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IKIMP Oil & Gas report published

Tue 31 January, 2012

IKIMP has today released a report on Mercury arising from oil and gas production in the United Kingdom and UK continental shelf which is now avialable for download.

US crackdown on mercury pollution

Fri 23 December, 2011

Chemistry World News, 23 December 2011 The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced its long-awaited standards to limit mercury, lead and other toxic pollutants emitted by power
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UNEP Press Release: Mercury Negotiations Move Forward Towards Global Treaty

Mon 7 November, 2011

Nairobi, 3 November 2011 – Representatives from 120 governments gathered at the headquarters of the United Nations Environment Programmed (UNEP) in Nairobi for negotiations towards a global treaty
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Energy Policy

Overview

A key goal of mercury policy is the reduction in mercury emissions, particularly to atmosphere. However, it is now recognised that the contribution of anthropogenic and natural emissions to our understanding of the global mercury budget is not sufficiently comprehensive to make accurate and confident assessments.

Output

A recognised knowledge gap hindering the construction of mercury budgets is the release of mercury into the environment from the activities of the oil and gas industry. Consequently, the IKIMP initiative has produced a report synthesizing the knowledge available in the public domain to inform UK policymakers and regulators, and other stakeholders.

The report considers:

  • the quantities of mercury associated with the activities of the oil and gas industry in the UK, where it emerges in the chain of extraction, processing and use, and the species involved;
  • how the UK mercury content of oil and gas compares to that elsewhere in the world, including any reasons for observed differences; and
  • the significance of the mercury burden from the oil and gas industry in the UK for mercury emissions and management more generally.

    • A key, overarching conclusion of the study is that the paucity of data available in the public domain means that there are large uncertainties in the quantities of mercury contained in the oil and gas processed and used in the UK, and in consequent releases to the environment. These difficulties of estimation are exacerbated by substantial variations in the mercury contents of oil and gas derived from different sources.

    The final report is available for download.

    Team

    * Murray Gardner (Lead)
    * John Holmes
    * David Lang

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