GHG Emissions

Our strategy for managing Green House Gas (GHG) emissions includes efficiency initiatives, natural gas conservation, and carbon capture and storage projects, as well as research.

In 2010, we completed 174 gas conservation projects in our primary heavy oil operations in the Lloydminster and Bonnyville areas, resulting in avoidance of 1.35 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions. Over the past five years, Canadian Natural has spent $61.9 million in its primary heavy crude oil and in situ oil sands operations to conserve the equivalent of over 8.3 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent emissions.

We have implemented compressor optimization programs to improve fuel gas efficiency and we continually monitor the performance of our natural gas compressor fleet.

Canadian Natural continues to implement flaring and venting reduction programs. Gas flaring decreased slightly (< 2%) in 2010 in our North American operations and we are pursuing other solutions for improvement. At our North Sea operations, we completed a number of flare reduction initiatives, including replacement of valves and installation of new turbine exhausts.

Our operations incorporate advancements in technology to further reduce GHG emissions through maximizing heat integration and the use of cogeneration to meet steam and electricity demands.

Horizon employs a cogeneration energy strategy as an efficient way to meet our operational energy needs. Cogeneration is the simultaneous production of electricity and heat energy from a single fuel source. We use natural and refinery fuel gas in our cogeneration plant to power gas turbine generators. The generators produce electrical power, which generates heat during operations. The exhaust heat resulting from the electrical production is captured and converted to steam. By recycling the waste heat for reuse we help reduce GHG emissions because our consumption of natural gas is lower than it would be if we produced electricity and heat energy separately.

At our Primrose operations we also use cogeneration to produce electricity and high pressure steam. Using a heat recovery steam generator, we convert all our gas turbine exhaust heat into steam that is injected in the ground to extract the bitumen.

Canadian Natural is breaking new ground with creative ways to reduce greenhouse gases and minimize its tailings pond footprint. At Horizon Oil Sands, we are testing a process which will take waste CO₂ from the hydrogen plant and sequester it in tailings. This process allows for increased water recycling and can therefore reduce the amount of fresh water required for bitumen processing.

Learn more about our tailings management technologies.

Our CO₂ emissions reduction program includes Carbon Capture and Storage for use in enhanced oil recovery to increase the amount of crude oil that can be extracted from the field. At our Enchant operations in southeast Alberta, Canadian Natural has captured more than 150,000 tonnes since a pilot project began in 2004. Carbon dioxide is naturally occurring in the reservoir area and, once captured, it is used to reduce the viscosity of oil in declining local oil reservoirs. This project is helping liberate the remaining oil and allowing access to an additional two million barrels of oil that would otherwise have been left in the reservoir.

More information on our Green House Gas emissions management is available on our Annual Information Form and on our 2010 Stewardship Report to Stakeholders.