The intensity of methane and greenhouse-gas emissions from the oil and gas sector declined 28% and 30%, respectively, between 2019 and 2021 among the largest producers in the country, despite an increase in natural gas production, according to an analysis published by the nonprofits Clean Air Task Force and Ceres.
The report, which assessed the production-based emissions of more than 300 US producers, found that the methane emissions intensity of natural gas production and the greenhouse-gas emissions intensity of oil and gas production vary dramatically across companies.
Natural gas producers in the highest quartile of methane emissions intensity have an average emissions intensity that’s nearly 26 times higher than producers in the lowest quartile, the study found. And oil and gas producers in the highest quartile of greenhouse-gas emissions intensity have an average emissions intensity that is more than 13 times higher than producers in the lowest quartile.
“Oil and gas producers are not equals when it comes to methane emissions, and this research makes clear that a company’s climate impact is a direct result of operational and investment decisions within its control,” Andrew Logan, senior director of oil and gas at Ceres, said in a statement.
Greenhouse-gas emissions from the US oil and gas sector come primarily from the extraction and production process, where methane and other planet-warming gases are released through venting, flaring, and leaks.
The decline in reported methane emissions between 2019 and 2021 was driven by a reduction of reported emissions from pneumatic controllers, while associated gas venting and flaring were responsible for the largest decrease in reported carbon dioxide emissions, the report said.