Towards Sustainable Hydrocarbon Extraction: A Study of Atmospheric Pollutant Dynamics (CO, CH 4, SO 2, HCHO) via Remote Sensing and Meteorological Data

Viviana N. Fernández Maldonado, Ana Laura Navas, Germán Mazza, Paula Fabani and Rosa Rodriguez ()
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Viviana N. Fernández Maldonado: Grupo Vinculado al PROBIEN (CONICET-UNCo), Instituto de Ingeniería Química, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Libertador San Martín (Oeste) 1109, San Juan 5400, Argentina
Ana Laura Navas: Grupo Vinculado al PROBIEN (CONICET-UNCo), Instituto de Ingeniería Química, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Libertador San Martín (Oeste) 1109, San Juan 5400, Argentina
Germán Mazza: Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos, Biotecnología y Energías Alternativas (PROBIEN), CONICET–Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Buenos Aires 1400, Neuquén 8300, Argentina
Paula Fabani: Grupo Vinculado al PROBIEN (CONICET-UNCo), Instituto de Ingeniería Química, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Libertador San Martín (Oeste) 1109, San Juan 5400, Argentina
Rosa Rodriguez: Grupo Vinculado al PROBIEN (CONICET-UNCo), Instituto de Ingeniería Química, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Libertador San Martín (Oeste) 1109, San Juan 5400, Argentina

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-23

Abstract: Hydrocarbon exploitation in Argentina is a strategic sector for the national economy, but also a significant source of atmospheric emissions. In the context of climate change, energy transition, and increasing health risks, robust evidence is needed to characterize pollutant dynamics in hydrocarbon basins. This study modeled the atmospheric dispersion of CO (carbon monoxide), CH 4 (methane), SO 2 (sulfur dioxide), and HCHO (formaldehyde) around oil wells by integrating satellite imagery with meteorological data. The study covered Argentina’s main hydrocarbon basins, applying generalized additive mixed models (GAMM) to assess relationships between pollutants, climatic variables, and basin locations. Results showed that CO and SO 2 peaked in the Cuyana basin, influenced by outdated infrastructure, flaring, and atmospheric stability, reaching maxima in spring (CO > 30,000 µmol·m −2 ) and winter (SO 2 = 2760 µmol·m −2 ). HCHO levels were elevated in Cuyana and Neuquina, during warmer months (> 170 µmol·m −2 ). CH 4 displayed a more uniform distribution (~1800 ppb), with slightly higher values in Cuyana due to temperature and pressure. By combining high-resolution satellite observations with climate data, this study makes a novel and outstanding contribution by providing the first integrated assessment of pollutant dynamics across Argentina’s oil basins, offering actionable benchmarks for emission reduction, infrastructure modernization, and alignment with sustainability commitments.

Keywords: air quality management; flaring emissions; greenhouse gases; oil infrastructure; remote sensing applications (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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