methane

A federal court struck down an Obama-era regulation targeting methane leaks from drilling on public lands, arguing that it went beyond the scope of the Bureau of Land Management, which promulgated the rule. 

The Trump administration rolled back regulations aimed at reducing emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane from oil and gas operations, its latest move to unwind environmental rules ahead of November’s presidential election.

New Mexico has proposed rules that would require its oil and gas industry to capture at least 98% of its emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas methane by 2026, a standard it said would be among the strongest in the nation.

Although based on “intensity” and not “absolute” emissions, oil giants say it’s a step toward net-zero goals for 2050.

The Texas Railroad Commission’s chairman has said the commission will look into policies to “drastically reduce” natural gas flaring from the state’s shale patch as investors become increasingly sensitive to climate-change concerns.

A billion-dollar fund will be available for innovations in flare minimization, venting elimination, fugitive-emissions reduction, and complete combustion.

After years of negotiations, the province announced that it had reached a preliminary agreement with the federal government that it calls a “major step toward providing Alberta’s oil and gas industry a single set of strong rules to reduce methane emissions and protect the environment.”

A preliminary estimate from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration finds that levels of atmospheric methane, a potent heat-trapping gas, have hit an all-time high.

As studies point to increased emissions, ExxonMobil is stepping up efforts to detect and mitigate methane release.

Instead of burning money, why not make electricity? This is the big pitch being made by a growing number of technology companies who see green every time they see a red-hot flare burning associated gas.