Project description

On behalf of Offshore Norge, Carbon Limits evaluated the carbon footprint of conducting leak detection and repair (LDAR) on subsea equipment. The studied followed the life-cycle assessment framework (ISO 14040/14044) and focused on four sub-systems:

• the inspection of one piece of equipment,
• the survey with a multi-beam echosounder of one piece of equipment,
• the quantification of one leak
• the repair of one leak.

Input data was provided by 7 oil and gas operators and 2 providers of survey, inspection and maintenance services operating on the Norwegian continental. The study provided results for a default scenario which intends to represent a typical average case but also showcased the diversity of real-life conditions.

The study discussed how the carbon footprint of LDAR in Norway may be affected by changes in practices, in line with the European Union regulation on the reduction of methane emissions in the energy sector.