Independent Expert GHG Review for a Complex Gas Project – Mid West Case Study
A Mid West gas developer engaged Evolveable for an independent expert review of greenhouse gas emissions for a new project with complex gas compositions. The company had already quantified project emissions, but its corporate environment and sustainability team wanted confidence that the methodology, assumptions and estimates would stand up under regulator and investor scrutiny. They needed a fast, defensible answer from a trusted specialist with deep environmental engineering and regulatory experience.
The Problem: Complex Gas, High Stakes
The project involved multi‑field gas supply with varying CO₂, condensate and trace‑component content, feeding into a new processing facility. Internal studies had produced emission estimates for combustion, fugitives, flaring and processing, but several pain points remained:
- Uncertainty over whether gas‑composition sampling, normalisation and scaling to design throughput had been handled in a way that met current best practice and guidance.
- Questions about how screening criteria, global warming potentials, control efficiencies and flare assumptions had been selected, and whether these might be challenged by the regulator.
- A need to position the project’s emissions profile credibly relative to regional benchmarks and policy settings, including potential abatement expectations.
- Tight internal and regulatory timelines that left little room for re‑work if issues were identified later in the approval process.
In short, the company wanted an independent, technically rigorous “stress test” of its GHG work before taking the project into formal assessment.
The Method: Targeted Peer Review from Engineering and Regulatory Lenses
Evolveable applied a concise, high‑impact peer review tailored to the project’s timing and risk profile, combining environmental engineering depth with practical regulator experience.
We:
- Reviewed the full emissions calculation chain, from gas‑composition data and sampling strategy through to processing scenarios, emission factors, assumptions and model spreadsheets.
- Checked alignment with applicable guidance and standards for GHG estimation in gas processing and compression, including treatment of complex gas streams, flaring and fugitives.
- Tested the reasonableness of key assumptions (for example, compressor efficiencies, flare destruction efficiencies, operating profiles, leak factors) against both engineering reality and what regulators typically expect for similar projects.
- Identified where uncertainty or conservatism should be explicitly described, and where additional sensitivity tests or clarifications would materially strengthen the company’s position.
- Prepared clear, concise technical commentary that could be lifted directly into supporting documentation for engagement with the regulator.
The work was completed under compressed timeframes, with focused workshops to walk the project and corporate teams through findings and recommended refinements.
The Outcome: Credible Numbers and Stronger Regulatory Positioning
The review confirmed that the company’s core emission estimates were directionally sound but recommended targeted refinements to methods, documentation and framing that materially improved robustness and defensibility. Key outcomes included:
- A clarified and better‑documented emissions basis of preparation that clearly linked gas‑composition data, process design conditions and emission estimates.
- Adjusted assumptions and additional sensitivities for a small number of high‑leverage parameters, improving confidence ranges without materially delaying the project.
- A succinct expert note that the company could use in regulator meetings and submissions to demonstrate that the work had undergone independent technical scrutiny.
- Practical suggestions on how to frame emissions performance and potential abatement options in a way that was consistent with regional policy signals and likely regulatory expectations.
For ASX‑scale resource developers, this case illustrates the value of a fast, independent expert review when GHG estimates, complex gas compositions and regulatory expectations intersect. By combining environmental engineering rigour with an understanding of how regulators think, Evolveable helps project teams move from “we think the numbers are right” to “we can stand behind this position with confidence.”
Contact Evolveable Consulting today and unlock hidden value in your business.
