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(81-05) Towards zero emissions from the oil platform - LCA study. Philip, James1, Gochin, Rodney1, Vesovic, Velisa*,1, 1 Department of Earth Science & Engineering, Imperial College, London, UK ABSTRACT- The last decades have witnessed a large change in industrial design practices with particular emphasis being placed on environmental impact. A move away from process-orientated to more system-oriented concepts is discernible, whereby the process is viewed as an integral part of its surroundings and environmentally sustainable practices are sought. This is specially true of any activity involving oil exploration, production or processing where the current perception is that these activities are associated with considerable environmental degradation and hence do not satisfy criteria for eco-efficiency. The work presented describes the improvements in oil and gas extraction from North Sea with the evolution of environmental management techniques in response to the increasing emphasis on sustainable development. A LCA model is developed to calculate the environmental index for discharges and emissions from the North Sea platform. The model is subsequently used in conjunction with operational data, to investigate the feasibility of zero emissions under different operating conditions. Whilst recording significant reductions in discharges of produced water to the sea, the work concludes that the atmospheric emissions have remained high. The study questions the cost effectiveness of progressive marginal reductions of carbon dioxide in pursuing the goal of zero emissions. Key words: LCA, oil, zero-emission |
