Emissions Of Methane And Volatile Organic Compounds From Offshore Oil Loading Using Shuttle Tankers

The full range of emissions from oil and gas production, especially offshore, is still not fully understood due to the vast number of sources and lack of observational data. Emissions from shuttle tanker loading are not well characterised. The latest National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory United Kingdom Green House Gas (NAEI_UK_GHG) Inventory Improvement Report (July 2022) cited evidence for emissions factors from methane (CH₄) and non methane volatile organics (NMVOCS) compounds from oil loading as a future priority research area. In the UK almost 35 % of oil fields are designated “OTLS” which means that the liquids produced must be offloaded and transferred to onshore terminals/refineries using shuttle tankers.This work shows initial results from a campaign in October 2023 designed to investigate CH₄ and NMVOC emissions from oil loading to shuttle tankers over the whole loading cycle. The project uses aircraft measurements along with different modelling techniques to evaluate emissions from the complete tanker loading process. The shuttle tanker data will also be looked at to see what abatement measures and equipment are on board.