Aerial LiDAR-Based, Source-Resolved Methane Emissions Inventory: Permian Basin Case Study for Benchmarking U.S....

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Atmospheric Chemistry
• Remote Sensing

Background:

• Accurate methane inventories are essential for effective climate change mitigation strategies and tracking emission reduction progress.
• Existing methods for methane inventory development face challenges in precision, temporal resolution, and source attribution, particularly in large industrial regions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a high-resolution, source-resolved methane emissions inventory for the Permian Basin for the year 2024.
• To assess seasonal variations in methane emissions and quantify the methane loss rate at the basin, state, and operator levels.
• To refine methodologies for methane emission quantification using aerial surveys and advanced data processing techniques.

Main Methods:

• Conducted quarterly aerial surveys using Gas Mapping LiDAR technology across 51,785 identified sites in the Permian Basin.
• Integrated public infrastructure data with machine learning for facility population definition and sampling plan generation.
• Employed a Monte Carlo framework to propagate uncertainties in quantification, extrapolation, sampling, and detection sensitivity.

Main Results:

• Generated a source-resolved methane inventory with a temporal resolution of one quarter and a detection limit of 0.4 kg/h.
• Estimated total annual Permian Basin methane emissions at 5,133 kt CH4, with a basin-wide methane loss rate of 3.13%.
• Observed seasonal emissions, with winter emissions up to 17% higher than summer emissions; Texas (4,038 kt CH4, 3.6% loss) and New Mexico (1,095 kt CH4, 2.1% loss) emissions detailed.

Conclusions:

• The developed methodology provides a robust framework for creating detailed, source-resolved methane inventories crucial for targeted mitigation.
• Permian Basin methane emissions exhibit significant seasonality, impacting climate mitigation efforts.
• Most large operators demonstrated methane loss rates below the basin average, indicating potential for widespread improvement through best practices.