We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Concurrent variation in oil and gas methane emissions and oil price during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Authors
Lyon, David R.; Hmiel, Benjamin; Gautam, Ritesh; Omara, Mark; Roberts, Kate; Barkley, Zachary R.; David, Kenneth J.; Miles, Natasha L.; Monteiro, Vanessa C.; Richardson, Scott J.; Stephen Conley; Smith, Mackenzie L.; Jacob, Daniel J.; Lu Shen; Varon, Daniel J.; Aijun Deng; Rudelis, Xander; Sharma, Nikhil; Story, Kyle T.; Brandt, Adam R.
- Abstract
Methane emissions associated with the production, transport, and use of oil and natural gas increase the climatic impacts of energy use; however, little is known about how emissions vary temporally and with commodity prices. We present airborne and ground-based data, supported by satellite observations, to measure weekly to monthly changes in total methane emissions in the United States' Permian Basin during a period of volatile oil prices associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. As oil prices declined from ~$ 60 to $ 20 per barrel, emissions changed concurrently from 3.4 % to 1.5 % of gas production; as prices partially recovered, emissions increased back to near initial values. Concurrently, total oil and natural gas production only declined by a maximum of ~10 % from the peak values seen in the months prior to the crash. Activity data indicate that a rapid decline in well development and subsequent effects on associated gas flaring and midstream infrastructure throughput are the likely drivers of temporary emission reductions. Our results, along with past satellite observations, suggest that under more typical price conditions, the Permian Basin is in a state of overcapacity in which rapidly growing natural gas production exceeds midstream capacity and leads to high methane emissions.
- Subjects
UNITED States; COVID-19 pandemic; PETROLEUM sales &; prices; NATURAL gas; PETROLEUM industry; NATURAL gas production; ENERGY consumption
- Publication
Atmospheric Chemistry & Physics Discussions, 2020, p1
- ISSN
1680-7367
- Publication type
Abstract
- DOI
10.5194/acp-2020-1175