EPA: Methane emissions down 44% in top oil and gas producing basins

Methane emissions from the largest oil- and natural gas-producing basins fell 44% between 2011 and 2013, according to newly published data from the Environmental Protection Agency.

According to the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, methane emissions dropped in seven oil- and natural gas-producing basins by up to 87% from 2019-2023.

The drop occurred as U.S. domestic producers, led by Texas, broke records over the past few years, producing “more crude oil than any country, ever,” according to the US Energy Information Agency, The Center Square reported.

The GHGRP requires roughly 8,000 facilities to report greenhouse gas (GHG) data and other relevant information, including from large GHG emission sources, fuel and industrial gas suppliers, and CO2 injection sites nationwide.

Emissions intensity is measured by the amount of methane emitted or flared equivalent to a produced barrel of oil. Flaring is the process that relieves pressure from the pipeline by burning natural gas, which then releases carbon dioxide and water into the atmosphere.

Unburned natural gas, or methane, released into the atmosphere is known as “fugitive emissions,” a greenhouse gas. Disagreement exists over whether carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. The C02 Coalition argues it isn’t, the EPA argues it is, for example.

By burning methane, flaring is preventing greenhouse gas from going into the atmosphere, energy experts have explained to The Center Square.

“Burning natural gas for energy results in fewer emissions of nearly all types of air pollutants and carbon dioxide (CO2) than burning coal or petroleum products to produce an equal amount of energy,” the EIA reports. “About 117 pounds of CO2 are produced per million British thermal units (MMBtu) equivalent of natural gas compared with more than 200 pounds of CO2 per MMBtu of coal and more than 160 pounds per MMBtu of distillate fuel oil.”

According to GHGRP, 7,544 facilities in nine industry sectors reported direct emissions; reported direct emissions totaled 2.58 billion metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e); 995 suppliers of fossil fuels and industrial gases reported information; and 81 facilities reported injecting CO2 underground (Subpart UU).

Facilities operating in two basins reported methane intensity emissions drops of more than 50% from 2019-2023: the Williston Basin (located in Montana, North and South Dakota), and the Appalachian Basin (spanning across Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York).

Emissions reported in the Arkoma Basin (Arkansas and Oklahoma) plummeted by 87% and in the Permian Basin (west Texas and southeast New Mexico) by 32% over the same time period, according to the data.

The U.S. oil and natural gas industry “has long been an energy leader, and its commitment to reducing energy emissions has only further solidified that status. American oil and gas producers have proven that they can output record-breaking volumes while still pushing for a cleaner future,” Energy in Depth, a research and education campaign of the Independent Petroleum Association of America, said.

Prior to the EPA report, Texans for Natural Gas, a project of the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association, reported that methane emissions intensity reductions were higher in one year in the Permian, more than 85% from 2011-2012, as oil and natural gas production increased by more than 416% over the same time period.

This is after methane emissions dropped by more than 75% and production increased by more than 345% over a 10-year period, The Center Square reported.

In 2022, the Permian recorded its lowest methane intensity of 0.12% “during a record production year, continuing the region’s success in producing more and emitting less,” TIPRO said. Flaring intensity in the Permian also decreased by 4.5% from 2021 to 2022 and by nearly 66% since the basin experienced record flaring in 2019, according to TIPRO.

The majority of production in the Permian, 70%, occurs in Texas, where flaring intensity dropped from 60% in 2019 to 8% from 2021 to 2022, according to the data.

The Permian Basin accounts for nearly 40% of all oil production and nearly 15% of natural gas production in the U.S., according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. It spans more than 86,000 square miles – roughly 10 times the size of New Jersey. Roughly 250 miles wide and 300 miles long, it has more than 7,000 fields.

Among the top 12 oil and natural gas producing countries, if Texas and the Permian Basin were their own countries, they’d rank 10th and 13th, respectively for having the lowest flared volumes, according to a TIPRO analysis. Russia has the greatest volume.

If Texas were its own country, it would be the world’s third largest producer of natural gas and fourth largest producer of oil. In the first half of 2022, the U.S. became the world’s largest liquid natural gas exporter, led by Texas, according to EIA data.

“Texas’ role as a global energy leader extends well beyond just volumes,” TIPRO president Ed Longanecker told The Center Square. “Our state, and the Permian specifically, produces some of the world’s cleanest natural gas. We have what it takes to power the homes, businesses and industries of Americans and our allies. Leaders at home and abroad should take note of the progress Texas producers have made in methane and flaring intensity as they develop policies impacting our industry.”