(Reuters) – Texas saw twice as many methane leaks as New Mexico in the Permian Basin between 2019 and Oct. 2023, according to data from environmental research group Kayrros, highlighting the impact of the latter’s regulations for reducing the greenhouse gas.
Methane accounts for a quarter of global warming emissions from human activities, with the International Energy Agency (IEA) suggesting the oil and gas industry can reduce methane emissions by 75% using technology available today.
“By our estimates, Texas emissions could be halved if it adopted similar rules and regulations to New Mexico with little additional cost of interruption of supply,” said Antoine Rostand, CEO and co-founder of Kayrros.
New Mexico’s oil regulator in 2021 implemented a rule to curb routine methane venting and flaring, while a separate initiative by the state’s Environment Department cracked down on leaks, particularly from smaller facilities.
Data from Kayrros also showed that in the 66 counties that make up the Permian Basin, Texas had sites with repeated leaks while New Mexico’s did not. It also showed growth in Permian Basin crude was in wells in New Mexico’s Lea and Eddy counties.
Kayrros had earlier this year also called for a ban on super-emitters, which involve facilities, equipment and other infrastructure that emit methane at a high rate.
An IEA report said there were more than 500 super-emitting events around the world from oil and gas operations detected by satellites in 2022.
(Reporting by Seher Dareen in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)
