Monitoring Methane Emissions from Oil and Gas Operations
William D. Collins, R. Orbach, Michelle Bailey, Sébastien Biraud, Ian Coddington, David A. DiCarlo, Jeff Peischl, Anuradha Radhakrishnan, David Schimel
Abstract
The atmospheric concentration of methane has more than doubled since the start of the Industrial Revolution. Methane is the second-most-abundant greenhouse gas created by human activities and a major driver of climate change. This APS-Optica report provides a technical assessment of the current state of monitoring U.S. methane emissions from oil and gas operations, which accounts for roughly 30% of U.S. anthropogenic methane emissions. The report identifies current technological and policy gaps and makes recommendations for the federal government in three key areas: methane emissions detection, reliable and systematized data and models to support mitigation measures, and effective regulation.