Astana to present
methane emissions reduction plan at COP29
Eurasianet
Kazakhstan will unveil its program to curb methane emissions during the
UN climate conference in Baku in November, Kazakh officials have revealed. The
announcement is the latest in a series of actions to keep the country’s
greenhouse gas reduction efforts on track after Astana joined the Global
Methane Pledge at the end of 2023.This voluntary agreement encourages
signatories to collectively reduce global methane pollution by at least 30
percent below 2020 levels by 2030. The commitment is in line with international
incentives to combat global warming. Kazakhstan is set to cut its emissions by
4.9 percent from 2020 levels, or up to 2 million metric tons. The effort will
involve total spending of at least $1.4 billion through 2030, a figure based on
US and international projections for Kazakhstan’s oil and gas sector. “We have
developed a roadmap to meet these methane reduction commitments,” said Saule
Sabieva, a top official at the Kazakh Ministry of Ecology and Natural
Resources, who participated in an early June meeting in Germany that laid the
groundwork for the upcoming UN climate conference, known as COP29. Measures
will be tailored to each industry, she added.
According to researchers, the energy sector is the largest source of
methane emissions, accounting for almost two-thirds of emissions between 1990
and 2021. Agriculture was a distant second as a methane source over the same
period, accounting for 30 percent. Waste management rounded out the top three
with 6.5 percent of emissions. Between June and December 2023, Kazakhstan
experienced what was reportedly the second-largest anthropogenic methane leak
ever documented. A natural gas fire started during well-drilling operation in
the Mangystau region of southwestern Kazakhstan. Methane levels in the air were
measured at 480 times the legal limit. The well operator, Buzachi Neft, was
penalized with $780,000 in fines. The fire lasted about 200 days and was not
extinguished until December 25, more than three weeks after Kazakhstan
announced its commitment to the Global Methane Pledge. In May, Buzachi Neft,
the methane super-emitter, announced plans to drill 23 new wells in the
Mangystau region. The proposed drilling depth was set at 4,265 feet, with a
margin of 820 feet. Construction work could begin as early as September. The
wells are expected to start production between 2025 and 2034. The private oil
company did not respond to a request for comment on what adjustments have been
made to safety measures to prevent methane leaks like the one that occurred in
2023.Another oil and gas producer, state-owned KazMunayGas, has been more
transparent with its “methane management” strategy. It signed a memorandum of
cooperation with Oslo-based Carbon Limits, an environmental consultancy that
provides solutions to reduce emissions. The firm deployed its Leak Detection
and Repair (LDAR) program for a test demonstration at one of KazMunayGas’
production sites. The technology uses satellite imagery to identify methane
super-emitters. Infrared cameras pinpoint the exact source of methane seeps.
The leaks can then be promptly sealed. The training involved 24 employees from
KazMunayGas and its subsidiaries. “In the future, [they] will independently
implement the LDAR system at their sites,” the company said in the statement.
According to media reports, applying the know-how could cost from $1 million.
Beyond the LDAR rollout, several measures are planned as part of Astana’s
commitment to the Global Methane Pledge. As reported by the LS news agency, an
estimated $80 million could be allocated to upgrade coalbed infrastructure and
process methane for power generation. Another $200 million could be used for
early coal seam degassing at the Tentekskaya mine in northeastern Kazakhstan.
This will be done using the plasma pulse impact method. This technique helps
create micro-fractures and is used in methane-unsafe mines. At least $70 million
a year is needed to deal with methane leaks at Kazakhstan’s oil and gas
facilities.In April, the Ministry of Energy approached the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development to jointly attract investment for new projects.
In May, the development of national standards for methane reduction was
discussed at the Enhanced Strategic Partnership Dialogue, a format that brought
a Kazakh delegation to Washington.