Huge Methane Gas Leaks from the USA Oil and Gas Industry: Both Onshore and Offshore
This is a very detailed description of the vastly under-reported methane gas leakage from the US Oil and Gas industry.
It paints a very concerning picture of lax regulation, and almost no self-monitoring in both the onshore and offshore oil and gas industry, as far as methane leakage is concerned.
Peer-reviewed scientific papers are presented showing that we can cheaply and accurately measure methane leakage from industry infrastructure using satellite remote sensing and airborne laser spectrometers.
The US Oil and Gas industry is like Swiss Cheese as far as methane leaks are concerned. The massive Permian Basin, for example, has methane leak rates of 9.3%, versus the regulator numbers calculated that are at least 10x lower. The offshore oil industry is even worse, with leak rates up to 23% at some sites. Not only that, methane leakage even at low concentrations near oil rigs appears to cause helicopters to essentially drop out of the sky.
We have a huge methane problem with the Oil and Gas Industry, and we have advanced technology to allow us to see the leaks, and then stop them. So why don’t we. Our failure to stop the leaks is criminal, in my view.
Although the data I show is from the US, this methane leakage is a global problem that is way under-reported.
What is so infuriating is that it is easy to detect with our present technology, and easy to fix, it saves the companies money to stop the leaks and is surely a big part of the reason for exponentially increasing methane levels in the atmosphere.
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