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Chevron publishes report detailing

methane reduction efforts

GLOBAL SUPER-MAJOR Chevron has published terms of warming the climate system, says Stan-
a methane report detailing its approach to ford University.
detecting, measuring and reducing methane Chevron acts to keep methane in the pipe by
intensity. reducing methane intensity, improving methane
Since 2016, Chevron has reduced the compa- detection and advancing measurement. It hopes
ny’s methane intensity by 50%, it says. Chevron’s to design and operate facilities to help prevent
US upstream methane intensity is 85% lower methane emissions and deploy technologies
than the US upstream production sector average to validate performance, inform repairs and
as of 2020, the company continues. improve inventories.
In May, an overwhelming 98% of Chevron The company noted that in the Permian
investors voted in favour of a shareholder pro- Basin in Texas/New Mexico, it routinely includes
posal calling on the company to issue an anal- vapour recovery units for tank batteries and
ysis on the reliability of its methane disclosures. compressor stations. Since 2011, it has included
Chevron backed the resolution. Its new methane compressed air for pneumatic controllers to
report aims to address the issue. eliminate methane emissions from that source.
“Our strategy is clear – leverage our strengths In addition, it says it has committed to design-
to safely deliver lower-carbon energy to a grow- ing, where possible, all new upstream facilities Chevron is also
ing world,” said Balaji Krishnamurthy, Chevron’s to operate without routine methane emissions.
corporate vice president of strategy and sus- Chevron is also testing emerging technol- testing emerging
tainability. “Effective methane management is ogy and incorporating innovative solutions
important for lower-carbon intensity oil and gas into its methane management programmes. It technology and
production. Chevron’s ambition is to be a global is working toward integrating comprehensive
leader in methane emissions performance,” he direct measurement into existing emission fac- incorporating
added. “Our goal is simple – keep methane in tor-based inventories as protocols are developed innovative
the pipe.” and technologies become more widely avail-
Chevron has adopted an upstream meth- able to improve methane detection at both the solutions into
ane-intensity target of 2.0 kg CO2e/barrel of oil site and source levels. Since 2016, Chevron has
equivalent by 2028, which it says represents a tested 13 advanced detection and measurement its methane
53% reduction from its 2016 baseline. Chevron technologies.
also supports efforts such as the Global Methane Chevron says that methane emissions can management
Pledge, launched at the UN climate conference have a wide range of potential causes, such as programmes.
COP26 in Scotland in November 2021, as well vents in older facility designs or upset conditions
as the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative’s Aiming for at a well site. It says that regular monitoring helps
Zero Methane Emissions Initiative, which calls detect and address infrequent super-emitters, a
for treating methane emissions as seriously as term used to describe sources of large emission
safety – with zero tolerance. volumes. Chevron, through a collaboration with
Over the first two decades of the release of GHGSat, monitors 22 oil and gas production
methane, the main component of natural gas, it facilities from space on at least a monthly basis,
is more than 80 times more potent than CO2 in weather conditions permitting.™

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