Pathways to mitigating methane emissions from inactive oil and gas wells

加拿大40万个非生产油气威尔斯井的甲烷排放量比先前估计的高出150%。为了填补目前可用的测量数据集的关键差距，我们建议进行定量评估的非生产的石油和天然气威尔斯井在加拿大通过直接测量甲烷排放量的威尔斯在阿尔伯塔，萨斯喀彻温省，不列颠哥伦比亚省，和西北地区。我们还将开发改进的测量系统，用于量化时间变化，并提供制定减缓战略所需的特定基础设施和地球化学信息。减少非生产威尔斯井甲烷排放的主要选择是堵塞，如政府法规所规定的。然而，堵塞可能是昂贵的。因此，有必要了解现有的途径，并探索替代的缓解途径，如地热。我们将评估将威尔斯井重新用于地热开发的潜力，并使用我们的测量数据，分析两种缓解途径的成本和效益-井堵塞和将非生产井重新用于地热能生产。 该提案响应了该呼吁的目标，即建设地球系统气候科学、大气监测和经济分析方面的科学能力，以了解区域和国家范围内以及随着时间的推移的温室气体排放，并为温室气体减排机会提供信息，因为甲烷是一种强效温室气体。我们的测量将有助于了解区域和国家尺度上以及随着时间的推移非生产威尔斯井的甲烷排放。我们对地热开发潜力和油井封堵的技术经济分析将有助于将非生产油气威尔斯井纳入温室气体减排战略。该提案的合作伙伴是加拿大石油技术联盟（PTAC）、加拿大环境和气候变化部以及阿尔伯塔能源监管机构。

Methane emissions from the 400,000 non-producing oil and gas wells in Canada have been found to be 150% higher than previously estimated. To fill critical gaps in currently available measurement datasets, we propose to conduct quantitative assessments of non-producing oil and gas wells in Canada through direct measurements of methane emissions from wells in Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, and the Northwest Territories. We will also develop improved measurement systems that can be used to quantify temporal variations and to provide infrastructure-specific and geochemical information necessary for developing mitigation strategies. The primary option for reducing methane emissions from non-producing wells is plugging, as specified in government regulations. However, plugging can be expensive. Therefore, there is a need to understand existing pathways and explore alternate mitigation pathways, such as geothermal. We will evaluate the potential to repurpose the wells for geothermal development and using our measurement data, analyze the costs and benefits of the two mitigation pathways - well plugging and repurposing non-producing for geothermal energy production. The proposal responds to the call's goal of building scientific capacity in earth system climate science, atmospheric monitoring, and economic analysis to understand GHG emissions at the regional and national scales and over time and to inform GHG mitigation opportunities, as methane is a potent greenhouse gas. Our measurements will contribute to understanding methane emissions from non-producing wells at regional and national scales and over time. Our techno-economic analysis of geothermal development potential and well plugging will facilitate the inclusion of non-producing oil and gas wells in GHG mitigation strategies. The partners on this proposal are the Petroleum Technology Alliance of Canada (PTAC), Environment and Climate Change Canada, and the Alberta Energy Regulator.