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US oil and gas facilities are pumping out four times more planet-warming methane gas than estimated by regulators, according to research underscoring the gulf between reality and compliance with new environmental rules.
Data published by the Environmental Defense Fund on Wednesday estimates leaks, flaring and venting of methane at US onshore oil and gas operations at 7.5mn tonnes per year — enough wasted gas to meet the annual energy needs of more than half of American homes.
Emissions of the invisible gas, which is a large contributor to global warming, are about eight times higher than a voluntary target announced at last year’s UN climate summit by 50 of the biggest oil and gas companies, including BP, Shell and ExxonMobil.
EDF researchers collected the data using sensors attached to specially adapted aircraft, which flew missions over the 12 largest oil and gas basins in the US between June and October last year. These basins account for more than 70 per cent of the nation’s oil and gas production.
Researchers said the data amounted to the most comprehensive report on US oil and gas methane emissions conducted to date and represented a wake-up call to industry, which was not doing enough to fix leaks from equipment and eliminate flaring and venting of gas.
Regulators are increasingly turning their focus on curbing methane leaks into the atmosphere, which scientists say is responsible for almost a third of emissions-induced increase in global temperatures since the start of the industrial era.
US producers face a tough new regulatory framework being implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency this year and could face financial penalties worth up to $1,500 per tonne of methane emitted by 2026.
“This study just really underscores how far the industry has to go to reduce methane emissions and the importance of all these new regulatory mechanisms to incentivise industry to do that,” said Rosalie Winn, EDF director, methane and clean air policy.
More mature fossil fuel-producing regions tended to have higher emissions, probably due to older, leak-prone wells and equipment, the report found.
Oil and gas operators say they are stepping up efforts to tackle methane emissions by replacing leaky equipment and reducing flaring and venting of gas into the atmosphere. But the industry’s top lobby group, the American Petroleum Institute, is challenging the Biden administration’s methane regulations in court.
In response to the latest findings, the API said the oil and gas industry was working everyday to meet growing energy demand while making progress in reducing methane emissions.
Shell, BP and ExxonMobil did not respond to a request for comment.
Ben Cahill, analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said methane emissions varied considerably between basins and even within basins, as there were top compliance performers and laggards within the industry.
“That makes it all the more important to have comprehensive federal regulations and strong performance standards that apply to all operators,” he said.
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