Louisiana Looks At Uses For Wasted Methane From Drill Site Leaks. According to Louisiana Illuminator, “Last June, a team of Spanish scientists from the Polytechnic University of Valencia used a European Space Agency satellite to uncover a huge methane leak at an offshore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. According to the published findings, the rig released 40,000 tons of methane into the atmosphere over a 17-day “ultra-emission event” in December 2021. That one-time incident, the result of an abnormal flaring process, emitted the equivalent of 3.3 million tons of carbon dioxide or roughly 3% of Mexico’s total yearly carbon dioxide emissions. The owner of the rig, Mexican government-run Pemex, disputed the findings, telling the Associated Press the amount of methane released was only 2,224 tons. The AP report noted that would still be a large amount for a single emissions event.” [Louisiana Illuminator, 4/7/23 (=)]
Uncertainty, Confusion Continue To Grow Around Methane Tax. According to Midland Reporter Telegram, “Confusion and uncertainty reign when it comes to the pending methane emissions tax included in last year’s Inflation Reduction Act. There is concern that the tax will most heavily impact mid-size independent producers, as Grant Swartzwelder, president of OTA Environmental Solutions stated. ‘Anyone below 25,000 tons, it won’t affect you. The large companies, because of their size and lobbying efforts, won’t be affected. It seems those in the middle ground are the ones to get impacted the most and possibly the most negatively,’ he told Lee Fuller, officer, environment and general strategy with the Independent Petroleum Association of America during the monthly Oilfield Strong webinar.” [Midland Reporter Telegram, 4/9/23 (-)]
Methane Big Part Of 'Alarming' Rise In Planet-Warming Gases. According to Buffalo News, “Methane in the atmosphere had its fourth-highest annual increase in 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported, part of an overall rise in planet-warming greenhouse gases that the agency called “alarming.” Though carbon dioxide typically gets more attention for its role in climate change, scientists are particularly concerned about methane because it traps much more heat — about 87 times more than carbon dioxide on a 20-year timescale.” [Buffalo News, 4/8/23 (=)]
NOAA Scientists Report Greenhouse Gases Continued to Increase Rapidly in 2022 - Carbon Dioxide, Methane and Nitrous Oxide Rise Further Into Uncharted Levels. According to the Sierra Sun Times, “Levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide, the three greenhouse gases emitted by human activity that are the most significant contributors to climate change, continued their historically high rates of growth in the atmosphere during 2022, according to NOAA scientists. The global surface average for CO2 rose by 2.13 parts per million (ppm) to 417.06 ppm, roughly the same rate observed during the last decade. Atmospheric CO2 is now 50% higher than pre-industrial levels. 2022 was the 11th consecutive year CO2 increased by more than 2 ppm, the highest sustained rate of CO2 increases in the 65 years since monitoring began. Prior to 2013, three consecutive years of CO2 growth of 2 ppm or more had never been recorded.” [Sierra Sun Times, 4/10/23]