Study Finds Methane Emissions Lower than Previous Studies

“The overall goal was to measure methane emissions during production at a large number of recently developed sites, and to assess the national implication for methane emissions. The team performed the first-ever direct measurements of methane emissions from some of these sources.”

Two-thirds of the well completion flowbacks measured in the study either captured or combusted emissions, resulting in emission measurements 99 percent lower than what would have occurred without capture and combustion. The remaining one-third of completion flowbacks vented methane, but these were low emitting wells, so in total, emissions from completion flowbacks were 97 percent lower than current EPA estimates.

The study’s findings indicate that, when producers use practices to capture or control emissions, such as green completions, methane can be dramatically reduced, said Mark Brownstein, associate vice president and chief counsel of the U.S. Climate and Energy Program for the Environmental Defense Fund.

However, the study also demonstrated that certain methane emissions are larger than previously thought, showing that many further opportunities exist to reduce emissions, Brownstein noted.

“Study after study shows that industry-lead efforts to reduce emissions through investments in new technologies and equipment are paying off,” said Howard Feldman, director of regulatory and scientific affairs for API, in a Dec. 9 press statement.

Feldman noted that the oil and gas industry will continue to make substantial progress to reduce emissions voluntarily and in compliance with EPA regulations that will be fully implemented next month.

A spokesperson for America’s Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA) said the group was still reviewing the study, it provides further support for the findings of other credible researchers – that greater use of natural gas reduces greenhouse gas emissions.