Quantification of volatile organic compound emissions from unconventional oil and gas development

Oil and gas (O&G) development in the U.S. has accelerated in the past two decades, aided by unconventional extraction techniques including hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling. Potential environmental and health impacts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) originating from O&G activities in populated regions have raised concerns. In Broomfield, Colorado, six new O&G well pads were approved for development in 2017 and an air monitoring program was established in October 2018 to collect weekly and plume-triggered air samples. This study addresses the limited existing knowledge of activity-specific VOC emission rates from unconventional O&G development (UOGD), utilizing these observations and dispersion model simulations through emission inversion methods. Emissions are characterized from well drilling, hydraulic fracturing, coiled tubing/millout, flowback, and production operations.
Substantial variations in average VOC emission rates, determined using weekly canis..., This dataset uses the following methods:

Emission rates based on weekly canister samples:We first identify the active well pads at each week based on the well pad operation timelines. The emission rates for active well pads are constrained using observed concentration and dispersion model simulations through multiple linear regression. Then we select the emission rates that can be attributed to single operations based on the well pad operation timelines and exclude emission rates associated with multiple operations on a single well pad during a given week.

Emission rates based on plume-triggered samples:We first extrapolate VOC concentrations to 1-hour estimated concentrations using the corresponding PID readings. Then we calculate the 1-hour concentration enhancements over background concentrations from the COM site. Run AERMOD simulations with unit emission rate using wind rotation method. The 1-hour emission rates are based on the ratio of 1-hour concentration enhancements over AER..., , # Quantification of Volatile Organic Compound Emissions from Unconventional Oil and Gas Development

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.g1jwstqzs](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.g1jwstqzs)

## Versioning

* Version 1 (May 2024)

## Overview

This dataset contains comprehensive data on emission rates and concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during various operations of unconventional oil and gas development (UOGD) in Broomfield, Colorado, spanning from 2019 to 2022. It comprises both observed concentration from weekly and plume-triggered canister samples and simulations from the AERMOD dispersion model.

## Data files and description

This dataset contains the following data:

1. Emission rates based on weekly canister samples for 51 individual VOCs during drilling, hydraulic fracturing, coiled tubing/millout, production tubing installation, flowback, and production operations of UOGD from six large well pads developed in Broomfield, Colorado between 2019 and 2022. These si...