Small Number of Permian Oil and Gas Sites Are Releasing Large Amounts of Methane - Say it isn't so ... - 2021

Oil & Natural Gas / Conventional Oil & Gas Resources / Related Environmental Issues / Environmental Impact

A relatively tiny number of Permian oil and gas sites are responsible for a wildly disproportionate amount of methane pollution, a new study from Methane Source Finder found. The research, a joint project of NASA, the University of Arizona and Arizona State University, revealed just 123 of the 60,000 sites (0.205%) surveyed in the month-long study accounted for 29% of the region's methane pollution — largely from leaks that are typically easy to repair.

Methane traps 80 times more heat in the atmosphere than CO₂ over a 20 year period, and the research echoes an analysis of EPA data released last week that found the 195 smallest U.S. oil and gas extractors were responsible for 22% of total emissions, despite only accounting for 9% of production.

The Trump administration weakened methane leak detection and repair requirements [of course they did] in its final months and the Senate, though not the House, has taken action to reinstate the Obama-era protections.

Related Articles:

Methane Is Short-Lived in the Atmosphere but Leaves Long-Term (here)
Large Methane Leaks Soar 32% Despite Lockdowns and Green (here)
Scientists Alarmed at Surging Atmospheric Methane, CO₂ (here)
African Wetlands a Major Source of Methane Emissions, Study Finds (here)
How Bad of a Greenhouse Gas is Methane, Ethane, etc.? (here)
One of the Biggest Methane Emission Culprit is a Small Oil & Gas Company (here)
Methane in Groundwater below North Houston from 1944 Gas Well Blow-out and in East Texas Rural Water Well (here)
NASA Has Spotted Sneaky Methane Emissions From the Biggest Oilfield in America (here)
Cows and Methane (here)

Then for the "rest of the story," check out Google Search Results on "Gas wells leaking methane, ethane":
 https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ALeKk01qCOvSZ-Z-eXlKN22BTScNlLdp5g:1623097618196&q=Gas+wells+leaking+methane,+ethane:&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjumd_nrYbxAhWHB50JHXa3DzsQgwN6BAgIEAE&biw=1492&bih=1416 

And then check out the number of YouTube videos Search Results: "Gas wells leaking methane, ethane":
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=gas+wells+leaking+methane%2C+erhane%2C+etc.