HSE Annual Report 2010 (English) - WINTERSHALL

REDUCTION OF EMISSIONS.
The international community has set out ambitious
goals in order to stop climate change. As laid down
in the Kyoto Protocol, global greenhouse gas emissions
are to be cut by at least five percent compared
to their 1990 levels from 2008 to 2012. The European
Union has committed itself to a reduction of
at least eight percent in the same timeframe. In
December 2008, the EU also agreed on a package
of directives and targets for climate protection and
energy, under which primary energy consumption
and greenhouse gas emissions are to be cut by 20
percent compared to 2005 by the year 2020. This
comprises expanding renewable energies and increasing
energy efficiency by 20 percent.
Emissions are created in exploration, production
and transportation of crude oil and gas as a result
of the energy required in these tasks – energy must
be generated or imported in the form of electricity,
process heat, steam and pressure. Since the production
facilities are often sited in poorly developed
regions, energy must be generated on site, normally
using fossil sources, such as gas, heating oil or
diesel. These emit a number of substances into the
air during their thermal conversion. Other processes
where substances are emitted into the air
are the flaring of associated gas or condensate
during production and the release of unburned gas
(cold flaring / venting) for safety reasons or as part
of maintenance measures.
As Germany’s largest producer of crude oil and
natural gas and a company that operates worldwide
in selected core regions, Wintershall accepts its
responsibility to protect the global climate. Apart
from complying with international conventions, local
laws and our own standards, we help cut emissions
by using leading-edge technologies and new or
improved methods to increase energy efficiency,
thus minimizing the impact on the environment,
reducing energy consumption and also keeping
costs as low as possible.
INFLUENCING FACTORS.
Greenhouse gas emissions in production of crude
oil and natural gas fluctuate for a number of production-related
reasons. Projects, such as development
of new fields, testing of wells, construction of
pipeline links or scheduled plant shutdowns for
maintenance or repair work, as well as safety reasons
may influence their volume.
HEALTH SAFETY ENVIRONMENT