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。卫星数据显示全球范围内的火焰量 每年超过1400亿立方米，其中大部分与非常规石油的开发和 天然气资源。除了是气候强迫二氧化碳排放的一个重要来源外，燃烧还牵涉到 作为黑碳和其他空气有毒物质的关键来源。加拿大的火焰在最近几年急剧上升 这与水力压裂致密油和致密气开发的迅速扩张直接相关。问题： 耀斑排放在这些地点最为严重，回流操作期间的耀斑有可能燃烧 来自注入的压裂液和/或返回的地层液体的夹带气溶胶物种。数据和 准确预测耀斑排放的模型严重缺乏，以至于目前的排放系数依赖于 计算污染物库存和指导监管无疑是相关的。的首要目标是 该NSERC战略网络将提供对耀斑产生的污染物排放的定量了解 对基于科学的法规、准确的污染物清单、对气候强迫的理解至关重要 和对健康的影响，并设计了缓解战略，使化石燃料更清洁。网络 整合了一组不同的研究人员，能够通过雄心勃勃的 协作性的大规模实验将显著推动该领域的发展，同时培训至关重要的新HQP 这一重要领域。该网络与NSERC在自然资源和资源方面的优先目标领域完美结合 能源，重点是非常规石油和天然气开采以及优化清洁能源的战略 页岩和致密气资源的开发。能源行业是加拿大经济中的主导力量， 随着加拿大(和全球)的生产转向开采页岩和致密气资源，拟议的 研究对于实现负责任的发展和减轻污染至关重要。整个社会将是 这项工作的最终受益者是获得更清洁的化石燃料，其中低碳潜力 最终实现了非常规天然气资源。

Emissions from flaring are a significant global concern. Satellite data suggest worldwide flared volumes exceed 140 billion m3 annually, where much of it is associated with development of unconventional oil and gas resources. In addition to being an important source of climate forcing CO2 emissions, flaring is implicated as a critical source of black carbon and other air toxic species. Flaring in Canada has risen sharply in recent years, directly related to a rapid expansion in hydrofractured tight oil and tight gas developments. Issues of flare emissions are most acute at these sites, where flaring during flowback operations has potential to burn entrained aerosol species originating as injected fracturing fluids and/or returning formation liquids. Data and models to accurately predict flare emissions are critically lacking such that current emission factors relied upon to calculate pollutant inventories and guide regulation are questionably relevant. The overarching objective of this NSERC Strategic Network is to provide a quantitative understanding of flare generated pollutant emissions critical to enabling science-based regulations, accurate pollutant inventories, understanding of climate forcing and health implications, and engineered mitigation strategies to make fossil fuels cleaner. The Network integrates 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 in this important area. The Network aligns perfectly with NSERC's priority target areas in Natural Resources and Energy, which are focused on Unconventional Oil and Gas Extraction and strategies to optimize the clean exploitation 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 proposed research is critical for enabling responsible development and mitigating pollution. Society as a whole will be the ultimate beneficiary of this work through access to cleaner fossil fuels, where the low-carbon potential of unconventional gas resources is finally achieved.