The Air Research Planning Committee (ARPC) is a technical committee that supports the Alberta Upstream Petroleum Research Fund (AUPRF) Program. The goal of ARPC is to help the industry expand its credible and relevant information to address knowledge gaps on high-priority methane and other emissions. They aim to initiate dependable research projects, both fundamental and applied, on existing and emerging environmental issues to support the development of new technologies and industry best practices. By doing so, ARPC supports the industry’s desire for shared research development and provides an opportunity to understand and manage these matters in a safe and effective manner.
ARPC Committee Members
Name | Company Name |
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Andrea Zabloski | Canadian Natural Resources Limited |
Andrew Cattran | NuVista Energy |
Carolyn Ussher | Alberta Energy Regulator |
Colin Hennel | Bonavista Energy |
Don McCrimmon | Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers |
Gerald Palanca | Alberta Energy Regulator |
Graham Noble | Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy and Resources |
Jacob Bayda | Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy and Resources |
Koray Onder | TC Energy |
Marie Johnson | Environment and Climate Change Canada |
Peter Kos | BC Energy Regulator |
Randy Dobko | Alberta Environment and Protected Areas |
Sean Hiebert | Cenovus |
Sean Smith | Environment and Climate Change Canada |
Yaomin Jin | BC Energy Regulator |
Current Policy Issues and Knowledge Gaps
Public Policy Issue | Knowledge Gap(s) |
Methane Emissions
Federal and provincial regulations require the oil and gas sector to reduce methane emissions by 45% by 2025 and the new proposed federal policy is to continue that reduction to 75% by 2030. Industry is focused on meeting the reductions targets and timing in the most cost-effective way possible. Advancements in methane detection, quantification, and controls technologies, to allow the sector to implement solutions in a timely manner. |
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Air Quality Indicators
Ambient air quality objectives are continuously being reviewed and updated, and industry is being required to meet more stringent targets. To determine the impact of such policy changes, it is important for industry to understand the contribution that upstream oil and gas facilities have to the substances being reviewed. |
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Air Emission Inventories
Air emissions inventories are becoming an increasingly important method of monitoring and reporting on industry emissions, for the public, governments, and individual companies. Further, governments are using these emissions inventories to negotiate international treaties, establish air emissions policy measures and targets, and develop emission forecasts. As such, it is important that upstream oil and gas operators report facility emissions using standardized methodologies and realistic emission factors with low uncertainty, and also have access to a wide variety of effective emissions monitoring technologies. Inaccurate and/or overly conservative emissions factors can result in an inaccurate portrayal of the emissions profile of the oil and gas industry. This in turn can lead to unnecessary or ineffective regulatory requirements, and additional public scrutiny. |
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Data Analysis
There is an ever-growing amount of data generated by oil and gas companies and various repositories collecting data. It would be useful to analyze the data into meaningful insights that will help industry address ongoing challenges. |
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