Methane Leaks,Flaring Could’Come Back to Bite’LNG Export Industry

摘要

For years,the industry has pitched gas as a reliable alternative to more carbon-intensive fuels,and LNG developers have made the same argument,particularly in developing countries.But there's new concern that the combination of intense political focus on climate issues and lax regulations on methane at home could undercut that message.”If we don't start addressing the methane issue it's going to come back to bite us,”Brian Kelly,vice president of government affairs at Sempra Energy,told an LNG conference in Washington last week.”Continued efforts to reduce venting and flaring will be critical,”International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol told the event sponsored by several energy trade groups.The Trump administration's decision to roll back regulations meant to counter leaks of methane — a powerful greenhouse gas that is the main component of natural gas — has drawn renewed attention to climate impacts of gas and oil operations both upstream and downstream(NGW Sep.2'19).Flaring is rampant,particularly in the pipeline-constrained Permian Basin,where an Energy Intelligence investigation found that Texas had never denied a permit to flare gas.