National Energy Technology Laboratory
Driving Innovation ♦ Delivering Results
Timothy J. Skone, PE
2015 EIA Energy Conference, Washington, D.C.June 15, 2015
Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions:
Natural Gas and Power Production
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Agenda
• Importance of Understanding GHG Emissions from the Power and Natural Gas Sectors
• Understanding the Life Cycle GHG Emissions of Natural Gas
• Understanding the Life Cycle GHG Emissions of Power Production
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Electricity Generation Forecast: 25% Growth in Next 20 YearsEIA, AEO 2015: Reference Case
37% Coal 34%
19%Nuclear 16%
13%Renewables 18%
30%
Natural Gas31%
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
2012 2016 2020 2024 2028 2032 2036 2040
An
nu
al E
lect
rici
ty G
en
era
tio
n (
TWh
)
Source: EIA, AEO 2015
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U.S. 2013 GHG Emissions, by Economic Sector
• 6,673 Million Metric Tons CO2e (AR4 GWP) in 2013– 82% Carbon Dioxide
– 10% Methane
– 5% Nitrous Oxide
– 3% Fluorinated Gases
• Electricity Sector– 98.2% Carbon Dioxide
• GHG Emissions are 9% below 2005 Levels
Source: 2013 US EPA GHG Inventory
Electricity31%
Transportation27%
Industry21%
Agriculture9%
Commercial6%
Residential6%
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U.S. Anthropogenic Methane Emissions, 2013
NG Production, 7%
NG Processing, 4%
NG Transmission, 8%
NG Distribution, 5%
Coal Mining11%
Petroleum, 4%
Agriculture37%
Waste21%
Other, 3%
Source: 2013 US EPA GHG Inventory
• Methane emissions are 10% of total 2013 U.S. GHG emissions (in AR4 CO2e)
• Current U.S. fossil fuel related methane emissions are ~ 40% of U.S. anthropogenic methane emissions
– Natural Gas: 25%
– Coal Mining: 11%
– Petroleum Systems: 4%
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President’s Climate Action Plan
Source: www.whitehouse.gov
“Curbing emissions of methane is critical to our overall effort to address global climate change. … To achieve additional progress, the Administration will”:
• Develop a comprehensive Interagency Methane Strategy –July 2014
• Initiated a collaborative approach with state governments as well as the private sector and cover all methane emitting sectors
Assessing Current
Emissions Data and
Addressing Data Gaps
Identifying
Technologies and Best
Practices for Reducing
Emissions
Identifying Existing
Authorities and
Incentive-based
Opportunities for
Reducing Emissions
Three Pillars
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Understanding the Life Cycle GHGs of Natural Gas
Graphical Image is a modified version of American Gas Association image; https://www.aga.org/at-a-glance.
Distribution
Extraction / Production
Gathering/Processing
Transmission / Storage
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NETL Techno-Regions and Natural Gas Boundaries
Region Basin Shale Play
Alaska - -
Alaska Offshore - -
Appalachian Appalachian Marcellus
Black Warrior Black Warrior -
CentralAnadarko, Ardmore, Cherokee
Platform, Palo DuroWoodford, Fayetteville
Fort Worth Ft. Worth Barnett
Gulf of Mexico - -
Gulf Coast Western Gulf Eagleford
Illinois-Michigan
Illinois, MichiganAntrim,
New Albany
North-Central Williston Bakken
Pacific Offshore Ventura -
Rocky Mountains
Bighorn, Denver, Greater Green River, Paradox, Piceance, Powder
River, Raton, San Juan, Unita, Wind River, Wyoming Thrust Belt
Niobrara
TX-LA-MS Salt Arkoma, TX-LA-MS Salt Haynesville
West Coast Sacramento -
