The Environmental Protection Agency (www.epa.gov) presented awards to some members of the oil and gas industry for their voluntary efforts to reduce methane under the EPA”s Natural Gas STAR Program.
The Natural Gas Star Program is designed to enable the EPA to work with companies that produce, process, transmit, and distribute natural gas to identify and implement cost-effective reductions in methane, a gas over 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.
In 2006 alone, oil and natural gas industry partners reported methane-emission reductions of approximately 85.9 billion cubic feet, equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of about 7.5 million cars.
The partner companies involved with Natural Gas Star represent roughly 62 percent of the total methane emissions from the United States oil and gas industry. According to the EPA, oil-and-gas systems are the largest human-caused source of methane in the United States, accounting for 26 percent of emissions. Working collaboratively with the Natural Gas Star Program, the EPA reports the domestic oil-and-gas industry now emits approximately 12 percent less methane than it did in 1990.
The awards were presented during the 14th Annual Natural Gas Star Implementation Workshop in Houston, which brings together Natural Gas Star partners and industry experts to discuss the latest cost-effective methane-reduction technologies and practices.
As part of the workshop, the EPA recognized nine new Natural Gas Star Partners:
- Berkshire Gas – Pittsfield, Mass.
- Chesapeake Energy – Oklahoma City, Okla.
- Connecticut Natural Gas Corp. – Hartford, Conn.
- Corning Natural Gas Corp. – Corning, N.Y.
- Laclede Gas Co. – St. Louis, Mo.
- Maine Natural Gas – Brunswick, Maine
- Oil and Natural Gas Corp., Ltd. – Dehradun, India
- Questar Gas Co. – Salt Lake City, Utah
- Southern Connecticut Gas – Bridgeport, Conn.
In honor of their outstanding efforts to measure, report, and reduce methane emissions, the EPA recognized 10 partner companies and one individual:
- Continuing Excellence (5 Years) – Northern Natural Gas Co., Omaha, Neb.
- Continuing Excellence (10 Years) – Consumers Energy Lansing, Mich.; Southwest Gas Corp., Las Vegas, Nev.
- Continuing Excellence (12 Years) – Chevron Corp., San Ramon, Calif.; Great Lakes Gas Transmission Co., Troy, Mich.
- Distribution Partner of the Year – Alliant Energy, Madison, Wis.
- Implementation Manager of the Year – Scott Mason from EnCana Oil & Gas Inc., Alberta, Canada.
- Processing Partner of the Year – Enbridge Energy Partners Inc., Alberta, Canada.
- Production Partner of the Year – EnCana Oil & Gas Inc., Alberta, Canada.
- Rookie of the Year – Southwestern Energy Co., Houston, Texas.
- Transmission Partner of the Year – Columbia Gas Transmission Corp., Fairfax, Va.
The Natural Gas Star Program has over 120 partner companies, including eight international partners, and nearly 20 major industry trade-association sponsors.
For more information, visit www.epa.gov/gasstar/workshops/2007_award_winners.htm
