A Design-Driven Approach to Emissions Quantification through Digital and Domain Integration

Abstract The energy industry has been taking transformative actions to achieve sustainable growth. Specifically, hydraulic fracturing and associated activities are known to be emissions intensive. The objective here is to develop a digital tool that enables quick, efficient, error-free carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions footprint assessments for various job types. The workflows implemented in the tool cover different phases in the intervention and stimulation life cycle of a well. The application's architecture is composed of generic modular assessments, such as resource utilization, site execution, and post-job activities. The user experience focuses on simple domain workflows in which complex processes are embedded to automate the corresponding emissions calculations. Detailed emissions factors for different fuel types are utilized from US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data. The engine first identifies the baseline fuel consumption related to product transportation, equipment mobilization and demobilization, execution at wellsite, and related well cleanup or flaring. The baseline uses historical consumption data, but it goes through a calibration loop based on real-time consumption data tracking. With the emissions factors and fuel efficiency, the second step of the engine is to calculate the CO2 emissions related to the fuel quantity and type. The tool incorporates eight different fuel types and multiple publicly available gas compositions from various basins. The application organically integrates with expansive master data systems such as fluid, proppant, and equipment databases. Moreover, users can seamlessly import design details in one click from other stimulation and intervention design software. Multiple workflows can then be generated to sensitize fluid volume, proppant mass, job type, fuel type, technologies, digital innovations, etc. The current interface captures detailed workflows for conventional and unconventional operations in land and offshore environments. It also supports utilization of an electric fleet. With this digital solution, we are well positioned to (1) accelerate the decarbonizing initiative and (2) position new technology portfolios to transition to cleaner operations. Current implementation showed the impact of technologies such as channel fracturing, retarded acid systems, degradable chemistry, and various predictive models and is positioned to enable smart strategies by integrating sustainability assessment and metrics to drive business growth. Real cases from some geographies show enablement of 20 to 30% emissions reduction. This novel effort is now extended to collaborate with engineering and supply chain teams for real-time measurements, post-job actual emissions calibration, and embodied carbon of material to measure accurately the path to net zero.