{"id":23586,"date":"2024-11-25T12:57:54","date_gmt":"2024-11-25T17:57:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/?p=23586"},"modified":"2024-11-25T17:42:23","modified_gmt":"2024-11-25T22:42:23","slug":"a-tale-of-two-basins-colorado-regional-oil-and-gas-pollution-differences-highlight-need-for-action-on-the-west-slope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/2024\/11\/25\/a-tale-of-two-basins-colorado-regional-oil-and-gas-pollution-differences-highlight-need-for-action-on-the-west-slope\/","title":{"rendered":"A Tale of Two Basins: Colorado regional oil and gas pollution differences highlight need for action on the West Slope"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.edf.org\/people\/nini-gu\">Nini Gu<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Data recently collected by EDF\u2019s MethaneAIR project in 2023 reveals a striking difference in the emissions profiles between the two major Colorado basins: the Denver-Julesburg (D-J) in the east, and the Piceance in the west. The D-J Basin exhibited a 1.7% methane loss rate from the total natural gas produced; by contrast, the loss rate for the Piceance Basin hit 7%, a high figure among all surveyed basins. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In terms of total emissions, the Piceance Basin emitted 57,000 kg\/hr of methane, close to double the emissions of the D-J Basin despite producing less than a third of the energy. \u00a0Projected over a year the Piceance Basin emitted 499,320 metric tons of methane while producing around 77 million barrels of oil equivalent (BOE). The D-J produced much more energy than the Piceance (over 303 million BOE) but emitted only 271,560 metric tons of methane.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/38\/files\/\/Colorado-2-Basin-Comparison.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-23587\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/38\/files\/\/Colorado-2-Basin-Comparison-300x169.png\" alt=\"A bar graph comparing the production &amp; pollution of the two basins. The Denver Julesburg Basin produces far more energy, but with much less pollution\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/38\/files\/Colorado-2-Basin-Comparison-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/38\/files\/Colorado-2-Basin-Comparison-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/38\/files\/Colorado-2-Basin-Comparison-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/38\/files\/Colorado-2-Basin-Comparison-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/38\/files\/Colorado-2-Basin-Comparison-2048x1152.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">These differences likely have a number of causes, but their solution is clear \u2013 Colorado must accelerate efforts to reduce pollution statewide including in its current oil and gas air pollution rulemaking.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<span class='bctt-click-to-tweet'><span class='bctt-ctt-text'><a href='https:\/\/x.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fblogs.edf.org%2Fenergyexchange%2F2024%2F11%2F25%2Fa-tale-of-two-basins-colorado-regional-oil-and-gas-pollution-differences-highlight-need-for-action-on-the-west-slope%2F&#038;text=A%20Tale%20of%20Two%20Basins%3A%20Colorado%20regional%20oil%20and%20gas%20pollution%20differences%20highlight%20need%20for%20action%20on%20the%20West%20Slope&#038;via=EDFEnergyEx&#038;related=EDFEnergyEx' target='_blank'rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">A Tale of Two Basins: Colorado regional oil and gas pollution differences highlight need for action on the West Slope <\/a><\/span><a href='https:\/\/x.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fblogs.edf.org%2Fenergyexchange%2F2024%2F11%2F25%2Fa-tale-of-two-basins-colorado-regional-oil-and-gas-pollution-differences-highlight-need-for-action-on-the-west-slope%2F&#038;text=A%20Tale%20of%20Two%20Basins%3A%20Colorado%20regional%20oil%20and%20gas%20pollution%20differences%20highlight%20need%20for%20action%20on%20the%20West%20Slope&#038;via=EDFEnergyEx&#038;related=EDFEnergyEx' target='_blank' class='bctt-ctt-btn'rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Share on X<\/a><\/span>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So why exactly is the Piceance Basin emitting so much more methane given its lower overall production and Colorado\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.edf.org\/media\/taking-guesswork-out-methane-pollution-reporting-colorado-publishes-nation-leading\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">nation-leading rules<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">? Answers may be found in the differences between their natural and regulatory landscapes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Piceance Basin is more mature, containing a significantly larger number of older, often lower-producing, wells that were drilled in the early 2000s, with drilling peaking in 2008. The older infrastructure at these so-called \u201cmarginal wells\u201d tends to leak at a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.edf.org\/media\/new-study-low-producing-oil-and-gas-wells-drive-roughly-half-well-site-methane-pollution\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">higher rate<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, contributing much more to the total loss rate of the Piceance Basin. Conversely, most oil and gas wells in the D-J Basin were spudded in the late 2010s, after Colorado <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.edf.org\/media\/colorado-breakthrough-cleaner-air-and-safer-climate\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">adopted<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> the first-ever state rule to directly regulate oil and gas methane emissions. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Additional regulations, especially those around ground-level ozone and zero-emitting pneumatic controllers in the D-J basin, have also likely affected emissions disparities. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Colorado has <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/cdphe.colorado.gov\/nonattainment-federal-ozone-pollution-standards%22%20\/h%20HYPERLINK%20%22https:\/\/cdphe.colorado.gov\/nonattainment-federal-ozone-pollution-standards\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">long struggled<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> with ground-level ozone pollution, and in 2022, the US EPA <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpr.org\/2022\/04\/12\/front-range-air-quality-ozone-violations-epa\/\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">downgrad<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">ed<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> the Denver Metro\/North Front Range (DMNFR) area from \u201cserious\u201d to \u201csevere\u201d ozone nonattainment. These designations required the state to adopt more stringent regulations to reduce the emission of ozone precursors like volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Since VOCs are almost always emitted alongside methane during oil and gas activities, regulating VOCs in the D-J Basin reduces overall methane emissions as well.