LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF NATURAL GAS PRODUCTION IN INDONESIA

Abstract

Indonesia is a country with a population of 270 million as of 2020, which thus requires a substantial amount of energy to support growth and development. Over the last 5 years from 2012 to 2017, natural gas production averaged 2.9 trillion standard cubic feet (Tscf) making natural gas the third primary source of energy used in Indonesia after oil and coal. With its significant use as an energy source in Indonesia, natural gas has significant impacts on the environment, such as global warming potential (GWP) during its lifetime. Thus, the study aims to evaluate the potential environmental impact per 1 MMscf of natural gas produced using the life cycle assessment method based on ISO 14040/14044 standards and investigate the most contributed impact categories and unit process to the overall impact using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The target of the study is an offshore natural gas production site located on Makassar Strait, South Kalimantan Province, Indonesia. On the basis of the 2019 research data, the results of impact assessment are as follows: Abiotic Resource Depletion (ARD): 1.1 E+06 MJ/MMscf, Acidification Potential (AP): 1.1 E+00 kg SO2 eq./MMscf, Eutrophication Potential (EP): 2.5 E-01 kg PO43- eq./MMscf, Fresh Water Ecotoxicity Potential (FAETP): 8.0 E-05 kg 1,4-DCB eq./MMscf, Global Warming Potential (GWP): 1.1 E+03 kg CO2 eq./MMscf, Human Toxicity (HT): 3.5 E+00 kg 1,4-DCB eq./MMscf, Marine Aquatic Ecotoxicity Potential (MAETP): 3.8 E+03 kg 1,4-DCB eq./MMscf, Photochemical Oxidant Potential (POP): 6.0 E-02 kg ethylene eq./ MMscf and Terrestrial Ecotoxicity Potential (TETP): 9.0 E-02 kg 1,4-DCB eq./MMscf. After normalisation and PCA, most contributed impact categories are grouped with the first group of AP, EP, GWP, POP and HT which are associated with gas compressor unit and the second one is FAETP, MAETP, TETP, and also HT which are associated with produced water treatment unit.