Massive bursts of methane plumes occur all over the U.S. with little explanation as to why
Last month, Bloomberg Green reported that the state of Louisiana was investigating a massive plume of methane captured via satellite Jan. 21 that stretched across 56 miles. According to the outlet, the burst of greenhouse gas observed by energy analytics firm Kayrros SAS was the equivalent of the annual emissions of 1,900 cars and was the most powerful such plume in the U.S. seen by satellite since October. That plume observed in October was probably the one hovering over Alabama that Bloomberg Green proclaimed had “mystified experts.” At the time of its Oct. 22 release, it was the fifth-largest detected by the same satellite that captured the Louisiana plume. And nobody knows who’s responsible for either emission. The Louisiana emission occurred near pipelines and facilities owned by Boardwalk Pipelines LP and Kinder Morgan Inc.—both of which claimed no fault—and Energy Transfer LP, which declined to comment. Kinder Morgan also owns a pair of gas pipelines and gas wells along with coal mines that are located near where the Alabama plume was discovered. The company claimed the methane emissions were not its fault and that it had ”no active mining [operation] in the area.”
While it’s certainly worth taking a trip down memory lane to consider all the massive plumes of methane seen by satellite over the past few months (the cause behind a plume discovered above a Hilcorp Energy Co. gas well in New Mexico on Sept. 21 remains a mystery too), let’s not forget how little accountability is available and awareness is made of this pollution. Regardless of operational status, abandoned wells across the country have found to have been responsible for emitting 281,000 tons of methane in 2018 alone. Methane plumes were also found to have been a side effect of routine maintenance and accidents in the oil and gas sector. According to a recent study released by the journal Science, “these sources represent as much as 12% of global methane emissions from oil and gas production and transmission.” Methane emissions from oil and gas companies alone add up to around 197 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents per year in the U.S., according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report notes just how damaging rampant methane emissions can be, citing methane as a major factor in lower crop yields and rising global temperatures. According to the UN Environmental Program (UNEP), “methane is the primary contributor to the formation of ground-level ozone” and “80 times more potent than carbon dioxide.” The Louisiana plume was so intense, Kayrros SAS found that it took an estimated 105 tons of methane emitted per hour to create it. The Alabama plume saw bursts of methane emitted at about 58 tons per hour, while the New Mexico plume was created by a sustained emission of methane at about 39 tons per hour.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/3/9/2081648/-Massive-bursts-of-methane-plumes-occur-all-over-the-U-S-with-little-explanation-as-to-why
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