Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis: Approaches for Integrating Renewable Energy Technologies in Oil and Gas Operations

January 15, 2019 — A new JISEA report provides an overview of where renewable and clean energy technologies can economically be integrated into oil and gas operations.

Petroleum (including both oil and gas) heats our homes, drives our transportation system, generates electricity, and had made modern life possible. Continued demand from expanding economies worldwide implies demand for oil and gas will likely continue to be robust. Considering the desire to maximize production efficiency and economic returns, there is increased attention to the fact that nearly 10% of oil is consumed in the process of oil production, transportation, and refining and that a quarter of a barrel of oil is used to produce a barrel of heavy oil. As oil and gas development shifts to secondary and other non-conventional sources, meeting future demand is anticipated to require substantial amounts of energy to produce, transport, and refine petroleum.

Increasing efficiency of operations can mitigate the rising costs associated with increasing energy requirements. Incorporating renewable and other clean energy sources could maximize product revenue while simultaneously addressing local environmental concerns as well as meeting emissions reduction goals. This second factor has prompted a growing interest in integrating renewable energy technologies in oil and gas operations. Furthermore, due to dramatic declines in the cost of energy generated from renewable sources, integrating renewable energy technologies can, in many cases, reduce operations costs as well.

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