West Texas-Permian
PermianBarnett-
Woodford
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2012 Production Mix for Techno-Regions
RegionTechnology
TotalCBM
OnshoreConventional
OffshoreConventional
Oil Wells Shale Tight Gas
Alaska - 0.31% - 0.70% - - 1.0%
Alaska Offshore - - 0.14% 0.31% - - 0.44%
Appalachian 0.44% 2.8% - 0.050% 9.1% 0.32% 13%
Black Warrior 0.37% - - - - - 0.37%
Central 0.41% 5.4% - 0.21% 6.0% 1.6% 14%
Fort Worth - - - - 22% - 22%
Gulf of Mexico Offshore - - 4.6% 2.0% - - 6.5%
Gulf Coast - 9.2% - 1.8% - 7.8% 19%
Illinois-Michigan - 0.34% - 0.018% 0.44% 0.038% 0.84%
North-Central - 0.087% - 0.40% 0.75% 0.026% 1.3%
Pacific Offshore - - 0.063% 0.071% - - 0.13%
Rocky Mountains 4.7% 4.6% - 0.093% 0.89% 10% 21%
TX-LA-MS Salt - 0.15% - 0.049% - 0.21% 0.41%
West Coast - 0.42% - 0.21% 0.22% - 0.84%
West Texas-Permian - - - 0.21% 0.25% - 0.46%
Total 6.0% 23% 4.8% 6.1% 39% 20% 100%
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Regional Variability is Reduced at National Level(16.0 g/MJ CO₂e, 1.86% CH₄ Emission Rate thru Distribution)
22.0% 21.0% 19.0%14.0% 13.0% 6.5% 1.3% 1.0% 0.8% 0.8% 0.5% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.1%
16.0
20.5
16.3
9.311.4
14.9
9.310.9
14.116.0 15.3
29.9
24.6
16.5
12.5
9.5
0
10
20
30
40
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rage
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ific
Cra
dle
-to
-Gat
e G
HG
Em
issi
on
s(g
CO
₂e/M
J, A
R5
10
0-y
r G
WP
)
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Detailed GHG Results for Appalachian Basin(15.5 g CO₂e/MJ, 1.8% CH₄ Emission Rate thru Distribution)
• CH₄ makes up 77% of the GHG footprint– 73% of this comes from
Distribution, Transmission and Completions
– 97% from 8 sources in the system
• 62% of CO₂ emissions come from the operations of compressors
• These limited set of sources represent significant opportunities for improvement
15.532.60
3.730.12
1.880.010.16<0.01
0.480.040.00<0.010.050.030.010.20
0.94<0.01<0.01<0.01
0.750.53
0.02<0.01<0.01<0.01
0.253.33
0.180.07
0 6 12 18
TOTALDistribution
Trans. OperationTrans. Construction
CompressionDehydration
Liquids SeparationSweetening
OtherOther Point Sources
PneumaticsProcessing
DeliveryCrystallization
TreatmentPlunger LiftNo Plunger
OtherOther Point Sources
Condensate TankProduced Water Tank
PneumaticsValves
Open-ended LinesFlanges
ConnectionsWorkovers
CompletionLand Use
Well Construction
Fugi
tive
sW
ater
Liq
uid
Un
ld.
Fugi
tive
s
Tran
s. &
Dis
t.P
roce
ssin
gP
rod
uct
ion
Cradle-to-gate GHG Emissions (g CO₂e/MJ, AR5 GWP)
CO₂
CH₄
N₂O
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Detailed GHG Results for Next Appalachian Well(12.0 g CO₂e/MJ, 1.1% CH₄ Emission Rate thru Distribution)
• Next Well: Post-January 2015 NSPS implementation & increased recovery efficiency
• GHG footprint reduced by 22%
• Improvements to operations reduce the contribution of CH₄ to 69%
– Over 72% from TS&D
– 98% now come from 6 sources11.96
2.603.73
0.121.88
0.010.160.16
0.480.04<0.01<0.010.050.030.01
0.35<0.01<0.01<0.01<0.01
0.750.53
0.02<0.01<0.01<0.010.06
0.820.110.04
0 6 12 18
TOTALDistribution
Trans. OperationTrans. Construction
CompressionDehydration
Liquids SeparationSweetening
OtherOther Point Sources
PneumaticsProcessing
DeliveryCrystallization
TreatmentPlunger LiftNo Plunger
OtherOther Point Sources
Condensate TankProduced Water Tank
PneumaticsValves
Open-ended LinesFlanges
ConnectionsWorkovers
CompletionLand Use
Well Construction
Fugi
tive
sW
ater
Liq
uid
Un
ld.
