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  • Swanson School of Engineering
  • Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
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New Research Models the Environmental Impact of Refining Different Crude Oils

Recently published research led in part by the University of Pittsburgh uses engineering-based refinery modeling on crude oils to assess and track the lifecycle climate impacts of the oil and gas industry.

The authors, including Mohammad Masnadi, assistant professor of chemical and petroleum engineering at the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering, provide guidance on refining choices that will lessen the environmental impact of the industry and recommend future investments in emissions mitigation technologies. The research was published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

The researchers modeled 93% of the world’s oil as it flows to 153 refineries across the world, finding that global refining emissions could be reduced by 11-58% by targeting the primary emission sources. The research will, for the first time, estimate greenhouse gas emissions of oil refinery operations using a granular, engineering-based, bottom-up approach.