Public Review of CCAC Oil and Gas Methane Partnership Technical Guidance Documents

As part of their efforts to reduce methane emissions from upstream oil and gas operations, members of the CCAC Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP) have developed Technical Guidance Documents (TGDs) on each of the nine core emission sources covered by the Partnership.

The guidance documents present suggested methodologies for quantifying methane emissions from each source and describe established mitigation options that Partners should reference when determining if the source is “mitigated.”

The public review process aims at increasing the transparency of the Partnership and at ensuring that the TGDs take into account the latest scientific and technical developments, and quantification and mitigation options for methane emissions from upstream oil and gas operations. This public review may be followed by additional public reviews in the future, if warranted by these first round of comments.

Background on the purpose and development of the TGDs

The OGMP recognizes that the equipment and processes described in these documents are found in a variety of oil and gas operations, including onshore, offshore, and remote, unmanned operations, and therefore the way in which the emissions are quantified and mitigated may vary across locations and operational environments. As such, operational conditions, as well as logistical, safety and cost considerations, must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

The Technical Guidance Documents have been developed in a consultative process by oil and gas companies, NGOs, national governments, and international organizations represented on the partnership's Steering Committee. They are live documents and will undergo regular revision processes.

Modalities of the public review

Interested stakeholders are invited to share any comments they may have on the TDGs before October 15th, 2016 by e-mail to OGMP@unep.org, citing the name and number of the TGD, the page number and line number(s) and specific text where the comment applies, and indicating the proposed change and the rationale for that change. 

Constructive comments being sought

The OGMP is seeking broad public input that strengthen the clarity and utility of the TGDs for companies to apply them for methane mitigation, and for the public to understand the reported mitigation efforts. The topics of particular interest include, but are not limited to:

• New, international data on methane emissions, emission factors, costs for mitigation (onshore and offshore), and other benefits
• Tested technologies and operating practices to control methane emissions which may add to the list of “configurations” that are “unmitigated” or “mitigated”
• Tested quantification instruments, methods or engineering models to better analyse mitigation options and economics
• Barriers to implementing mitigation methodologies and potential approaches to overcoming those barriers
• General comments on the clarity of the TGDs that help public understanding of the OGMP efforts in mitigating methane emissions.

The OGMP will give fair consideration to all comments received, even if the proposals contained therein are not adopted. Following the conclusion of the public review process and analysis of the comments received by the Partnership’s members, an updated set of the Technical Guidance Document will be published in early 2017.