FILE – A flare for burning excess methane, or natural gas, from crude oil production is seen at a well pad in Watford City, N.D., Aug. 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)The Texas Oil & Gas and Texas Independent Producers & Royalty Owners associations say a new report by Texans for Natural Gas finds that methane emissions continue to decline in the top oil and natural gas-producing areas across the state.
“Nowhere was this more apparent than in the top producing region in Texas and the nation, the Permian Basin,” TXOGA President Todd Staples said. “Thanks to constant innovation and improvements in production processes as well as the increased use of new technologies such as AI, the oil and natural gas industry is making incredible progress protecting the environment and bolstering our energy security.
“Producing the irreplaceable resources that fuel modern life and safeguarding the environment are not mutually exclusive and this report further underscores this industry’s continued commitment to achieve both while also making us cleaner, stronger and better,” Staples said.
He said the Permian’s record levels of production in 2023, combined with the region’s overall reductions in methane and flaring intensity, mark important progress for the industry as the United States hit the second-highest record for oil and gas production that year with the Permian providing roughly two-thirds of all U.S. natural gas production.
The Texans for Natural Gas analysis found that the Basin reached one of its lowest methane intensity levels this decade in 2023 at .49 of a metric ton per barrel of oil equivalent.
“Since 2011 Permian methane intensity has declined nearly 83 percent even as total production increased 482 percent in the same time frame,” said the Austin-based grassroots education campaign sponsored by TIPRO. “Flaring intensity in the Permian Basin in 2023 was 65 percent lower than in 2015 when flaring reached a decade high.
“2023 saw a slight uptick in intensity compared to 2022 levels due to a unique confluence of factors including record oil and natural gas production, depressed Waha Hub prices and takeaway capacity constraints, yet overall accomplishments in emission reductions remained.”
The group said preliminary reporting indicates that the increases in Permian Basin flaring intensity in 2023 were likely an anomaly with estimates showing a reduction of approximately 14 percent in 2024.
“Texas’s flaring intensity in 2023 declined 47 percent since its peak in 2018,” it said. “Total production has increased nearly 25 percent in that same time frame with 2023 being the second-highest oil and natural gas production year on record in the Lone Star State behind 2024’s record numbers.
“The United States reached record levels of oil and natural gas production in 2023, increasing nearly 9 percent since 2022 while maintaining flaring intensity near its lowest levels since 2012 at 2 meters cubed per barrel of oil.”
TIPRO President Ed Longanecker said the report, “Methane Emissions in Texas’ Permian Basin Remain Low Despite Near Record Production,” highlights the continued success of oil and natural gas producers in the United States, the Permian Basin and Texas in maintaining low emissions despite record oil and gas production levels.
“American oil and gas producers, especially in the Lone Star State, have always been committed to meeting increasing energy demand responsibly,” Longanecker said. “Our most recent methane and flaring emissions data proves that the United States can fulfill global energy demand while keeping emissions low thanks to the industry’s dedication and innovation.”
He said the report highlights the oil and gas industry’s success in lowering methane and flaring emissions over the last decade even as production continues to rise amid a prioritization of energy and national security for the United States and its allies.
“Preliminary 2024 data for the Permian points to a 14-percent reduction in flaring as the region remains dedicated to keeping emissions low,” Longanecker said. “The increase in emissions from 2022 and 2023 points to an issue the industry has been advocating for years. New and modern infrastructure, specifically pipelines, is urgently needed to safely and efficiently transport energy and reduce flaring.
“The oil and gas industry will continue to prioritize innovation and safety to drive emissions even lower, but a clear, predictable and permanent permitting process is critical to safeguarding responsible energy development for decades to come.”
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