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In 2021<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">,<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Colorado adopted a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.edf.org\/media\/air-commission-adopts-landmark-rule-cut-methane-oil-and-gas-pneumatic-devices\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">landmark rule<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> that required operators to use non-emitting pneumatic controllers, covering both the installation of new controllers and retrofitting existing ones. Traditionally, pneumatic controllers \u2013 devices used to control valves that regulate process parameters like temperature and pressure \u2013 ran on natural gas, which meant methane and co-pollutants like VOCs were released every time a valve opened. Non-emitting alternatives run on compressed air or electricity instead (operators can also route emissions from natural gas-powered controllers to a combustor under the Colorado rule). However, this rule incentivized operators to retrofit the highest producing facilities first and exempted those who operate mostly low-producing, marginal wells. Moreover, the pneumatics rule required operators retrofit a certain percentage of existing emitting controllers based on the amount of total liquids production (oil and water) flowing through non-emitting controllers. This focus on high producing wells in basins with high liquids production directed the majority of retrofits to occur in the D-J Basin. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The state\u2019s own emission inventory confirms the distinct impact of this rule on different regions in Colorado. The Air Pollution Control Division\u2019s 2023 emissions inventory data shows that only 32% of pneumatic controller methane emissions occurred within the DMNFR ozone nonattainment area, which is the densest production region in Colorado\u2019s D-J Basin; the majority of emissions originated from other areas (such as the Piceance Basin).<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/38\/files\/\/Colorado-AQ-Basin-Map-02.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-23588\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/38\/files\/\/Colorado-AQ-Basin-Map-02-300x300.png\" alt=\"A map of Colorado that shows the D-J Basin &amp; Piceance Basin locations, as well as where the Non-Attainment Area sits. The Non-Attainment Area is co-located with much of the D-J basin, indicating that regulations applying to the Non-Attainment Area would affect the D-J Basin. In the DJ-Basin area are the cities of Denver, Boulder, Aurora and Fort Collins. In the Piceance Basin (no overlap with the Non-Attainment Area) there are the cities of Montrose, Grand Junction and Rifle.\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/38\/files\/Colorado-AQ-Basin-Map-02-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/38\/files\/Colorado-AQ-Basin-Map-02-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/38\/files\/Colorado-AQ-Basin-Map-02-50x50.png 50w, https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/38\/files\/Colorado-AQ-Basin-Map-02-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/38\/files\/Colorado-AQ-Basin-Map-02-1536x1536.png 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/38\/files\/Colorado-AQ-Basin-Map-02-2048x2048.png 2048w, https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/38\/files\/Colorado-AQ-Basin-Map-02-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Between MethaneAIR and the state\u2019s own data, it\u2019s clear that regulators urgently need to tackle methane emissions across all sources in the Piceance and establish more regulatory parity between the basins.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Fortunately, the division is currently updating its requirements on pneumatic controllers, an opportunity to address this pollution gap for West Slope residents. But to do so it must accelerate its retrofit deadline of March 2029 to phase-in non-emitting pneumatic controllers for communities outside the ozone nonattainment area, which is currently two years slower than the deadline inside the nonattainment area. Given the serious impacts of methane pollution outside of the nonattainment area, the Commission should urge the Division to adopt an approach that is rapid, consistent, and prioritizes all communities statewide. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Department of Energy is also expected to make final <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/newsreleases\/epa-doe-announce-850-million-reduce-methane-pollution-oil-and-gas-sector\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">grant awards<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> by the end of this year, including funding for marginal well operators to retrofit well sites with non-emitting pneumatic controllers. By adopting a shorter compliance timeline, it will incentivize operators to seek funds now that may be spent down and unavailable in future years.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Leadership isn\u2019t just about doing things first\u2014it&#8217;s about making sure that what you\u2019ve done is working and continues to work. The Commission and Division have demonstrated a longstanding commitment to cutting emissions and policy innovation. They can build on that legacy here by improving their pneumatic retrofit requirements statewide to ensure that all Coloradans have a chance at a healthy life.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Nini Gu Data recently collected by EDF\u2019s MethaneAIR project in 2023 reveals a striking difference in the emissions profiles between the two major Colorado basins: the Denver-Julesburg (D-J) in the east, and the Piceance in the west. The D-J Basin exhibited a 1.7% methane loss rate from the total natural gas produced; by contrast, &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23591,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34795,55717,113408],"tags":[],"coauthors":[114057],"class_list":["post-23586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colorado","category-methane-2","category-methane-regulations"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A Tale of Two Basins: Colorado regional oil and gas pollution differences highlight need for action on the West Slope - Energy Exchange<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/2024\/11\/25\/a-tale-of-two-basins-colorado-regional-oil-and-gas-pollution-differences-highlight-need-for-action-on-the-west-slope\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Tale of Two Basins: Colorado regional oil and gas pollution differences highlight need for action on the West Slope - Energy Exchange\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Nini Gu Data recently collected by EDF\u2019s MethaneAIR project in 2023 reveals a striking difference in the emissions profiles between the two major Colorado basins: the Denver-Julesburg (D-J) in the east, and the Piceance in the west. 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