- ABB’s emissions monitoring technology helps tackle methane leaks from millions of orphan oil and gas wells
- Methane release from orphan wells are equivalent to emissions from 2-5 million petrol or diesel cars*
- Monitoring technology and financial support from ABB for plugging decommissioned wells helps in accelerating the energy transition and the fight against climate change
Across the USA, it’s estimated that more than 2 million inactive, unplugged oil and gas wells release methane with emissions equivalent to between 7 and 20 million metric tons of CO2 every year*.
That’s the same as the emissions from between two and five million combustion-engine cars –and methane has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over the first 20 years after it reaches the atmosphere**.
Colorless and odorless, methane’s potency makes it a crucial target for emissions reduction: it is described by the US Environmental Protection Agency as "a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential more than 25 times that of carbon dioxide."
The climate-harming effect of these methane emissions has been recognized by organizations such as the Well Done Foundation, a non-profit body which works to find and plug decommissioned wells that no longer have legal owners.
Many orphan wells are situated on farmland, where their emissions can contaminate land, air and water, potentially harming ecosystems, wildlife, livestock, and people.
In some parts of the United States, housing has been built on the sites of disused oil and gas wells. The Environment Defense Fund estimates that 14 million Americans live within a mile of an orphan well.
ABB technology solutions and financial support
The Foundation uses ABB technology to help trace and monitor these so-called orphan wells, which are often unmaintained, ageing and prone to leaks. ABB also entered into a three-year partnership with the Foundation in 2023, to provide financial support.
ABB’s partnership brings immense value to our campaign to fight climate change through the plugging of orphaned oil and gas wells. The financial support is obviously most welcome, and it is ABB’s technology and expertise in emissions monitoring that are helping us to fight climate change one well at a time.
Curtis Shuck, former oil industry executive; founder and chairman of the Well Done Foundation
How to detect an orphan well
Creating a solution to trace and monitor orphan wells was a complex challenge, for which ABB partnered with automation and control experts Winn-Marion. Together, they deployed ABB gas leak detection products and a suite of flow computers, both already used in industrial plants across the world, to devise a system for measuring and reporting on emissions from orphan wells.
Advances in sensing, analytics and mobile technology have created new solutions for gas leak detection that perform better than traditional detection methods. ABB has developed a range of natural gas detection solutions that help personnel detect minute amounts of methane, using drone-mounted, vehicle-based and handheld systems.
The gas leak detection system used by the Well Done Foundation, which can detect methane emissions as small as 1 part per billion (ppb) can be transported to the well site by vehicle (using ABB Ability™ MobileGuard™), drone (HoverGuard™), or backpack (MicroGuard™).
ABB’s SensyMaster technology measures methane concentration and flow from leaking wells, with a measuring range as low as 180kg/h. Emission monitoring continues after the wells have been plugged.
It is extremely rewarding to see our technologies employed in the endeavor of fixing such a pressing environmental problem. We remain focused on accelerating the pace of environmental programs that reduce emissions, especially in the oil and gas industry. Our work on this initiative is a great example of how technology can benefit the environment and help countries achieve their sustainability goals.
Jacques Mulbert, Division President, ABB Measurement & Analytics
* Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency
** Source: US Environment Defense Fund
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