Oil and gas industry leaders are voluntarily committing to reducing methane and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions in accordance with a new initiative from the American Petroleum Institute called the Environmental Partnership. The initiative calls for businesses to make efforts to cut leaks from wells, pipelines, and other sources of onshore production.
“This groundbreaking partnership further demonstrates the industry’s leadership and commitment to responsibly developing America’s energy resources while reducing emissions,” stated Jack Gerard, president and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute. “U.S. methane emissions have fallen over the past decade as domestic natural gas and oil production has increased significantly due to the industry’s technology innovation and efforts to increase efficiencies. The Environmental Partnership seeks to accelerate emissions reductions and we’re headed in the right direction.”
Twenty-six natural gas and oil businesses, including ExxonMobile, BP, and Royal Dutch Shell, have signed a set of guiding principles for cutting emissions. These participating companies, which represent operations in every major U.S. natural gas and oil basin, will begin implementing this program beginning on January 1, 2018.
“Industry is committed to environmental stewardship and the Environmental Partnership is a good vehicle to deliver industry focus and action. We are proactively taking steps to reduce methane emissions to ensure the sustainability of natural gas for generations to come,” commented Greg Guidry, Executive Vice President for Shell’s Unconventionals business.
While naysayers criticize the Trump administration for not supporting the Paris climate accord and similar Obama-era rules, the oil and natural gas industry is voluntarily stepping up to the plate to play an impactful role in improving the environment.
“We at Pioneer are glad to participate in this voluntary initiative that will allow even more companies to develop critical energy resources in an even more environmentally responsible manner,” shared Mark Berg, Executive Vice President, Corporate/Vertically Integrated Operations at Pioneer Natural Resources. “The Environmental Partnership will help America’s natural gas and oil industry share goals, technologies and best practices that will make our environmental stewardship even stronger.”
Despite the image portrayed in the media, the oil and gas industry is dedicated to groundbreaking innovations that don’t just bolster bottom lines but also strive to improve the environment. With initiatives such as the Environmental Partnership, along with more efficient practices and better technology, business are reasserting their commitment to minimizing the environmental impact of operations at-home and internationally.