Casey Williams reports that the oil and gas industry has a major methane problem, according to an extensive environmental study. Odorless, colorless methane gas is seeping out of wells and tanks at hundreds of natural gas facilities across the U.S., said researchers using infrared cameras to scan for methane leaks at over 8,000 sites in the U.S. They found hundreds of leaks scattered in an unpredictable pattern around the country, that is according to the study that the commercial environmental advocate, EDF, claims. That study confirms what previous studies were pointing to, that super-emitters are highly unpredictable, and that these leaks can happen anywhere, anytime, at large facilities and small facilities, Matt Watson, associate vice president for the EDF climate and energy program, told The Huffington Post.
Methane, the primary element in natural gas, is a potent greenhouse gas and is responsible for 10% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. It packs 84 times more warming power than carbon dioxide in the first 20 years that it is present in the atmosphere, according to the EDF. The environmental group estimates that reducing global methane emissions by 45% could have the same short-term benefit as shuttering 1,000 coal-fired power plants. Natural gas releases less carbon dioxide than coal when burned, making it an attractive alternative to coal-fired electricity production. But methane leaks at gas facilities can cut into its advantage over coal, according to a report from the Smithsonian. These claims need to be taken seriously but also need to be looked at carefully for biased reporting from EDF.
Original working URL: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.6b00705
Managed & Built by I2M Consulting, LLC | © 2010-
