Can non-Methane hydrocarbons inform oil and gas emissions studies?

Recently, the Aerodyne Mobile Laboratory quantified emissions of methane from oil and gas production sites in two very different oil and gas “plays”. The emission profile of non-methane hydrocarbons shows differences that are associated with the geologic source itself. Further analysis reveals that variations in the non-methane hydrocarbon profile can be exploited to pinpoint the specific piece of equipment that is emitting methane.  The mobile lab was outfitted with tunable infrared laser direct absorption spectrometers and a high resolution Vocus proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer.    This presentation will illustrate the key points with empirical examples and examine methods to attribute observed methane emission sources.