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

燃烧产生的排放是一个重大的全球问题。卫星数据显示，全球每年的燃料量超过1400亿立方米，其中很大一部分与非常规石油和天然气资源的开发有关。除了是气候强迫二氧化碳排放的重要来源外，燃烧还意味着燃烧是黑碳和其他空气有毒物种的关键来源。近年来，加拿大的天然气燃烧急剧上升，直接与水力压裂致密油和致密天然气开发的快速扩张有关。辉光排放问题在这些地点最为严重，在这些地点，回流作业期间的燃烧可能会燃烧来自注入的压裂液和/或返回的地层液体的气溶胶物种。准确预测耀斑排放的数据和模型严重缺乏，以至于目前依赖于计算污染物库存和指导监管的排放系数无疑是相关的。NSERC战略网络的总体目标是提供对耀斑产生的污染物排放的定量了解，这些污染物排放对于实施基于科学的法规、准确的污染物清单、了解气候强制和健康影响以及使化石燃料变得更清洁的工程缓解战略至关重要。该网络整合了一群不同的研究人员，他们能够通过雄心勃勃的、协作的、大规模的实验来应对这些研究挑战，这些实验将显著推动该领域的发展，同时在这一重要领域培训至关重要的新HQP。该网络与NSERC在自然资源和能源方面的优先目标领域完全一致，这些领域侧重于非常规石油和天然气开采，以及优化页岩和致密气资源清洁开采的战略。能源行业是加拿大经济中的主导力量，随着加拿大(和全球)生产转向开采页岩和致密气资源，拟议的能源研究对于实现负责任的发展和减轻污染至关重要。通过获得更清洁的化石燃料，整个社会将成为这项工作的最终受益者，最终实现非常规天然气资源的低碳潜力。

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.