Despite record production, oil and natural gas producers continue to make progress in reducing emissions, including reducing the intensity of flaring, according to the Environmental Partnership’s latest annual report.

The Environmental Partnership (TEP) is a voluntary coalition representing nearly 70 percent of U.S. onshore oil and natural gas production in 47 of the 50 states. Its goal is to continuously improve environmental performance by sharing best practices and collaborating to ensure innovation in the industry.

TEP Director Emily Hague said:

“The success of industry-led initiatives like The Environmental Partnership is further evidence of our industry’s unwavering commitment to reducing methane emissions across the supply chain while helping to ensure the continued production of affordable and reliable energy.”

Vanessa Ryan, Chair of The Environmental Partnership and Methane Reduction Manager at Chevron, said:

“It has been a year of change for our industry with new challenges and opportunities, but what remains clear is the commitment of program participants to reduce methane emissions. I am excited by what we have accomplished over the past year and look forward to the continued progress this industry-leading partnership will make in the years to come.”

These milestones include:

Reduction of the intensity and volume of scattered light

In 2023, TEP participants continued their emissions reductions: flaring intensity was reduced by 6.6 percent and total flare volume by 10 percent compared to 2022, even though U.S. oil production increased by nine percent and gas production by four percent over the same period. Since 2019, members have reduced their reported flare quantities by a whopping 75 percent or more.

This performance is the result of implementing best practices that avoid flaring whenever possible and ensure optimal flaring efficiency and performance when necessary. In fact, 67 percent of TEP participants reported having specific procedures in place to monitor flaring and improve performance, driven by the Flare Management Program, one of TEP’s environmental performance programs.

This reduction in flaring intensity, along with other measures, is a testament to the industry’s innovativeness in reducing methane emissions. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, emissions in U.S. onshore production regions fell 37 percent between 2015 and 2022, even as production reached record levels.

Fewer leaks and less leak detection

In addition, TEP participants improved their detection strategies to avoid emissions and were able to reduce their leak rate by 0.10 percent between 2018 and 2023. This corresponds to a leak of less than one component per 1,000.

This was achieved primarily through leak detection and repair (LDAR) programs applied to equipment such as valves, pumps and fittings. Since the launch of TEP, participants have completed more than 1.23 billion component tests.

In 2023 alone, they carried out around 640,000 leak monitoring surveys – more than 60 percent of which were voluntary.

The detection methods use modern technologies such as laser absorption spectroscopy, optical gas imaging and sensors. In addition, several TEP participants use airborne surveillance techniques using drones and aircraft, as well as space-based techniques via satellites. Airborne surveillance technologies were used at more than 30 percent of the sites surveyed.

In addition, TEP participants recognized that general operational information is also critical to accurately predict, prevent and report emissions. These technological advances were the subject of many TEP workshops in 2023, aimed at sharing expertise and contributing to emissions reduction at a global level.

Replacement of pneumatic controls

Switching from natural gas-fired pneumatic equipment to non-gas-fired alternatives is considered one of the best methods for reducing methane emissions, based on data collected since the TEP was launched in 2017. TEP participants have removed or replaced more than 180,000 pieces of gas-fired pneumatic equipment, representing a permanent reduction of approximately 355,421 tons of CH4/year.

In 2023, the Pneumatic Controller Program resulted in the installation of 6,700 new zero-emission pneumatic controllers and 45 companies no longer having high-emission pneumatic controllers in their operations.

Conclusion: The oil and natural gas industry continues to demonstrate its commitment to environmental protection and emissions reduction, as shown in this latest report from the Environmental Partnership. As Hague explained:

“From advances in detecting and measuring emissions to sharing operational solutions, I am proud of how our participating companies continue to raise the bar in our collective efforts to achieve meaningful emissions reductions.”