Europe's offshore gas industry hits new milestone with North Sea's first 'Grade A' methane-certified gas project?

The Dutch-German N05-A gas development, operated by Netherlands-based exploration and production company ONE-Dyas, has become the first natural gas production project in the North Sea to be independently certified as meeting the highest grade under MiQ’s methane emissions standard.

The project has achieved a MiQ Grade A rating, following an independent audit of its operational practices and measured methane emissions data by Intertek, a global leader in Total Quality Assurance. This certification sets a new benchmark for lower-emissions gas production in Europe. MiQ provides a transparent, rigorous, data-driven grading system to assess natural gas based on methane performance, which helps drive regulatory compliance, incentivize continuous improvement, and demonstrate transparency around upstream methane emissions. For N05-A, Intertek’s independent audit verified both the project’s emissions data and the systems in place to manage methane as an accredited MiQ auditor.

Already adopted by producers including bp, ExxonMobil, Repsol, and EQT in the United States, MiQ’s Methane Emissions Performance Standard is based on a comprehensive and transparent assessment of operational practices and emissions performance. As the offtaker for this project, bp will market ONE-Dyas’ certified gas, targeting large gas buyers such as utilities and industrials.

N05-A is the first gas installation in the Dutch and German North Sea to be fully powered by renewable electricity. This is supplied via a nine-kilometre subsea power cable from the EWE-operated Riffgat offshore wind farm. By eliminating combustion-based power generation, the installation significantly reduces operational greenhouse gas emissions to near-zero. In addition, avoiding the use of gas-driven equipment eliminates methane slip and reduces venting and leaks, further lowering methane emissions.

Georges Tijbosch, Chief Executive Officer of MiQ said: “The certification of N05-A highlights how innovative design and best-in-class operational practices can deliver meaningful methane emissions reductions. MiQ’s independent assessments provide governments, regulators, and end-users with trusted data that supports accountability and continuous improvement across the energy sector.”

N05-A forms part of the GEMS area in the North Sea, which holds up to 50 billion m³ of Dutch and German natural gas potential. By meeting the rigorous standards of MiQ certification, ONE-Dyas ensures that customers in The Netherlands and Germany can source natural gas with full confidence in its low methane environmental credentials.

Chris de Ruyter van Steveninck, CEO of ONE-Dyas said: “With N05-A, we are not only delivering high-grade certification, we give customers verifiable assurance that this gas is produced with exceptionally low emissions. The mobile jack-up rig is also powered by that same energy source, to ensure electrified drilling. By combining innovative design with renewable power from the Riffgat wind farm, we demonstrate that domestic energy security and climate responsibility can go hand in hand. This certified gas shows what the future of cleaner, transparent and accountable gas production looks like in the energy transition.”

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/offshore-and-subsea/11022026/europes-offshore-gas-industry-hits-new-milestone-with-north-seas-first-grade-a-methane-certified-gas-project/