Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of crude oil and natural gas from the Delaware Basin

Abstract

Development of the Permian Basin in recent years has disrupted the global trade of oil and gas. As of January 2020, it was producing more than five million barrels of oil and 20 billion cubic feet of gas per day, with the greatest growth coming from the Delaware Basin sub-play. In this investigation, we report the results of a novel process-based life cycle assessment (LCA) of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with oil and gas products from the Delaware Basin, employing extensive operational data including direct measurements of methane emissions. We find that if 1% of the gross gas produced is flared, then the upstream carbon intensity of crude oil is 19.5 kg CO2eq per barrel of crude oil - substantially lower than “global average” intensities reported in the literature. Moreover, the carbon intensities of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel refined from Delaware Basin crudes are approximately 10% less than the U.S. EPA and Department of Energy baselines when a 1% flaring rate is achieved. The life cycle GHG reductions are also a consequence of the physical and chemical properties of Delaware Basin crudes relative to the average crude blend for the U.S., resulting in reduced refinery GHG emissions. We also find that life cycle GHG emissions associated with natural gas from the Delaware Basin are similar to those reported for U.S. shale gas.