Natural gas coalition reports 41% decrease in methane intensity

HOUSTON and PITTSBURGH - Our Nation’s Energy Future (ONE Future), a coalition of natural gas companies, announced today, at the 2019 Natural Gas STAR & Methane Challenge Workshop, its annual reporting of methane intensity numbers. Using uniform, EPA-approved reporting protocols, the coalition registered a 2018 methane intensity number of 0.326%, a decrease of 41% from its 2017 number of 0.552%. Each segment realized decreases by varying magnitudes while realizing an increase in production and throughput. To demonstrate credible and quantifiable results, members agree to measure their emissions and track their progress over time according to EPA-approved reporting protocols.

“Today’s announcement highlights what the coalition already knew – that our efforts are working, and with more rapid decrease than anyone had originally thought possible,” said Richard Hyde, executive director of ONE Future. “Our members have made great strides in reducing their methane intensity, even as production and throughput increased; these numbers prove that natural gas can be a clean, sustainable fuel, meeting the energy needs of our country and around the globe for years to come.”

ONE Future’s members operate in 11 out of the 19 production basins; and other segments of the value chain operate in multiple regions of the country, hence our data represents a geographically diverse and material share of the U.S. natural gas supply chain. The member companies have the flexibility to deploy their capital where it will be most effective in reducing emissions. This includes upgrading and replacing pipeline infrastructure, as well as actively seeking and repairing system leaks.

ONE Future’s members are committed to ongoing methane emission reduction activities; while sharing key learnings through technical reports and workshops, to enable others across the industry to build on these successful results.