Air Quality

Many of our stakeholders live in areas with significant current and historical oil and gas development. Stakeholders tell us they are concerned about air quality due to the level of development in their area.

Combustion and venting processes in our Western Canada Gas operations are a source of air pollutant emissions. These emissions include sulphur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, volatile organic compounds and particulate matter. Reducing these emissions is not always clear-cut, as some efforts to decrease air pollutant emissions can cause an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. For example, optimizing the efficiency of compressor engines to reduce emissions of oxides of nitrogen requires an increase in natural gas use, which can increase greenhouse gas emissions.

Managing air emissions is an important part of our sustainable development efforts, as some stakeholders have asked us to take additional action to monitor, reduce and report on our emissions.

Tracking Emissions

We are striving to better manage our emissions through the application of technologies which reduce emissions and increase our energy efficiency. We implemented a better system to track the use of new technologies, quantify reduction and efficiency benefits and costs and then share this knowledge across our company.

Pembina Sentinel Air Monitoring Society

Learn more on Air Quality

• Canada-wide
• Oil Sands
• Arctic

Drayton Valley is a high-density rural area in west-central Alberta, where people live and work near sour and critically sour wells and facilities. As one of the first oil and gas development areas in Alberta, generations of Drayton Valley residents have lived alongside the industry and its infrastructure. They are concerned sour gas and other pollutants from these developments may be affecting air quality and asked that a passive air monitoring network to monitor emissions be installed.

We supported and played a key role in establishing the air monitoring network in 2008 and 2009 through our work with the multi-stakeholder Pembina Sentinel Air Monitoring Society. Residents can view up-to-date information from the network sensors on an online, computerized map. The Society continues to evaluate opportunities to address local concerns associated with emissions from oil and gas operations in the area.