{"id":22126,"date":"2022-11-21T13:24:08","date_gmt":"2022-11-21T18:24:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/?p=22126"},"modified":"2022-11-21T15:24:13","modified_gmt":"2022-11-21T20:24:13","slug":"key-things-we-learned-from-studying-methane-in-the-nations-largest-oilfield","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/2022\/11\/21\/key-things-we-learned-from-studying-methane-in-the-nations-largest-oilfield\/","title":{"rendered":"Key things we learned from studying methane in the nation\u2019s largest oilfield\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>By Ben Hmiel<\/a> and Jon Goldstein<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

After three years of actively collecting methane emissions data in the Permian Basin, researchers have gained new insights that will make it easier to reduce emissions of the incredibly potent greenhouse gas methane. These insights are helping inform state and federal regulatory approaches at a critical time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Download the final report.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Researchers with the<\/span> Permian Methane Analysis Project <\/span><\/a>(PermianMAP) started studying emissions in the United States\u2019 largest oil field back in 2019. Over the course of 3 years (both pre- and post-pandemic),\u00a0 we used a network of aircraft, cell towers, satellites and a mobile laboratory to collect and analyze emissions data from the region\u2019s oil and gas facilities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

WATCH: Mapping methane in the Permian Basin<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

At first, the results were stark. Emissions were pouring out of the region\u2019s oil and gas facilities at a rate <\/span>3 times higher<\/span><\/a> than what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency previously thought. And we learned the practice of <\/span>flaring generates massive amounts of methane<\/span><\/a> pollution from flare stacks that frequently malfunction or become unlit.
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