A recent article by the Midland Reporter-Telegram highlighted a recent visit by a Reverse Trade Mission on Advanced Technologies for Methane Abatement sponsored by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency to the Permian Basin. Delegates representing 15 high-level public and/or private sector representatives from the oil and natural gas sectors of participant countries in the Middle East and North Africa visited Washington, D.C., Midland-Odessa and Houston.
Chevron, a Texas Methane and Flaring Coalition member, was at the forefront of the tour. The visitors also viewed Chevron’s real-time autonomous optimizer, a digital operating system that can address challenges like water levels that exceed set levels or, if flares begin, reduce gas flows until the flares are out. Chevron Midcontinent Business Unit Vice President Ryder Booth said a 2020-2021 pilot test of this technology showed an 80% reduction in flaring, and Chevron has since deployed the technology across its Permian assets.
“We do believe in the importance of collaboration in methane management,” said Vanessa Ryan, Chevron’s methane reduction manager and chair of the American Petroleum Institute’s Environmental Partnership. “We’ve learned a lot in the Permian Basin and share our best practices. We’ve also learned a lot from other companies.”
The Texas Methane and Flaring Coalition is committed to the goal of ending routine flaring by 2030—and applauds Chevron for its efforts to utilize new technologies and industry best practices, as well as share lessons learned to help reduce methane emissions and achieve environmental progress.
