ENVIRONMENT REPORT 2013
page 21
6.7 Offshore Emissions of Methane and Volatile Organic Compounds
Methane (CH
4
) is the principal component of natural gas and is released through incomplete combustion,
cold venting and during the loading of crude oil. Methane emissions have decreased from 53,810 tonnes
in 2011 to 47,984 tonnes in 2012. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) form the remaining components of
natural gas and arise from combustion and during the loading and offloading of crude oil tankers. Offshore
emissions of VOCs have shown a significant decrease from 2000 and 2001 levels of 80,076-86,742 tonnes to
53,939 tonnes in 2012.
Figure 10: Offshore Emissions of Methane and Volatile Organic Compounds on the UKCS
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Tonnes
Source: EEMS August 2013
CH₄ Emissions
VOC Emissions
