Examination of Gas Flares in Examination of Gas Flares in THEOS Data - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Examination of Gas Flares in Examination of Gas Flares in THEOS Data Chris Elvidge Chris Elvidge Earth Observation Group NOAA National Geophysical Data Center Boulder Colorado USA Boulder, Colorado USA chris.elvidge@noaa.gov February 21, 2011 b

Flaring is a widely used practice for the disposal of “associated gas” at oil production facilities in remote locations and poor countries. While flaring is a waste and there are technologies to make h l i k use of the gas, flaring is still better than venting venting.

NGDC Tracks Flaring in Sixty Countries Using DMSP Nighttime Lights Data

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Global Gas Flaring Runs About 150 Billion Cubic mater Per Year, Mostly Methane DMSP Estimated Global Gas Flaring Volume 200 ME RE VOLU 150 BCM) 100 GAS FLAR (B 50 G 0 0 Reducing Natural Gas Flaring Is Low Hanging Fruit For Reducing Carbon Emissions To The Atmosphere! g p

THEOS Images Examined THEOS Images Examined Ciudad del Carmen, Mexico (SCENE T1 M 2010/04/24 16:20:41.5 0603 ‐ 0312 d d d l ( / / • 3087) Jakarta, Indonesia (SCENE T1 M 2009/09/07 02:58:40.5 0285 ‐ 0362 0) , ( / / ) • Ad ‐ Dahirah,Qatar (SCENE T1 P 2009/08/26 06:43:58.7 0155 ‐ 0298 1867) • Basra, Iraq (SCENE T1 M 2009/08/14 07:13:46.8 0144 ‐ 0290 0) • Hassi Messaoud, Algeria (SCENE T1 M 2009/11/02 09:58:04.8 0059 ‐ 0286 0) • As Saffaniyah ,Saudi Arabia (SCENE T1 M 2010/01/02 07:04:09.3 0149 ‐ 0294 0) • Abu Musa UAE (SCENE T1 M 2009/06/15 06:27:31 1 0164 0299 742) Abu Musa ,UAE (SCENE T1 M 2009/06/15 06:27:31.1 0164 ‐ 0299 742) • •

Ciudad del Carmen Mexico Ciudad del Carmen,Mexico Gas Gas Flares Ciudad At Gas At Gas del del Oil Carmen Separation Separation Plant (GOSP) (GOSP)

Ciudad del Carmen,Mexico Gas Flares Viewed in Digital Globe Data in Google Earth and THEOS. Active Flare Detected in THEOS!

Ciudad del Carmen,Mexico THEOS Spectral Signatures THEOS Spectral Signatures Flare Flame Flare Flame Water Green Vegetation GOSP Gas Flares Have A Unique Spectral Signature In THEOS Data!

Jakarta, Indonesia Offshore Flares Off h Offshore Flares Jakarta

Jakarta, Indonesia From Google Earth To THEOS From Google Earth To THEOS Platform(?) but no gas but no gas flare detected in THEOS.

Ad ‐ Dahirah, Qatar Panchromatic THEOS Data Flares in Refinery Area Refinery y Area

Ad ‐ Dahirah, Qatar Panchromatic THEOS Data Flares in Refinery Area Gas Flares Detected in THEOS Data Gas Flares Detected in THEOS Data GeoEye Image From Google Earth

Basra, Iraq Gas Flares and Smoke Plumes

Basra, Iraq Gas Flares and Smoke Plumes Gas Flares and Smoke Plumes Ground Photo in Panoramio THEOS With Gas Flares Detected Digital Globe Data From Google Earth

Hassi Messaoud Algeria Hassi Messaoud, Algeria Hassi Messaoud with gas flares and smoke plumes

Hassi Messaoud, Al Algeria i Digital Globe Image From Google Earth THEOS THEOS Detection Of Gas Of Gas Flares THEOS

Abu Musa, UAE Offshore Oil Platform

Abu Musa, UAE Offshore Oil Platform Photo From Panoramio The platform is visible in THEOS data, but there is little indication of flaring.

Refinery at As Saffaniyah, Saudi Arabia Google Earth THEOS Flare Burning

Summary Summary • Flames from gas flares can be detected in THEOS data Flames from gas flares can be detected in THEOS data. • The THEOS spectra of gas flares shows higher emission in the near infrared (NIR) than in the visible bands. in the near infrared (NIR) than in the visible bands. • This spectral pattern resembles the spectral signature for green vegetation. But the contrast between the NIR g g and visible tends to be higher for gas flares than green vegetation. • THEOS data collected at night would be capable of discriminating gas flares and other combustion sources with ease. i h