ExxonMobil Corp. reported greenhouse gas reduction measures that are expected to decrease its methane emissions by 15% and flaring by 25% by 2020. Efficiency improvements in its refining and chemical manufacturing facilities also are planned.
The company has spent more than $9 billion on lower-emission energy solutions since 2000, investing in cogeneration, flare reduction, energy efficiency, biofuels, carbon capture and storage, and other technologies. The company continues to support research that leads to technology breakthroughs and participates in dialogue on policy options.
XTO Energy’s leak-detection-and-repair efforts and operational improvements at US production and midstream sites have reduced estimated methane emissions across ExxonMobil’s operations by 2% in the last year. Combined with additional measures outside the US, the company expects to achieve a 15% reduction of methane emissions by 2020 compared with 2016.
Efforts associated with oil and gas production and processing are expected to lower natural gas flaring across ExxonMobil operations by about 25% by 2020 compared with 2016. Most of the reductions are expected to occur in West African operations and include use of third-party infrastructure.
The company has achieved a 10% improvement in energy efficiency across its global refining operations following an effort launched in 2000. The operations ranked in the first quartile for energy efficiency in every Solomon Refining Industry Survey over the past decade. Advanced efficiency technologies and techniques have helped the company’s chemical business reduce its net greenhouse gas emissions intensity by nearly 7% since 2013.
ExxonMobil is one of eight global energy companies that supports guiding principles on methane reduction (OGJ Online, Jan. 4, 2018). It is a founding member of the American Petroleum Institute’s Environmental Partnership focused initially on reducing methane and volatile organic compound emissions and a charter member of the Global Gas Flaring Reduction Public-Private Partnership, which is committed to developing commercial opportunities to reduce flaring.
