Royal Dutch Shell plc recently unveiled a target to maintain methane emissions intensity below 0.2 percent by 2025. This target covers all oil and gas assets for which Shell is the operator.
“This methane target complements Shell’s ambition to cut the net carbon footprint of our energy products by around half by 2050, which we announced in November 2017,” said Shell Integrated Gas and New Energies Director Maarten Wetselaar. “It is a further demonstration of our continued focus on tackling greenhouse gas emissions. Such efforts are a critical part of Shell’s strategy to thrive during the global energy transition by providing more and cleaner energy.”
To maintain this methane target, Shell is implementing programs, including using infrared cameras to scan for methane emissions, deploying advanced technology to repair leaks, and replacing high-bleed pneumatically operated controllers with low- emission alternatives.
Shell recognizes there remains uncertainty with measuring methane emissions. “This is an industry-wide issue and we need to fix this fast,” said Wetselaar. “We must get a much more accurate understanding of how much we are emitting.”
The target for methane, which has a higher impact on global warming than carbon dioxide when released into the atmosphere, will be measured against a baseline Shell leak rate, currently estimated to range from 0.01-0.8 percent across the company’s oil and gas assets.
Shell is involved in a broad range of initiatives focused on reducing the emissions intensity of methane throughout the full supply chain — from production to the final consumer. For example, in 2017, Shell brought together industry, international institutions, nongovernmental organizations and academics to develop a set of Methane Guiding Principles, which focus on continually working to reduce emissions of methane throughout the gas industry and have now been signed by 16 companies.
For more information, visit www.shell.com or call +44 207 934 5550.
