U.S. Oil & Gas Sector Methane Emissions 8X Above Industry Target

The U.S. Oil & Gas sector is producing 8x above the volume of methane many operators have pledged to achieve by 2030 to reach their climate goals, a fresh study by the non-profit Environmental Defense Fund has revealed, as reported by Bloomberg. 

The environmental advocacy group conducted ~30 flights between June and October of last year, covering oil and gas basins that account for nearly three-quarters of onshore production. 

The data collected showed that, on average, around 1.6% of gross gas production is released as methane into the atmosphere, about eight times higher than pledged by producers under the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative and the Oil & Gas Decarbonization Charter. 

Whereas the majority of attention by climate scientists is currently focused on cutting carbon emissions, methane is a potent greenhouse gas, too. The Global Monitoring Laboratory estimates there were 1,931 parts per billion (ppb) of methane in the earth's atmosphere in March 2024, an increase from 1,919 ppb a year earlier. That’s roughly equivalent to two cups of water inside a standard Olympic-size swimming pool. 

In contrast, there are 421 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, making CO2 more than 200x more abundant than methane. However, methane is able to do plenty of damage at even lower concentrations, thanks to being more than 80x more powerful at warming the earth than CO2 over 20 years and 28x more powerful on a 100-year timescale. 

Oil and gas producers might increasingly be held accountable for methane pollution thanks to a new detection technology: GEOS. Last year, researchers at Harvard University discovered that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) used for weather forecasts is effective at detecting large methane emissions of around tens of metric tons an hour or larger. Unlike Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, Geostationary or Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO/GSO) satellites orbit 22,200 miles above the surface of the Earth and maintain a fixed position relative to specific locations on the Earth's surface. 

Last year, environmental intelligence firm Kayrros SAS used GOES to quantify that a gas pipeline by the Williams Companies Inc. (NYSE:WMB) spewed about 840 metric tons of methane into the atmosphere after a farmer in Idaho accidentally ruptured it while using an excavator.

The U.S. pipeline regulator has unveiled new rules aimed at lowering methane leaks from the vast network of 2.7 million miles of natural gas pipelines in the country. The proposal could "significantly improve the detection and repair of leaks from gas pipelines... deploy pipeline workers across the country to keep more product in the pipe, and prevent dangerous accidents,"  the Transportation Department's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration said.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

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