New ADNOC Upstream Methane Intensity Target Lowest In Middle East

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has set a new upstream methane intensity target of 0.15% by 2025, the lowest in the Middle East.

ADNOC’s 0.15% methane intensity target means ADNOC will be ranked in the Gold Standard category, by the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0, a multi-stakeholder initiative launched by the United Nations Environment Program and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition. It is the only comprehensive, measurement-based reporting framework for the global oil and gas industry that improves the accuracy and transparency of methane emissions reporting.

“Today’s announcement reinforces ADNOC’s status as an industry leader in efficiently reducing methane emissions, as part of our commitment to provide the energy for sustainable, economic development, while delivering tangible, positive results for our climate.”

“At ADNOC we aim to reduce the methane intensity from our operated oil and gas assets, at the same time as we meet the forecast growth in energy demand for decades to come. We will do this by making significant investments in new technologies to improve our environmental performance, strengthening our commitment to responsible production, and demonstrating our support for the UAE’s Global Methane Pledge,” Abdulmunim Saif Al Kindy, Executive Director for People, Technology, and Corporate Support at ADNOC.

The announcement of the 0.15% methane intensity target coincided with the publication of the United Nations Environment Program’s 2022 International Methane Emissions Observatory on the opening day of the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition Conference in Abu Dhabi.

“Congratulations to ADNOC for its effort to reduce methane emissions. ADNOC has achieved OGMP 2.0 Gold Standard status for having submitted high-quality data and a clear and robust plan to achieve its methane emissions target. Reducing emissions of this powerful greenhouse gas is an essential short-term action if we are to meet the climate goals of the Paris Agreement,” Mark Radka, Chief of the Energy and Climate Branch at UNEP, said.

As part of its sustainability strategy, ADNOC plans to test and deploy the latest in emissions detection and quantification technologies by 2023, enabling ADNOC to move towards improved and continuous measurements at the source level. It will use the data to define baselines for further reductions and target reductions from major emitting sources, including flaring, combustions, and fugitive emissions.

At the same time, ADNOC will continue to reduce methane emissions using flare gas recovery systems and regular leak detection and repair programs. Hand-held infrared cameras are used to detect small leaks of fugitive emissions and to prioritize the company’s repair program. ADNOC is also exploring pilot technologies such as satellite monitoring and deployment of drone-mounted sensors to enhance the monitoring of methane emissions.

Over 80 companies with assets on five continents, representing a significant share of the world’s oil and gas production, have joined the OGMP 2.0 partnership. Its members also include operators of natural gas transmission and distribution pipelines, gas storage capacity, and LNG terminals. ADNOC signed up for the OGMP 2.0 partnership in 2020.

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