Study report on “Mercury from oil and gas” under the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership. First Draft – 5 May 2021

The objective of the present report is to analyze the life cycle of mercury in the oil and natural gas value chains and understand how this heavy metal, naturally present in oil and natural gas, may be released to the environment at different stages of the process (including the decommissioning of oil and gas infrastructure), and as a consequence increase the levels of mercury in the environment, posing a risk to human health and ecosystems. It also aims to identify how waste from the sector is treated, accounted for and, where appropriate, whether mercury recovered from such waste may be entering the market for other uses.