On July 1, 2023, a methane leak of 3,947 kg/h was emitted from a gas field in the Balkan region of Turkmenistan. This leak was discovered when Momentick, an emissions intelligence company, monitored various oil and gas assets in Turkmenistan's Balkan Region from January 2021 to April 2024, finding a total of 107 additional leaks during this period across 6 out of 8 monitored assets on various dates.

 

The detailed below presents the results of emission monitoring of 1 out of the 6 assets in the Balkan region of Turkmenistan.

 

The emissions depicted are like many thousands of similar events occurring daily across the globe in oil and gas operations. Using satellite observations, Momentick’s algorithms autonomously identified the emissions and accurately measured the detected event’s emissions in gas flow rate.

 

Momentick multi-satellite approach also enabled us to monitor the site over time, confirming that this was not the only methane leak event at the facility in the months before and after the detected emission event.

 

Methane emissions in Turkmenistan are particularly significant due to the country's extensive natural gas production and infrastructure. Efforts to quantify and mitigate these emissions have been challenging due to limited monitoring capabilities.

 

Addressing these emissions is crucial not only for reducing global greenhouse gas levels but also bare extreme potential for improving the economic efficiency of Turkmenistan's energy sector.

 

The Balkan Region emissions demonstrate the success of using multi-satellite imagery to accurately detect and measure one-time, spontaneous and accidental emission events as well as continuous monitoring operations.

 

Methane emissions in the energy sector arise from widespread leaks, flaring, and venting practices during the production, processing, and transportation of Oil & Gas. Predominantly composed of methane, natural gas is approximately 28-34 times more potent than CO2 over a 20-year period and accounts for 20 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions that directly contribute to the global warming effect.

 

Various components used in the production and transportation of natural gas, such as compressors, valves, pumps, gauges, and pipe connectors, are prone to leaks.

 

Flaring and venting occur when field operators burn (flare) or release (vent) the "excessive" gas that accompanies natural gas production. Routine flaring, while generally less harmful than venting, still releases significant volumes of potent greenhouse gasses, including high levels of methane, black soot, and nitrous oxide into the atmosphere.

 

Each year, around 140 billion cubic meters of natural gas are emitted globally, contributing to an estimated annual revenue loss of $60 billion for the global energy sector (when translated to market prices).

 

Most of these events are occurring at production or transmission infrastructure and go by undetected, resulting in dangerous and costly amounts of methane being released.

 

With the exponentially growing proliferation of satellites in orbit, continuously monitoring the planet, remote sensing based on multi-satellite imagery provides an accessible, scalable and cost-effective solution for monitoring facilities in any location.

 

A recent article in The Guardian estimated that in 2022, Turkmenistan’s two main fossil fuel fields' global warming contribution was more significant than the entire carbon emissions of the UK’.

 

The share scale of the emissions detected in Turkmenistan’s Balkan Region are a challenge but also present an enormous opportunity of reduction potential and huge economic value. Continuous monitoring, detection and quantification of Oil & Gas operations are an essential step in realising both financial and climate related values.  --OGN/ TradeArabia News Service