Nitrogen Oxide Emissions from U.S. Oil and Gas Production
Recent Trends and Source Attribution
Barbara Dix (University of Colorado - Boulder)
Joep de Bruin (University of Colorado - Boulder, Concentra Analytics, Student TU Delft)
Esther Roosenbrand (University of Colorado - Boulder, Student TU Delft)
Tim Vlemmix (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI))
Colby Francoeur (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, University of Colorado - Boulder)
Alan Gorchov-Negron (University of Michigan)
Brian McDonald (University of Colorado - Boulder, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
Mikhail Zhizhin (University of Colorado - Boulder, Colorado School of Mines, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
Christopher Elvidge (Colorado School of Mines)
Pepijn Veefkind (TU Delft - Atmospheric Remote Sensing, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI))
Pieternel Levelt (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), TU Delft - Atmospheric Remote Sensing)
Joost de Gouw (University of Colorado - Boulder)
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Abstract
U.S. oil and natural gas production volumes have grown by up to 100% in key production areas between January 2017 and August 2019. Here we show that recent trends are visible from space and can be attributed to drilling, production, and gas flaring activities. By using oil and gas activity data as predictors in a multivariate regression to satellite measurements of tropospheric NO2 columns, observed changes in NO2 over time could be attributed to NOx emissions associated with drilling, production and gas flaring for three select regions: the Permian, Bakken, and Eagle Ford basins. We find that drilling had been the dominant NOx source contributing around 80% before the downturn in drilling activity in 2015. Thereafter, NOx contributions from drilling activities and combined production and flaring activities are similar. Comparison of our top-down source attribution with a bottom-up fuel-based oil and gas NOx emission inventory shows agreement within error margins.