Methane emissions from conventional and unconventional oil and gas production sites in southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada

Abstract

Energy development in southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada, is unique because conventional and unconventional oil and gas production is co-located. Mobile surveys are ideal for understanding emissions in this area because the overlap of production makes it difficult for airborne or satellite-based methods to differentiate emissions from each type of infrastructure. In this study, we conducted truck-based mobile surveys in the unconventional Canadian Bakken and conventional Weyburn-Midale fields to enumerate and attribute individual methane plumes, estimate methane (CH4) emission rates, and compare emission vectors. We sampled downwind of 645 conventional and 289 unconventional sites, covering over 4500 km of public roads. We found that 28% of surveyed conventional sites were emitting, compared to 32% of surveyed unconventional sites. Mean emissions intensities in each development were 20 m3CH4/day per conventional site and 59 m3CH4/day per unconventional site. Emissions intensities in southeastern Saskatchewan fall on the lower range of other emissions estimates from developments in the US and Canada.