Thesis

Air quality implications of developing the United Kingdom’s unconventional petroleum resources, with a focus on geological drilling and other analogous environments

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Awarding institution
  • University of Strathclyde
Date of award
  • 2021
Thesis identifier
  • T16160
Person Identifier (Local)
  • 201765717
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Department, School or Faculty
Abstract
  • Background & Aims: There are grave concerns that Unconventional Natural Gas (UNG) developments may severely impact air quality in the UK. To address these concerns, the thesis researches the two most significant risk-assessed hazards (i.e. drilling mud and combustion-related activities) by developing methods to identify physical phenomenon and source characteristics of key air pollutants - Particulate Matter (PM), Black Carbon (BC) and Nitrogen Oxides (NOX). Methods: The methods include personal air quality monitoring and statistical computing, including two pilot methods tested in Glasgow, before statistical computing is tested on data from the Preston New Road UNG site. Results: Statistical computing allows for long-term averaging and spatial temporal evaluation of industrial sites such as the Preston New Road drilling site, and when ratios (e.g. BC: NOX) are used, can detect discrete industrial and vehicular sources. Lastly, a review of PM on drilling rigs indicated high occupational exposures, which could cause respiratory disease, the chemicals within oil-based mad formulations were also found to pose a significant respiratory hazard. Conclusions: Air pollution from UNG at the Preston New Road site was less significant than conjecture and was less impactful than a nearby dairy farm. However, drilling mud exposures may present a high-risk occupational respiratory hazard to workers on modern onshore drilling rigs both from the quantity of airborne PM and from hazardous chemical dust. The developed methods also offer improved and cost-effective methods for source evaluation studies which could be implemented within most air pollution microenvironments.
Advisor / supervisor
  • Phoenix, Vernon
Resource Type
DOI

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