The Downstream Frontline for Integrity Management

摘要

Recent news headlines around gas storage incidents highlight the fact that it is not only oil and gas-producing wells that need continuous real-time integrity monitoring to avoid catastrophic leaks. According to the International Energy Agency's (IEA) most recent forecasts, we can expect a sustained period of growth in natural gas consumption over the next few years. The IEA predicts that by 2040, gas will be second only to oil as the largest source of energy worldwide, knocking coal into third place. At that point, gas will account for 24% of the global energy mix. If we look at the European Union's energy mix, we can see an even more dramatic increase in gas consumption. Although energy demand in the European bloc has remained relatively stable, over the past two decades there has been a radical shift in the balance of energy sources, with a 41% increase in demand for gas, compensating for a 41% reduction in the use of coal as an energy source. As pressure mounts to embrace the use of clean fuels in energy production, this growth can be expected to continue.