Page 7 - NorthAmOil Week 46 2022
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NorthAmOil                                       POLICY                                          NorthAmOil


       Biden tightens




       methane rules for US



       oil and gas industry





        US               THE administration of US President Joe Biden
                         has unveiled proposed tighter methane rules for
                         the oil and gas industry as the US works to cut
                         greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
                           Biden, speaking at the COP27 climate sum-
                         mit in Egypt, announced the proposed sup-
                         plemental rule for methane along with other
                         emissions standards. According to the new rule,
                         the federal government will require oil and gas
                         producers to detect and fix methane leaks at all
                         sites, including at smaller existing sites that emit
                         less than 2.72 tonnes per year (tpy) of the gas.
                           The new methane regulation would add to a
                         rule announced last year at the UN COP26 in
                         Glasgow in 2021 targeting emissions from exist-
                         ing oil and gas wells, rather than only new wells
                         as was the case in previous EPA regulations. New
                         wells had routinely been checked but were rarely
                         reassessed.
                           The methane proposal also requires opera-  administrator, Michael Regan, also at COP27.
                         tors to respond to “credible” third-party reports  The new, more aggressive standards “will enable
                         of high-volume methane leaks, said a press  innovative new technology to flourish while pro-
                         release by the US Environmental Protection  tecting people and the planet,” he added.
                         Agency (EPA). This is called the Super-Emitter   The rules would ensure that all well sites are
                         Response Programme.                  routinely monitored for leaks at less cost, and
                           The new methane rules would eliminate  until they are closed properly. They would also
                         36mn tonnes of methane emissions from oil and  offer industry flexibility to use innovative and
                         gas operations by 2035, said the EPA. Oil and  cost-effective methane detection technologies,
                         natural gas operations are the nation’s largest  and a streamlined process for approving new
                         industrial source of methane.        detection methods as they become available.
                           “If finalised, these critical, common-sense  The rules would leverage data from remote sens-
          The federal    standards will protect workers and communi-  ing technology to quickly identify and fix large
                                                              methane leaks. They would require that flares
                         ties, maintain and create high-quality, union-
        government will   friendly jobs, and promote US innovation and  are properly operated to reduce emissions, and
        require oil and   manufacturing of critical new technologies, all  revise requirements for associated gas flaring.
                         while delivering significant economic benefits  They would also establish emission standards for
        gas producers    through increased recovery of wasted gas,” said  dry seal compressors, which are currently unreg-
                                                              ulated. Additionally, they would set a zero-emis-
                         the EPA.
                           “Sharp cuts in methane emissions are among  sions standard for pneumatic controllers and
       to detect and fix   the most critical actions the US can take in the  pneumatic pumps at affected facilities in all seg-
       methane leaks at   short term to slow the rate of climate change,”  ments of the industry. And they would increase
           all sites.    the EPA added.                       recovery of natural gas that otherwise would go
                           Biden also said the new rule will help the US  to waste – enough gas from 2023 to 2035 to heat
                         meet a goal set by a US-led group of more than  an estimated 3.5mn homes for the winter.
                         100 countries to cut methane emissions by 30%   The American Petroleum Institute (API) said
                         by 2030 compared with 2020 levels.   it would work with EPA to ensure the final rules
                           “I can ... say with confidence, the United  are cost-effective, promote innovation and cre-
                         States of America will meet our emissions tar-  ate the regulatory certainty needed for long-term
                         gets by 2030,” he told delegates, negotiators and  planning.
                         national leaders at the conference in Sharm   “Our industry is taking action, and as a result,
                         El-Sheikh.                           methane emissions relative to production fell
                           “We must lead by example when it comes  60% from 2011 to 2020,” said the API’s senior
                         to tackling methane pollution – one of the big-  vice president of Policy, Economics and Regula-
                         gest drivers of climate change,” said the EPA’s  tory Affairs, Frank Macchiarola.™



       Week 46   17•November•2022               www. NEWSBASE .com                                              P7
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