…as BP, EDF collaborate to streamline process
British Petroleum (BP) and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)- a United States-based environmental advocacy institution, have instituted a three year strategic plan aimed at reducing methane emission globally in the oil and gas value chain.
The parties are collaborating in three key areas namely, advancing technology breakthroughs to improve pathways to regulatory acceptance for emerging methane detection and quantification technologies; leveraging digital technologies to harness innovation that improves operations and reduces emissions and expanding methane management practices.
This is part of joint effort which focuses on developing technologies and best management practices to accelerate reductions of methane emissions across the oil and gas industry.
The two partners are expected to work together over the next three years with selected universities and third party technocrats on projects that test technologies and emerging strategies to reduce greenhouse gas.
British Petroleum was one of the 16 multinational oil and gas firms that submitted applications to the Ministry of Energy during the first petroleum exploration licensing round last year.
Last September, Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) announced a target to reduce by 2025 the collective average methane intensity of its members’ upstream oil and gas operations of which BP is part by one fifth to below 0.25 percent, with the ambition to ultimately achieve 0.20 percent. Other members of OGCI include ExxonMobil, ENI, Shell, Total and some others who are operating in Ghana’s upstream petroleum sector.
According to the EDF President Fred Krupp, the collaboration is a big step forward as it will help provide solutions for the various multinational oil and gas companies to use in order to accelerate methane emission reduction.
Bernard Looney, BP’s upstream Chief Executive noted that his outfit has made progress driving down emissions across their own business including meeting the industry-leading methane intensity target of 0.2 percent.
This year, BP and EDF are expected to convene a workshop to learn more about practices for emission reductions at non-operated assets and to identify potential opportunities to expand the coverage of methane efforts and commitments.
The British oil and gas giant had set a target to reduce its methane emissions to 0.2 percent of its overall oil and gas production by 2025.
By Dundas Whigham