Report: Low-Producing Wells Account for Half of Methane Pollution

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A peer-reviewed study in Nature Communications provided the first nationwide look at how much methane low-producing wells are emitting. While these wells produce just 6% of U.S. oil and gas, they emit HALF of methane pollution from well sites nationwide. “Eighty percent of US oil and natural gas (O&G) production sites are low production well sites, with average site-level production ≤15 barrels of oil equivalent per day and producing only 6% of the nation’s O&G output in 2019,” said an abstract of the report.   Read full piece here
Here is another article in Reuters new service
Characteristics of US low production oil and gas well sites.
figure 1
a Spatial distribution of active onshore low production well sites (n = 565,000) color-coded by site-level O&G production in barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed) per site. The numbered boxes show a few of the major low production well site regions, including those for which site-level CH4 emissions data are available: (1)—Appalachian, (2)—Oklahoma/Kansas/Arkansas, (3)—Colorado/Utah/Wyoming, (4)—Permian Basin, and (5) Barnett Shale. b Distribution of the national number of well sites and O&G production, comparing low production sites with non-low production sites. c Box plots (centerline, median; box limits, upper and lower quartiles; whiskers, 1.5× interquartile range; points, outliers) showing the distribution of site-level O&G production in each of the five O&G production regions with large numbers of low production well sites shown on the map. The average gas-to-oil ratio (GOR, Mcf/barrel) is shown on the top x-axis. These five regions account for three-quarters (76%) and two-thirds (68%) of the total number and O&G production from all low production well sites, respectively. The horizontal lines within each box plot show the median production rate per site. On the right y-axis, the percentage of the total count of low production well sites and total O&G production from all low production well sites are shown in blue and red, respectively. d Cumulative distribution functions of site-level O&G production for all low production well sites (red line) and well sites in each of the regions shown on the map (blue line—Region 1, light green—Region 2, dark green—Region 3, orange—Region 4, purple—Region 5). e Cumulative distribution functions of low production well site age, representing the years in production as of December 31, 2019 and based on the reported first production date. Lines are color-coded as in d. Analysis based on data from Enverus Prism19 for 2019.

NMEPR-IPL, CCFF Among Organizations Supporting State’s New Emissions Rule

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After two and half years of public discussion and consultation, the state of New Mexico adopted  new air quality rules that would eliminate hundreds of millions of pounds of harmful emissions annually from oil and gas operations in the state. The new rule, announced on April 14, will improve air quality for New Mexicans by establishing innovative and actionable regulations to curb the formation of ground-level ozone. Methane is one of the key drivers of climate change. It is a powerful greenhouse gas 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide in the short term.

The New Mexico Environment Department will implement the oil and gas air pollution rules the EIB adopted today. The rules require oil and gas operators to inspect all wells for leaks on a frequent basis without exemptions and protect those living closest to development by requiring more frequent inspections to find and fix leaks in proximity to homes and schools. Read Press Release from NMED

Conservation, public health, and community leaders from across New Mexico today applauded the Environmental Improvement Board’s (EIB) preliminary approval of final ozone precursor regulations for oil and gas production and processing. This includes nation-leading rules that address equipment leaks and malfunctions that account for 70% of the industry’s methane emissions problem.

We all have an ethical and moral responsibility to care for our land, water, air and communities, which are sacred gifts. Leadership in New Mexico holds a particular public responsibility to address pollution from oil and gas industries. The Environmental Improvement Board has taken vital action to care for Our Common Home and those who are most vulnerable and whose voices and concerns are often not heard. People of faith are grateful for reforms that cherish life.”  said Joan Brown, osf,  NMEPR-IPL executive director.

“Those of us with well sites in our back yards will benefit from more frequent inspections to find and fix leaks in proximity to homes and schools. Methane leaks, venting and flaring are a daily threat to our health, and New Mexico has created a standard to guide federal agencies in strengthening protections from oil and gas pollution.” said CCFF organizer Kayley Shoup.

