Flare emissions from unconventional oil and gas extraction and processing: An NSERC Strategic Network for cleaner fossil fuels

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Emissions from flaring are a significant global concern. Satellite data suggest worldwide flared volumesexceed 140 billion m3 annually, where much of it is associated with development of unconventional oil andgas resources. In addition to being an important source of climate forcing CO2 emissions, flaring is implicatedas a critical source of black carbon and other air toxic species. Flaring in Canada has risen sharply in recentyears, directly related to a rapid expansion in hydrofractured tight oil and tight gas developments. Issues offlare emissions are most acute at these sites, where flaring during flowback operations has potential to burnentrained aerosol species originating as injected fracturing fluids and/or returning formation liquids. Data andmodels to accurately predict flare emissions are critically lacking such that current emission factors relied uponto calculate pollutant inventories and guide regulation are questionably relevant. The overarching objective ofthis NSERC Strategic Network is to provide a quantitative understanding of flare generated pollutant emissionscritical to enabling science-based regulations, accurate pollutant inventories, understanding of climate forcingand health implications, and engineered mitigation strategies to make fossil fuels cleaner. The Networkintegrates a diverse group of researchers capable of meeting these research challenges through ambitious,collaborative, large-scale experiments that will significantly advance the field, while training vital new HQP inthis important area. The Network aligns perfectly with NSERC's priority target areas in Natural Resources andEnergy, which are focused on Unconventional Oil and Gas Extraction and strategies to optimize the cleanexploitation of shale and tight gas resources. The energy sector is a dominant force in the Canadian economy,and as Canadian (and global) production shifts to exploiting shale and tight gas resources, the proposedresearch is critical for enabling responsible development and mitigating pollution. Society as a whole will bethe ultimate beneficiary of this work through access to cleaner fossil fuels, where the low-carbon potential ofunconventional gas resources is finally achieved.