In 2021, a headline about global atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) read: “CO₂ reaches its highest level in more than 4 million years.” However, the more potent greenhouse gas ‘methane’ is not given as much media attention as CO₂.
If it escapes into the atmosphere before being burned, as the main component of natural gas, methane can warm the planet more than 80 times as much as the same amount of CO₂ over a 20-year period. Recent data from the European Union show Canada is the only G7 country where methane emissions have increased since 1990, although the rate of increase is slowing. Studies suggest the amount of methane released is probably underestimated.
2021 was a big year for energy markets as indicated by increases in natural gas prices. Natural gas production has more than doubled this year in many parts of the world. In addition, in Canada there are substantial or potential deposits of shale gas in all provinces and territories except Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and Nunavut. To get at shale gas, one has to use a process known as “fracking”. Fracking involves injecting chemicals under high pressure into drilled wells to fracture geological formations below and allow for the release of larger quantities of both crude oil and natural gas. In the last 20 years, large-scale commercial production of much deeper shale-gas reservoirs has become possible with new drilling techniques that combine two different technologies — horizontal drilling and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing. This process involves drilling the gas well vertically from the surface before bending it at a certain depth to penetrate the shale-gas layer horizontally or diagonally. However, like standard natural gas drilling, the fracking process also releases methane as a byproduct. It has been found that flares, used to dispose of unwanted methane from wells, burn off far less than the 98 percent of the gas they are assumed to. Fracking in Canada and the U.S. now involves hundreds of new sites every year.
A recent survey of oil and gas facilities in Canada found widespread methane releases. Satellite imagery saw giant plumes of the gas escaping landfills, and a cloud of methane was detected over a natural gas field in Canada. It identified a hidden source of pollution from one of North America’s most prolific production basins along the Alberta-Saskatchewan boundary. However, on a broader scale, satellites can have difficulty tracking offshore emissions and releases in higher latitudes. In the U.S., Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data from 2019 includes emissions from drilling and fracking sites, but excludes emissions from offshore drilling, as well as some parts of the oil and gas supply chain like pipelines or processing plants. As noted by recent research, the official data is likely to greatly underestimate actual emissions from oil and gas production, in part because it does not properly account for leaks from equipment, which can be a significant source of emissions. As well, poorly maintained sites often mean more leaks that go undetected for longer, making them highly polluting.
Today, questions over just how much methane Canada pumps into the atmosphere come as the federal government expands regulation of the gas. Canada is now developing regulations that would apply to all natural gas facilities, minimize use of flares, ensures those that exist work properly, increase inspection and require equipment upgrades. The new rules are to include comprehensive, consistent emission monitoring and reporting. The Biden administration is in the process of reinstating methane regulations relaxed by President Donald Trump.
Overall, it would appear that the oil and gas industry does not do as much monitoring of methane gas releases as it appears to do for CO₂. There is little doubt that to deal with related environmental concerns, both industry and governments have to do a much better job of controlling widespread methane releases. For whatever reason, this critical greenhouse gas fell off the radar. With the evident continuing reliance on natural gas for heating and electricity production in North America, there is an immediate need to get a better handle on monitoring and release controls. Moreover, methane emissions from leaking wells could far outweigh the benefit from replacing other fuels when it comes to our fragile environment.
FROLITICKS 
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