Saudi Aramco has launched a pilot program shipping its Arab Light crude to its wholly-owned Motiva Refinery at Galveston in the US, with more than 95% of Scope 1 & 2 emissions offset. In a 27 May document alongside the firm’s 2023 Sustainability Report, Aramco says that the first 2mn barrel shipment was delivered in September 2023, with as many as five further shipments planned under the pilot program.

The footprint of the operations covered by the offset program includes production from the well-head through gas oil separation, pipeline transportation, storage, processing, loading and voyage up until the transfer of title to the buyer (see chart). Aramco says that the 2.057mn barrels of crude oil delivered to Galveston had total emissions of 13,139 tons of CO₂ equivalent (including other emissions such as methane), equating to carbon intensity of 6.39 kg of CO₂e/boe. The most carbon intensive portion was the transportation of crude on a VLCC to Galveston (see table). (CONTINUED - 786 WORDS)