Technology Focus: Emissions Management (October 2026)

_ Emissions management is an evolving and active research theme in the oil and gas industry. It covers a wide array of topics such as carbon capture, use, and storage (CCUS); emissions monitoring; flare management; methods to improve operational efficiency; carbon accounting; and the effect of emissions management on global and local economics. The papers published in the past year span all these subcategories, and multiple exciting and innovative publications have contributed to this area of research. Here, we summarize three such excellent articles that we feel our readers would enjoy reading. In paper OTC 36132, the authors present a modular, scalable, and cost-efficient gas separation and CO2-capture solution. Their solution makes use of the natural hydrostatic pressure gradient of a tall column of water to separate gases. The gases are separated on the basis of their preferential solubility across different pressures and temperatures. The approach does not use any chemical solvents or membranes, has an almost 100% capture rate, does not produce any hazardous waste, and can use seawater, wastewater, or freshwater. Optical-gas-imaging (OGI)-based detection of leaks is a standard process in leak detection and repair. In paper SPE 229227, the authors present a new image-detection methodology that significantly improves the capability of OGI-based detection of leaks. In this approach, the authors present a new approach they term “channel stacking” in which they combine a sequence of time-consecutive single-channel infrared OGI frames to create a single multichannel image. This approach captures the motion of the plume over a time window and thereby improves detection accuracy. Finally, in paper SPE 228354, the authors investigate the capability of ultramafic rocks to adsorb CO2 from flue gases. The authors use multiple methods such as in-line gas analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry to determine the capability of ultramafic roads to adsorb CO2. They show that these rocks not only adsorb CO2 from flue-gas emissions but also convert them into stable carbonate phases, thereby establishing that they can be used effectively in membranes in integrated carbon capture and storage units. I hope the readers will find these papers interesting and useful in their research. Summarized Papers in This October 2026 Issue OTC 36132 - Cost-Efficient Solution Separates Gas and Captures CO2 Offshore by Ying Guo, SPE, NORCE; Mark Davidson, The Tech Toybox; and Torbjoern Groenn, NORCE, et al. SPE 229227 - Optical Gas Imaging Detects Leaks Using Channel Stacking by Mehdi Korjani and Jaeyoon Chung, Clean Connect SPE 228354 - Ultramafic Rock-Based Filters Enable CO2 Capture in Simulated Emission Streams by Elif Akiska and Sinan Akiska, Texas A&M University and Ankara University, and Berna Hascakir, SPE, Texas A&M University Recommended Additional Reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org. SPE 232844 - AI for Subsurface Hydrogen Leakage Monitoring: A Review of Multisensor Detection, Geochemical Indicators, and Predictive Analytics by Coskun Çetin, California State University, et al. SPE 230110 - Enhancing Flare-System Efficiency Through Innovative Technologies by H.P. Parekh, ADNOC, et al. SPE 229134 - Cost Optimization of Electrification for LNG and Oil and Gas Production Sites by F. de Meyer, TotalEnergies, et al.