Powering the Planet

Sign in Subscribe

methane

LNG tanker being loaded for export

Methane Insanity

We’ve been warned of inconvenient truths. A movie was made about society’s unspoken agreement to ignore science and reality and the current U.S. regime is making that movie’s head-in-the-sand approach of science denial official policy. Meanwhile, the very real impacts of our changing climate are becoming

OGI camera image showing methane blowdown in progress.

BLOWDOWNS: INVISIBLE OIL AND GAS SPILLS IN OUR AIR

There is a massive methane spill happening in the Permian and the rest of the oil and gas fields in America and it has been going on for decades. It continues because, unlike the BP Horizon disaster, no one can see it.

Optical Optical gas imaging showing methane emissions from unlit flare in the Permian. Credit: Oilfield Witness

Our Methane Blindspot

Methane is getting some attention as we learn new information on the severity of the problem of methane emissions in the oil and gas industry but it remains a distant second in the world's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Unfortunately, despite all of the good intentions (e.

Flaring methane in the Permian oil fields of Texas

New Methane Regulations Unlikely to Change Oil Industry Behavior

It is unlikely that the new methane regulations will have the large predicted impact on reducing methane emissions for the U.S. oil and gas industry. While it is unfortunate that this is the reality, after writing about the regulatory process in the U.S. for the past ten years,

Oil Industry Methane Pollution Is Business as Usual, Not Accidental

Oil Industry Methane Pollution Is Business as Usual, Not Accidental

Leaks are not driving oil and gas methane pollution. Methane pollution is mostly due to normal oilfield operation.

Touring Ground Zero of the Methane Emergency

Touring Ground Zero of the Methane Emergency

Ten years ago I wrote the article “Natural Gas as 'Bridge Fuel' Is Excellent Political Solution But Fails As Climate Solution.” In that article I reported that the American ambassador to Romania stated that the fracking industry had “obtained great successes — without consequences for the environment.” I didn’

New Paper Confirms Much Higher Methane Emissions From U.S. Oil Production

New Paper Confirms Much Higher Methane Emissions From U.S. Oil Production

Yesterday I toured oil production sides in the Permian region of Texas with Sharon Wilson and Miguel Escoto from Oilfield Witness. For years, Sharon has been using her FLIR camera to make the invisible methane emissions from oil production visible and educating us all on how it is impossible for