Permian Sees 70 Percent Drop in Methane Emissions Intensity
Methane emissions intensity in the Permian Basin has dropped almost 70 percent between 2011 and 2020, even as oil and gas production rose by over 320 percent.
That’s according to an analysis by Texans for Natural Gas (TNG), a project of the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association (TIPRO). The analysis also highlighted that flaring intensity in the basin decreased by more than 50 percent from 2019 to 2020 and that the basin remains “well below” the flaring intensity of other global producers.
“This report affirms the role Texas oil and gas needs to play in meeting domestic and global energy demand for the foreseeable future,” Ed Longanecker, the president of TIPRO, said in an organisation statement.
“Over the last decade, we’ve seen oil and gas operators come together to present new solutions to reduce methane emissions and flaring. These commitments are yielding significant results that speak for themselves,” Mr Longanecker added in the statement.
“Permian Basin producers are at the forefront of energy development for their ingenuity,
leadership and dedication to minimising their impact on the environment,” he went on to say.
TNG’s analysis, dubbed Permian Basin Producers: Charting A Cleaner Energy Future, is the organisation’s third report on methane and flaring intensity in the Permian Basin. The report utilises data from the World Bank, the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Rystad Energy.
TIPRO notes that ‘intensity’, or the amount of methane emitted or flared per barrel of oil equivalent produced, is used as a reliable metric by many organisations across the globe, including the World Bank, the International Energy Agency (IEA) and ONE Future.
TNG was formed in 2014 as North Texans for Natural Gas, before expanding state-wide in 2017. In 2021, it officially merged with TIPRO and is operating as a campaign managed by the association. The group has attracted more than 400,000 supporters from across the state since its inception and has created leading industry reports, digital content and impactful research that has shaped the energy conversation in Texas over the years, its website highlights.
Founded in 1946, TIPRO represents nearly 3,000 individuals and companies from the Texas oil and gas industry, its website shows.
Last week, TIPRO issued a statement in response to a methane rule proposed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which was announced on the 2nd November.
In the statement, Mr Longanecker noted that these regulations could disproportionately impact smaller US oil and natural gas producers.
Source: Rigzone