December 17, 2021
As a global leader in the responsible production of energy, Texas oil and natural gas companies are constantly working to improve environmental performance while producing the power and products that make modern life possible. In case you missed it, below are two recent articles outlining steps taken by companies to advance technology and other innovations to reduce methane emissions and flaring in their operations, demonstrating industry’s commitment to continuous innovation and collaboration that is lowering emissions.
Midland Reporter-Telegram: Operators detail how they eliminated routine flaring
- Apache Corp. announced in October it has ended routine flaring in its U.S. onshore operations – three months ahead of schedule.
- “We reviewed our assets and identified opportunities where we could make incremental investments to further reduce flaring,” he wrote. “Some of these investments included adding compression where appropriate to ensure gas has enough pressure to get into existing pipelines and optimizing facilities to maximize the gas we can sell. We also laid pipe to connect to gathering systems. We have also made a commitment that going forward we will not bring new U.S. onshore production online without adequate infrastructure to carry product to processing plants and points of sale.”
- Midland’s Diamondback Energy announced in its September sustainability report in September plans to eliminate routine flaring by 2025.
- ExxonMobil said earlier this month it plans to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions from operated assets in the U.S. Permian Basin by 2030, accelerating and expanding its emission-reduction plans for unconventional operations in New Mexico and Texas. The plans are part of the corporate-wide effort to reduce Upstream greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 40-50% by 2030, compared to 2016 levels.
- The company’s plans for net-zero emissions in the Permian Basin by 2030 include:
- Elimination of routine flaring in Permian Basin operations by year-end 2022
- Electrification of operations in New Mexico and Texas will include low-carbon power sources
- Expands and accelerates methane monitoring, equipment upgrades and flaring reduction
- By year-end 2021, ExxonMobil anticipates reduced flaring volumes across its Permian Basin operations by more than 75% compared to 2019. The company plans to eliminate all routine flaring in the Permian by year-end 2022. The company is also securing alternative natural gas delivery points across the basin to minimize non-routine flaring.