Fugi
tive
s
Tran
s. &
Dis
t.P
roce
ssin
gP
rod
uct
ion
Cradle-to-gate GHG Emissions (g CO₂e/MJ, AR5 GWP)
CO₂
CH₄
N₂O
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DOE Actions to Reduce Methane Emissions
• Fossil Energy funded methane emissions quantification research
• Conducted public meeting on energy efficiency standards for natural gas compressors
• Working with FERC on Incentives: Requested efforts to provide certainty for cost recovery for natural gas infrastructure modernization
• NARUC Partnership on Infrastructure Modernization
• Natural Gas Modernization R&D strategy across DOE:– Pipeline Efficiency Research, Development & Demonstration Program (FE)– Advanced Natural Gas System Manufacturing R&D Initiative (AMO) – Loan Guarantees for Adv. FE Projects that Reduce Methane Emissions (LPO)– Investing in Technologies for Leak Detection & Measurement (ARPA-E)– Developing a clearinghouse of information on technologies, policies, and
strategies (EPSA)
Action Items
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Understanding the LCA of Power Production
Add transition slide to next topic
Extraction / Production
Gathering/Processing
Transmission / Storage
Power Generation
Electricity Transmission
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GHG Emission Profiles for Fossil Power Production
1,205 1,131
958 965
523 570
746
506
230 277
179
1,3161,390
1,187 1,188
628 684
896
614499
599
305
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
FleetBaseload
EXPC IGCC SCPC Fleetbaseload
Fleet loadfollowing
Fleetpeaking
NGCC IGCC SCPC NGCCCurrent
Average Illinois No. 6 Average With Carbon Capture
Coal Power Natural Gas Power Coal and Natural Gas Power
Life
Cyc
le G
HG
Em
issi
on
s (g
CO
₂e/k
Wh
, AR
5 G
WP
)
Fuel Extraction Fuel Processing Fuel Transport Power Plant T&D 20-yr GWP
57% Decrease
48% Decrease
90% Carbon Capture at the Power Plant Results in
~80% Reduction in LC GHG Emissions for Coal-fired Power Plants and ~70%
Reduction for Natural Gas-fired Power Plants
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Could Natural Gas be Worse than Coal if Methane Losses are Higher than we Estimate?
Advanced Coal, 4.3% Advanced Coal, 9.4%
Fleet Coal, 5.6%Fleet Coal, 12.5%
U.S. Average Methane Loss Rate , 1.5% (NETL Model Estimate)
0
300
600
900
1,200
1,500
0% 4% 8% 12% 16% 20%
Life
Cyc
le G
HG
s (g
CO
₂e/k
Wh
, AR
5 G
WP
)
Cradle-to-Transmission Natural Gas Emission Rate (CH₄ Emissions/NG Delivered)
20-yr GWP
100-yr GWP
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GHG Emission Profiles for Power ProductionCurrent & Advanced Technology
611
1,205
523
1,180
40 31 23
250
42
965
506
33 11 31
277179
0
500
1,000
1,500
20
13
U.S
. Mix
Co
al
Nat
ura
lG
as
Pe
tro
leu
m
Nu
cle
ar
Hyd
roe
lect
ric
Win
d
Ge
oth
erm
al
Sola
r
Co
al
Nat
ura
lG
as
Win
d
Nu
cle
ar
Hyd
roU
pgr
ade
Co
al w
ith
Cap
ture
Gas
wit
h C
aptu
re
Current Advanced
Life
Cyc
le G
HG
Em
issi
on
s (g
CO
₂e/k
Wh
, Ar5
GW
P)
CO₂ N₂OCH₄ SF₆20-yr Total
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Summary
• Reducing CO2 from fossil power production is critical to achieving greenhouse gas reduction goals
• Reducing both CH4 and CO2 across the life cycle of power production is achievable thru CCS, nuclear, and renewable power technology
• Knowledge of CH4 emissions continues to improve as new measurements and analysis are performed – reduction strategies will be adjusted accordingly
Advancing energy options to fuel our economy, strengthen our security, and improve our environment!
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Contact Us
Timothy J. Skone, P.E.Sr. Environmental Engineer • Strategic Energy Analysis & Planning Division • (412) 386-4495 • [email protected]
Joe MarriottLead Associate • Booz | Allen | Hamilton • (412) 386-7557 • [email protected]
James LittlefieldAssociate • Booz | Allen | Hamilton • (412) 386-7560 • [email protected]
netl.doe.gov/LCA [email protected] @NETL_News