API DR 141-1991

$39.00

Global Emissions of Carbon Dioxide from Petroleum Sources

Published By	Publication Date	Number of Pages
API	1991	102

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Description

The analysis and interpretation of recent atmospheric, oceanographic, and earth sciences data suggests that significant changes in current global climate patterns may occur as a result of the accumulation of carbon dioxide (C02) and other greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere. The nature of area- or region-specific climate shifts are still uncertain with regard to type (i.e., temperature change, precipitation modification, change infrequency of severe storms, sea level fluctuations, etc.), magnitude, and timing. Given the possible severe and irreversible consequences of climate change to global socio-economic parameters ,further study of greenhouse gas emission rates and emission reduction techniques is warranted.

Carbon dioxide is hypothesized to contribute approximately half of the increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases that are potentiality creating shifts in global climate patterns. The atmospheric concentration of C02 has increased from about 280 ppm in1800 to 353 ppm in 1990 (Houghton et al., 1990). The current rate of increase inatmosphericC02 concentrationis0.5 percent per year (Houghton et al., 1990). Although natural exchanges of C02 between the atmosphere and the biosphere (oceans, biomass, soils) are estimated in excess of 200 billion tons per year of carbon, the current 5.5 billion tons of carbon emissions(equivalent to 20.2 billion tons of C02) resulting from fossil fuel combustion isconcentrations2.6 billion tons deforestation. thought to be a primary factor in the rise in atmospheric C02in the past 180 years (Lashof and Tkpak, 1989). Between 0.4 and of carbon emissions (1.5 to 9.5 billion tons of C02) are attributed to deforestation.

The largest sources of anthropogenicC02 are from fossil fuel combustion, including coal, oil, and natural gas. Coal and oil each contribute about 40 percent with natural gas contributing about 20 percent to the total fossil fuel emissions of C02. Because of tie large part C02 plays in estimates of total climate change potential, coal and oil can each be expected to contribute about 20 percent of the total change. Consequently, the examination of the energy industries is important in understanding the emissions from such sources in terms of potential impacts to global climate change.

The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has concluded that increases inC02, methane, and other greenhouse gases will promote climate change (Houghtonet al., 1990). The objective of this report is to present estimates of C02 emissions from all segments of the global petroleum industry. These estimates are based on available data associated with individual petroleum industry segments. C02 emission estimates for certain regions and/or industry segments that were calculated from incomplete or otherwise inadequate data are identified. Emissions associated with the coal and natural gas industries are not presented

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