Saskatchewan's upstream oil and gas sector saw its fifth-straight year of reductions in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in 2024, according to some new data from the Ministry of Energy and Resources' Oil and Gas Emissions Management Regulations' (OGEMR) Annual Report. The data from the report shows that provincial emissions from venting and flaring at upstream oil facilities fell by 71 per cent compared to 2015 levels, and by 13 per cent compared to 2023 levels.
"Our made-in-Saskatchewan approach to lowering GHG emissions is working, and these numbers show it," said Energy and Resources Minister Colleen Young. "Investment and innovation in the oil and gas sector have led to the significant reduction in the emissions we have seen since OGEMR was introduced in 2019. The Ministry of Energy and Resources will continue to take a regulatory approach that facilitates growth and ensures responsible resource development."
The 2024 annual report laid out that emissions from reported venting and flaring have seen a reduction of 7.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent since 2015, the equivalent of taking 1.7 million passenger vehicles off the road for one year.
The province identified two primary drivers for the reductions: new combustion equipment at wells and facilities burning off gas that would otherwise have been vented, and vented gas used on site as fuel for a beneficial industry-related purpose.
The OGEMR annual report monitors progress, with the end goal of reducing GHG emissions from the upstream oil and gas sector by 40 to 45 per cent by 2025 compared to 2015 levels.
The latest annual report showed that Saskatchewan has surpassed the 40 to 45 per cent goal and is on track to exceed the target in 2025.