Anchondo reported in 2020 that unlit or malfunctioning flares in the Permian Basin are one of the largest sources of methane emissions to the atmosphere in the oil-producing region, according to new research based on helicopter surveys this spring. The PermianMAP initiative, a project of the Environmental Defense Fund, said that more than 1 in every 10 flares studied was either unlit or only partially burning, releasing methane directly into the atmosphere. Flaring is responsible for an estimated 300,000 metric tons of methane pollution per year, according to the flyover data — 3.5 times more than current EPA estimates.
The results are striking because oil companies burn away unwanted natural gas at well sites in part to avoid venting methane, a greenhouse gas that is much more potent than carbon dioxide. "We've known for a while that flares are a source of enormous waste of the gas," said Colin Leyden, EDF's director of regulatory and legislative affairs. "What we're now finding out is that flares are also a significant contributor to climate and other pollution."
EPA assumes companies flare gas away at a 98% efficiency rate, combusting most of it into water and CO2 and only leaking residual amounts of methane and other chemicals. That's why flaring hasn't previously been categorized as a major source of methane emissions in the Permian Basin. EDF said the new data demonstrates that far more of the powerful greenhouse gas is entering the atmosphere unburned than previously understood. The group estimated that 7% of Permian gas sent to flares is escaping straight into the atmosphere, or a 93% efficiency rate. An EPA spokesperson said the agency has not had a chance to review the research.
The PermianMAP team said that 25% of the faulty flares had recurring emissions problems in both surveys, which the research team conducted in February and March of this year. Stacy MacDiarmid, a spokeswoman for EDF, said the study did not investigate why the flares were unlit but that it could be anything from lack of oversight to defective equipment. Other results published last week from the PermianMAP initiative estimated that 2.7 million metric tons of methane leaks each year from Permian oil and gas operations — enough to supply the equivalent of 7 million U.S. households (Energywire, April 23).
Those results were determined using satellite measurements. Brian McGovern, a spokesman for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), said EDF has shared its most recent findings with the state agency, where they are now under review. He said the agency has contracted with third-party companies to conduct its own flyover surveys, something McGovern called "an effective screening tool." "However, an observation of emissions during a flyover may not necessarily indicate a violation," McGovern said in an email. "The video imagery from these flyovers may be used as part of a TCEQ investigation and would be available to the public upon request once any investigation report has been completed."
R.J. DeSilva, a spokesman for the Texas Railroad Commission, said it was reviewing a PowerPoint presentation from EDF on the findings. DeSilva said protecting Texans and protecting the state's environment are the agency's "highest priorities." "Oil and gas operators must comply with Commission rules and their permit conditions at all times; and RRC inspectors routinely inspect for potential violations," DeSilva said in a statement, warning that operators found in violation could expect to face enforcement actions. "For seven years, the commission has stamped 'yes' on 27,000 flaring permit applications," Leyden at EDF said. He noted that the Railroad Commission has become increasingly concerned with flaring waste and is now weighing whether to impose production cuts, or pro-rationing, on the oil industry. "Pro-ration offers an ideal chance to stand up for all Texans and address the most obvious waste occurring in the oil patch," he said. The commission is set to consider the production cuts Tuesday (Energywire, April 29).
Todd Staples, president of the Texas Oil and Gas Association, said the state oil and natural gas industry is "taking every step" to protect the environment and produce energy in cleaner and more efficient ways, echoing past statements from the trade group. "TXOGA member companies are participating in multiple initiatives that are committed to finding and implementing additional industry-led solutions to improve environmental performance and address climate concerns," he said.
Exxon Mobil Corp. is conducting field trials of "next-generation" methane technologies to lower emissions at nearly 1,000 sites in Texas and New Mexico, the company announced last week. The oil major said the eight advanced technologies include planes, helicopters and drones, as well as ground-based mobile and fixed-position sensors that can detect the greenhouse gas. They are being validated with optical gas imaging cameras and portable methane detection instruments, Exxon said.
But, the novel coronavirus is slowly changing the mix of greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere. The most profound changes in carbon dioxide were measured late last month by Columbia University in New York City, where there were 10% reductions in CO2 and a whopping 50% drop in carbon monoxide. "The air is the cleanest I've ever seen it," said Roisin Commane, an atmospheric chemist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. As yet, however, the reductions haven't registered with NOAA's Global Monitoring Division, which gives worldwide estimates based on "well-mixed air" measured at remote sites, such as its observatory at the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii. "We've seen no significant drop," said Theo Stein, a spokesman for the division.
A more serious aspect of the pandemic, however, may be that the most potent greenhouse gas — methane — could increase, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Unlike the pending decline in CO2, largely related to a temporary slowdown in transportation and some industrial sectors, methane researchers are troubled by what the agency calls a continuing "lack of reliable data" from global oil and gas producers, which are the largest man-made sources of the gas.
A recent report from the Paris-based IEA says that's because a sharp decline in revenues from oil and gas operations may push some companies to pay less attention to fixing leaks in gas pipes or increase the venting and flaring of unwanted gas. The report describes the possibility of more emissions at a time when governments are overwhelmingly focused on dealing with the coronavirus. That would be tragic, the IEA says, because "reducing emissions from oil and gas operations is among the lowest of low-hanging fruit for mitigating climate change."
Methane, an invisible, odorless gas that makes up more than 95% of natural gas fuel, can be as much as 80 times more potent as a global warmer per given unit than CO2, which is more plentiful in the atmosphere. While there are less emissions than CO2, methane lasts around 12 years, while CO2 lingers for centuries.
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