Monthly Archives: June 2018

Oilfield digitization advancing solutions to meet an environmental challenge

By Mark Brownstein / Published: June 22, 2018

Two global trends are converging in the energy industry, and the result could spur the biggest environmental advancement in a generation.

Known by some as the “digitization of the oilfield,” it’s the new wave of technologies linked with big data that is transforming an established industry. For the world’s oil and gas industry, this push toward digitization is emerging as a central part of strategic planning, as the energy landscape is reshaped by increasing competition from renewables and electrification. But competitiveness means more than bringing new efficiencies online, it also means improving environmental performance.

Posted in Fourth Wave, General, Methane, Natural Gas / Comments are closed

What the heck is an environmental group doing at the World Gas Conference?

By Ben Ratner / Published: June 20, 2018

The simple answer is this. Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) approaches challenges pragmatically. If we want to rid the planet of harmful climate pollution, our efforts must include working with the industries that can make the biggest difference.

That means I spend a lot of my time working with leaders from the oil and gas industry. While we don’t always agree, we forge solutions wherever we can.

Posted in Methane, Natural Gas / Comments are closed

As Permian drilling booms, will the Texas Railroad Commission stand against wasted gas?

By Colin Leyden / Published: June 19, 2018

This piece originally appeared as an op-ed in the Midland Reporter-Telegram

The West Texas Permian oilfield is poised for rapid development in the next decade; the Energy Information Administration projects oil production in the Permian could grow 60 percent by the year 2030. But oil wells in Texas’ Permian Basin don’t just pump oil, they also produce large amounts of natural gas – which many companies aren’t equipped to handle.

That is posing a problem for Texas, as producers run out of capacity to move associated gas to market. Without reasonable action from the state’s oil and gas regulator, the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC), producers could resort to simply burning away excess gas – something we’ve seen in other oil fields where gas is not the primary production target.

This process, also known as flaring, is a recipe for widespread waste and pollution.

Posted in Methane, Natural Gas, Texas / Comments are closed

Huge new Utah oil and gas project could have serious impacts on air quality

By Jon Goldstein / Published: June 18, 2018

A proposal under review at the Bureau of Land Management to bring thousands more oil and gas wells to a region of Utah already struggling with unhealthy air could cause more pollution and more waste.

The Greater Chapita Wells Project Area is slated to bring nearly 3,000 new wells to the state’s Uintah basin – an area the Environmental Protection Agency recently designated as having harmful levels of ozone.

Ozone, commonly known as smog, can trigger asthma attacks and other health concerns. Recent research suggests emissions from oil and gas facilities are the leading cause of the region’s ozone pollution problem.

Posted in Air Quality, BLM Methane, Natural Gas / Comments are closed

In Permian, company leadership and state standards are critical for reducing oil and gas methane emissions

By EDF Blogs / Published: June 12, 2018

By Jon Goldstein and Colin Leyden

This May, ExxonMobil, the world’s largest publicly traded oil and gas company, announced targets to limit methane waste from its global operations. We’ve also seen commitments to cut methane from a range of leading companies like BP and others.

But as more companies step forward with methane targets, it begs the question: Is voluntary action from companies enough to move the needle on methane? A look at what could become the world’s largest oil field points to the answer being a solid no. Read More »

Posted in Climate, Methane, Natural Gas, Texas / Tagged New Mexico | Comments are closed

New Mexico oil and gas rules put water resources, communities at risk. Here’s how they can be improved.

By EDF Blogs / Published: June 4, 2018

By Jon Goldstein and Dan Mueller

Water is New Mexico’s most precious and limited resource, but new rules proposed by the New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission (NMOCC) fall short in efforts to better protect it.

In the face of increasing temperatures and shrinking water supplies, the state needs to be doing more – not less – to safeguard its future health and prosperity. That means strengthening the rules that protect land and water resources from the negative impacts of oil and gas operations. Read More »

Posted in Natural Gas, produced water / Tagged New Mexico, produced water, Water | Comments are closed