Responding to the continuous advancement of technology, the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP) has updated its report Recommended Practices for Methane Emissions Detection and Quantification Technologies—Upstream. The revised report updates and expands the number of technologies recommended.
The report was reviewed and updated by industry experts as part of IOGP’s Low Carbon Operational Efficiency Committee.
First issued in 2023, the report provides oil and gas operators with a framework and guidelines to help select and deploy methane emissions detection and quantification technologies that are tailored to their sites and objectives in the upstream oil and gas industry. It is accompanied by an online technology filtering tool, detailed technology data sheets now covering 56 technologies, and decision trees to guide deployment.
The technology filtering tool allows organizations to expand the list of possible technologies that can be deployed at facilities, enhancing continuous efforts to reduce methane emissions. The tool guides operators by asking questions related to purpose, location, and prevailing weather conditions, as well as details on the detection threshold, frequency, and uncertainty required.
The tool uses a set of technology data sheets for more than 50 technologies that is searchable by these factors. The data sheets provide nuance to assessments. The data sheets are based on multiple sources, including peer-reviewed academic literature, public data sets, and interviews with operators, service providers, and technology providers.
The report also presents a set of decision trees to provide guidance on technology deployment.
Neither the report nor its accompanying technology filtering tool recommends one technology or approach over another. Instead, they have been developed to provide a framework of detailed technology characteristics so that operators can make informed decisions on selecting and deploying the technology or combinations of technologies best suited to their circumstances, taking into account the operators’ objectives.