Oil and Gas Industry Long-Known Methane Leak Issue Now Documented in New Report

A recent analysis by the nonprofit Center for Climate Integrity examined industry-commissioned documents spanning several decades and concluded that U.S. natural-gas wells have been emitting far more methane than companies publicly reported. The study cites a 1979 review commissioned by the research arm of the American Gas Association, which warned that major gas fields could be releasing substantially higher quantities of planet-warming gases. The Center’s authors argue that, despite such internal awareness, the industry consistently downplayed methane concerns in public statements.

New York Times

Internal research from the late 1970s onward indicates that the oil and gas sector recognized the potency of methane as a greenhouse gas well before it became a focal point of climate policy. Over the ensuing decades, the Center for Climate Integrity says it traced documents in university libraries and other public archives that repeatedly highlighted the discrepancy between actual emissions and official reporting.

New York Times

The Center reports that, as natural-gas competition intensified from electric appliances, industry groups launched an advertising campaign portraying gas as a clean-energy alternative. The American Gas Association, whose research arm funded the 1979 review, did not respond to requests for comment on the new findings.

New York Times

Methane’s high global-warming potential means that underreported leaks could significantly hinder emissions-reduction goals. By documenting the long-standing internal awareness of elevated methane emissions, the Center’s report bolsters calls for the oil and gas sector to assume financial responsibility for climate impacts. The findings also raise questions about the credibility of industry-led public messaging on the environmental benefits of natural gas.

New York Times