companies should increase emission control in production areas at the beginning of their strategies to meet the changing demand.

References

Allison, E., & Mandler, B. (2018). Air Quality Impacts of Oil and Gas. Petroleum and the Environment, Part 18/24.

(2018). Methane Emissions in the Oil and Gas Industry. Petroleum and the Environment, Part 19/24.

(2018). Petroleum and the Environment: an Introduction. Petroleum and the Environment, Part 1/24.

Butler, K., & Fekete, G. (2005). Measuring compliance program progress and impacts: Lessons from USEPA’s National Petroleum Refinery Compliance Program. In Seventh International Conference on Environmental Compliance and Enforcement.

KPMG. (2021). Oil and Gas Sectoral Overview The New Reality.

Recent Posts

The State of Air Quality Funding
The State of Air Quality Funding

Securing funding is of great importance for addressing a range of issues that have negative impacts on human life, the environment, and the economy at both local and global scales. At this stage, accessing the necessary funds plays a critical role in...

Read more
European Union and United States Update Air Quality Standards
European Union and United States Update Air Quality Standards

Air pollution emerges as one of the leading causes of environmental health problems globally today. Addressing this critical issue, both the European Union (EU) and the United States (US), as major global economies, have taken significant steps towar...

Read more
The Need of Continuous Emission Monitoring
The Need of Continuous Emission Monitoring

Global economic and industrial growth require continuous improvement of environmental regulations and the development of emission monitoring methods. Climate change is a significant problem on a global scale. The concentration of greenhouse gases in ...

Read more
Record-Breaking High Temperatures: El Niño
Record-Breaking High Temperatures: El Niño

Temperature warnings were issued one after another across the Turkiye and the world, while the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced El Niño. The WMO announced that El Niño is currently underway and there is a 90 percent chance that it ...

Read more
Auxiliary Methods in Reducing Outdoor Air Pollution
Auxiliary Methods in Reducing Outdoor Air Pollution

Air pollution leads to many diseases and environmental problems that adversely affect human health. Tackling air pollution is important to ensure a healthy environment and a sustainable future. One of the first step that should be conducted is monito...

Read more
Global Inequality: Air Pollution in Africa
Global Inequality: Air Pollution in Africa

Climate injustices experienced in Africa, the least vulnerable continent to the climate crisis, are not equal to air pollution.  Air pollution is the second leading risk factor for death across the continent due to Western countries moving indus...

Read more
Indicative Monitoring - The use of low-cost sensor systems
Indicative Monitoring - The use of low-cost sensor systems

Technological advances have ushered in a paradigm shift in how air quality data is measured and shared with the public. This change was due to the advent of low-cost sensors to measure gas and particle contaminants. Air Pollutant Effects on Health&nb...

Read more
The Effect of Settlement and Construction Forms on Air Pollution
The Effect of Settlement and Construction Forms on Air Pollution

In recent years, with the adverse effects of global warming and decreasing earth’s resources, sustainability has come to the fore in many areas, from food to clothing. However, the fact that the resources we need to sustain our lives are not in...

Read more
Aluminum Industry and Environmental Impacts
Aluminum Industry and Environmental Impacts

Aluminum is an essential material in a wide range of products used in many areas, from packaging to aviation vehicles today. As in all production processes, environmental resources are utilized in the steps required for aluminum production, and produ...

Read more
Greenhouse Gases and Air Pollution
Greenhouse Gases and Air Pollution

Although they may seem like two different issues, climate change and air pollution are closely linked; in UNEP’s words, these two issues are two sides of the same coin (UNEP, 2019). Air pollutants and greenhouse gases are one of the most criti...

Read more