Shell announce methane emissions target

Royal Dutch Shell have announced plans to reduce methane emissions.

The company have set a target to maintain methane emissions intensity below 0.2 per cent by 2025, this target covers all oil and gas assets for which Shell is the operator.

Maarten Wetselaar, Shell’s Integrated Gas & New Energies Director, said: “This methane target complements Shell’s ambition to cut the Net Carbon Footprint of our energy products by around half by 2050, which we announced in November 2017. It is a further demonstration of our continued focus on tackling greenhouse gas emissions. Such efforts are a critical part of Shell’s strategy to thrive during the global energy transition by providing more and cleaner energy.”

Methane is the main component in natural gas and is released into the atmosphere through leaks in energy infrastructure such as wells and pipes.

Shell are implementing a series of measures to ensure they meet their methane reduction goal. They are using infrared cameras to scan for methane emissions, deploying advanced technology to repair leaks, and replacing high-bleed pneumatically-operated controllers with low emission alternatives.

Mark Radka, Head of UN Environment’s Energy and Climate Branch, said: “Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, but it has a relatively short lifetime in the atmosphere. That means reducing methane emissions brings immediate climate benefits, buying some time while we work out longer term solutions.”

Shell have previously pledged to half all carbon emissions by 2050. Recently, Shell’s competitors, BP, have also implemented measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a bid to be sustainable.

Mark Radka adds, “This commitment by Shell is encouraging in itself but also because of the signals it sends to the rest of the industry.”

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