News

A group of trade associations representing oil and natural gas developers at the state and regional level in and around the Four Corners area have issued a joint press release in response to the study, and as EID observed in an initial analysis, the groups point out that the findings represent a “snapshot in time.”

Saying the researchers’ findings focused only on oil and gas sites and not other known human and natural methane sources in the area,” the groups cast further doubt on the study. From the press release:

“The study represents a snapshot in time that can provide valuable information, but is not suitable for extrapolation to monthly, annual or other longer-term emissions estimates,” said Christi Zeller, executive director of the La Plata County Energy Council. “Certain operational events, such as scheduled maintenance downtime, are temporary and can skew results. For example, one gas plant was measured five times, with one outlier measurement that occurred during a scheduled maintenance event. We look forward to the results from NOAA and the universities to provide a more complete picture of methane in the area.”

Joining the La Plata County Energy Council, a group representing energy developers operating in the Four Corners region, the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, Colorado Petroleum Council, Western Energy Alliance and the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association also weighed in. Also from the press release:

“The first of several studies, NASA’s assessment begins the process of better understanding methane levels in the region, but it addressed a limited set of methane sources,” said Steve Henke, president of the New Mexico Oil & Gas Association. “It has been known by the states and tribes in the Four Corners that natural methane seeps occur throughout the area from the Fruitland Formation outcrop. Also, the topography of the area traps air and causes methane to build up over time, whether from human or natural sources.”