Best Available Techniques to reduce methane emissions from venting and flaring activities in the mid-downstream gas sector
20 December 2023
The European Commission prioritizes reducing methane emissions, acknowledging their impact on global warming through initiatives like the European Green Deal and the European Methane Strategy. To implement this, a Regulation was proposed in December 2021, emphasizing improved measurement, reporting, and verification, along with mandatory leak detection and repair, and a ban on venting and flaring, except in specific situations. MARCOGAZ contributes to technical implementation by proposing nine Best Available Techniques (BATs) to minimize methane emissions in the mid and downstream gas sector. These BATs include depressurizing assets, using mobile and stationary compressors, employing flaring as a replacement for venting, mitigating high bleed continuous pneumatics, and implementing nitrogen purging, among other techniques. Operators are also advised to measure operational parameters for quantifying residual and avoided methane emissions, aligning with European regulations and OGMP 2.0. This involves parameter measurement at the start and relevant intermediate points during each operation.
