Improving robustness of LCA results through stakeholder engagement: A case study of emerging oil sands technologies

Abstract Life cycle assessments can help inform decision-making about greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction opportunities but are often not embraced by stakeholders associated with industries where study results highly scrutinized and contentious. This project was motivated stakeholder interest in understanding open source life models (the Oil Production Greenhouse Gas Emissions Estimator, OPGEE, the Petroleum Refinery Cycle Inventory Model, PRELIM) how accurately they estimate emissions for existing oil sands projects emerging technologies. We evaluate robustness of these improve them using data from three (mining + upgrading, mining + dilution, steam assisted gravity drainage, SAGD, + dilution). The then applied to GHG potential two situ find that, when boundaries aligned, OPGEE generate upstream estimates modeled within 1-4% company reported data. Extending boundary include indirect (life cycle) lead a doubling intensity. technologies evaluated reduce 14-19% compared SAGD operating at same reservoir, or 1.4-1.9% on well-to-wheel basis. work contributes revised process conducting LCAs that includes input throughout more robust transparent deploying