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In November 2021, the White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy introduced its Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan, proposing “critical and commonsense steps to cut pollution and consumer costs, while boosting good-paying jobs and American competitiveness.” The action plan targets methane reduction in several sectors, including oil & gas, waste management, mining and agriculture.
Key Provisions and Requirements
The Action Plan aims to reduce methane emissions in US oil & gas operations. This sector is the largest industrial source of methane emissions in the country, responsible for about 30% of the national total. Under the provisions of the Action Plan, the relevant government agencies are taking steps to:
- Reduce venting, flaring, and well leaks, by requiring operators to pay royalties to the government for vented or flared gas.
- Boost the safety of gathering and transmission pipelines by instituting three new rules – the Gas Gathering Pipeline Safety Rule, the Automatic Shut-off Valve Rule, and the Gas Transmission Pipeline Safety Rule.
These rules would require new safety guidelines for a substantial portion of pipelines to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. They will mandate the installation of rupture mitigation valves or similar technologies, and would establish performance standards for the operation of these valves. They would also introduce measures to reduce the frequency of leaks and ruptures by addressing integrity management provisions, corrosion control requirements, inspection mandates and management assessments.
Strategies for Compliance and Implementation
Under the provisions of the Action Plan and the various pieces of legislation and regulations that it is giving rise to, companies in the oil & gas sector will need to:
- Introduce measures to reduce venting and flaring, and deliver reliable reports to that effect.
- Implement the safety guidelines introduced for gathering pipelines
- Install and monitor rupture valves wherever necessary along the length of their pipelines.
- Introduce new plans, or improve existing ones that facilitate the monitoring and maintenance of pipelines to control corrosion, and detect and fix leaks.
Precise, science-based measurement would be an integral part of any reduction and mitigation strategies, necessitating the use of devices such as flow samplers, or methane gas monitors.
Long-term Environmental and Economic Impacts
According to the Action Plan document, methane is a far more destructive greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. It makes up roughly 30% of the emissions that contribute to climate change. The Action Plan would facilitate the reduction of these levels, contributing to the country’s net zero goals, reducing the impact on the environment, and fighting the impact of global warming. Reducing methane in the atmosphere would also help to reduce other emissions, such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene, which would reduce the overall levels of greenhouse gas emissions even further. The downstream effects of the Action Plan could thus have a significant positive impact on the environment and public health.
Hetek Solutions Inc. offers all the tools you need for accurate gas emission measurement, which forms an integral part of your strategies to comply with the Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan. Contact us for more information on our products and solutions, developed by experts for precise, compliant leak detection and repair.
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