The American Lung Association gave New Mexico’s top oil and gas producing counties – Lea, Eddy, and San Juan Counties – an F grade for ozone in its 2021 State of the Air Report. Overburdened communities bear the brunt of oil and gas waste and pollution. That’s why today’s action and the Lujan Grisham administration’s groundbreaking approach to hold the oil and gas industry accountable is so important.” said  Oriana Sandoval of the Center for Civic Policy

“Safeguarding public health is central to the mission of the Environmental Improvement Board, and today it delivered by adopting strong rules that hold the oil and gas industry accountable and protect the long-term health of all New Mexicans Oil and gas operations are a significant source of ozone-forming volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as well as methane emissions from venting, flaring and leaks. Well-site toxins can worsen respiratory diseases and trigger asthma attacks, and smog can also worsen emphysema and impact the cardiovascular system. This well site pollution especially affects the health of children, elders, and communities of color,” said Barbara Webber of Health Action New Mexico

“Too many New Mexico communities are experiencing the serious health impacts of oil and gas pollution. Spills, leaks, venting and flaring are taking a toll on all New Mexicans’ air, water and health, but rural communities, tribal communities, children and the elderly are especially at risk. Navajo communities are located across a patchwork of federal, state and tribal lands where drilling affects public health and climate. The Lujan Grisham administration’s adoption of strict air pollution rules will help protect overburdened communities at the fence lines of oil and gas operations,” said  Joseph Hernandez, NAVA Education Project.

Rev. Nick King Letter Urges EPA to Ban Flaring, Venting of Methane

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(The Albuquerque Journal printed this letter from Rev. Nicholas King, pastor of Albuquerque Mennonite Church, on Tuesday, January 11, 2022).

As a Christian pastor, I stand with a growing movement of faith leaders who are concerned with issues like air pollution and climate change. It is our duty to stand up for the gift of this Earth that God has bestowed upon us as well as for the welfare of the communities around oil and gas facilities and the workers inside them. 

It is the responsibility of each of us to protect the planet with every small action that affects it. This is why I’m grateful for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent steps to regulate methane and other dangerous emissions from oil and gas facilities across the country.

The venting and flaring of methane at oil and gas facilities is regulated by the EPA, which recently released a proposal that would cut methane and other harmful pollutants from new and existing oil and gas operations. The proposal will also reduce methane waste from leaks at roughly one million oil and gas wells currently operating across the country.  While a great start, these rules must go further to protect frontline communities like mine. 

The EPA must follow in the footsteps of New Mexico and ban this wasteful, routine flaring and venting, because emissions do not know state or national borders, and those of us in the Permian Basin are affected by a lack of regulation from other states. The banning of routine venting and flaring will mean that the health of the workers, who are caught in the middle of trying to make a living while working in polluted circumstances, as well as our national parks and neighborhoods, will be more protected from pollution.

Life is precarious, and nature is, too. In thinking only about economics, we can become so short-sighted that we can end up poisoning our workers, neighbors, and the very air we breathe. That’s one of the many reasons I promote love and concern for all our world and for our children, and why I partner with organizations that protect our public lands, like the National Parks Conservation Association. Together, we work to make sure our national parks and surrounding communities are protected from air pollution and the effects of climate change.

New Mexico’s national parks and heritage sites, like Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands, Chaco, and Bandelier are the perfect symbol of God’s creation and human history in this world. They are sacred gifts we want to protect from the damages of air pollution and methane flares for generations to come. How we cherish our national parks is indicative of what we believe in and where we are going as a country; uplifting and protecting them sets a standard for the rest of the world to rise up to.  

God’s creation is our inheritance on this Earth, and we must look past our own noses and economic interests to protect our gift of nature. New Mexico has already dedicated itself to preserving our public lands by abolishing methane flares; we must take that dedication further by not only supporting the EPA proposal, but also by pushing the EPA and Congress to continue to make our air, public lands, and conditions for our facility workers safe. In doing so, we glorify God in our care for the creation with which we have all been entrusted.