Environmental group says 30 Permian 'super emitters' have spewed 110,000 tons of methane

About 30 oil and gas facilities in the Permian Basin of West Texas have spewed more than 100,000 tons of methane annually over the past three years, according to a new environmental report. The Environmental Defense Fund found 30 pipelines, oil and gas wells, compressor stations and processing facilities that were estimated to have leaked about 110,230 tons of methane each year since 2019, equal to air pollution from a half-million passenger vehicles. Sealing leaks from these “super emitters” could save the oil and gas industry $26 million a year, the organization said. Riley Duren, CEO for Carbon Mapper and a research scientist at the University of Arizona, said the emissions report highlights the need for more comprehensive and transparent methane monitoring.

EDF in 2019 began partnering with Carbon Mapper, NASA, energy nonprofit Rocky Mountain Institute and the University of Arizona to conduct helicopter flyovers of West Texas with infrared cameras to survey the extent of methane leaks. “The magnitude of emissions coming from a handful of methane sources in one of the top oil- and gas-producing regions illustrates the opportunity to make significant near-term progress toward the stated methane reduction goals of the U.S., other countries and companies around the world,” Duren said. The oil and gas industry faces pressure from regulators, environmental groups and investors to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the face of growing concerns over climate change. In particular, oil companies and their regulators are focused on cutting the release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that is 84 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at warming the planet. The Texas Oil and Gas Association, an industry trade group, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.