Arvind P. Ravikumar, PhD

The University of Texas at Austin

Friday, September 30, 2022

9:30 AM

102 Benedum Hall

Making Energy Policy Work: Accurate Carbon Accounting for the Oil and Gas Supply Chain

Abstract: Reducing methane emissions – a highly potent greenhouse gas – from the oil and gas supply chain is a key component of global climate policy. In 2021, over 100 countries signed the Global Methane Pledge to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030. In the US, the Environmental Protection Agency is developing new regulations to reduce methane leakage and venting from oil and gas sources, while the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act imposes a methane fee on high emitters. In parallel, market based approaches such as responsible gas certification aim to further reduce emissions in global trade. The success of these regulatory and voluntary approaches rely on our ability to develop accurate estimates of methane emissions along the oil and gas supply chain. To gain the trust of the public, government, and industry, these emissions estimates must be independent, transparent, timely, and accurate. In this talk, I will outline technical and policy challenges in developing accurate methane emissions estimates using recent field pilot studies across three US shale basins. I will conclude with a discussion of a framework for effective carbon accounting in the oil and gas sector.

Bio: Dr. Arvind Ravikumar directs the sustainable energy transition lab in the Petroleum & Geosystems Engineering department at The University of Texas at Austin. His interdisciplinary research examines technical and economic approaches to sustainably meet global energy demand while addressing its climate impacts. Specifically, Dr. Ravikumar’s work focuses on the role of technology and innovation in reducing the carbon footprint of global oil and gas operations. He routinely advices and serves on the advisory boards of state and federal government agencies to advance effective policy solutions to reducing carbon emissions. Dr. Ravikumar is a non-resident fellow with the Payne Institute for Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines and graduated with a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Princeton University.