The U.S. oil patch is the Wild West. We need regulation to control the sector’s methane emissions.

The U.S. oil and gas sector exhibits extreme variability in methane emissions, with some small producers and specific large companies contributing disproportionately to totals. The author argues that the EPA must implement a regulatory floor mandating best practices to reduce leaks and flaring, noting that existing technology could reduce sector methane emissions by 65% at little to no cost.

• Methane is a potent super pollutant responsible for approximately 25% of current global warming, and reducing global emissions by 45% by 2040 could prevent nearly 0.3 degrees Celsius of warming and 255,000 deaths.
• There is significant variability in methane emissions among U.S. oil and gas producers; the 195 smallest producers in a CATF and Ceres analysis account for 22% of total reported emissions despite representing only 9% of production.
• Among the top 30 U.S. producers, Hilcorp Energy had the highest reported methane emissions in the country and an emissions intensity nearly six times the national average.
• Specific equipment is primary drivers of emissions, with pneumatic controllers accounting for 54% of reported methane emissions and flaring accounting for 41% of reported carbon dioxide emissions.
• The author asserts that the U.S. oil and gas sector's methane emissions could be reduced by 65% using existing technology at little or no cost to the industry.

APA

Smith, S. (2021). The U.S. oil patch is the Wild West. We need regulation to control the sector’s methane emissions. Clean Air Task Force. https://www.catf.us/2021/06/the-u-s-oil-patch-is-the-wild-west-we-need-regulation-to-control-the-sectors-methane-emissions/

Chicago

Smith, Sarah. The U.S. oil patch is the Wild West. We need regulation to control the sector’s methane emissions. Clean Air Task Force, 2021. https://www.catf.us/2021/06/the-u-s-oil-patch-is-the-wild-west-we-need-regulation-to-control-the-sectors-methane-emissions/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Smith |first1=Sarah |title=The U.S. oil patch is the Wild West. We need regulation to control the sector’s methane emissions. |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=14 June 2021 |url=https://www.catf.us/2021/06/the-u-s-oil-patch-is-the-wild-west-we-need-regulation-to-control-the-sectors-methane-emissions/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{smith2021oil, author = {Smith, Sarah}, title = {{The U.S. oil patch is the Wild West. We need regulation to control the sector’s methane emissions.}}, publisher = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2021}, month = jun, url = {https://www.catf.us/2021/06/the-u-s-oil-patch-is-the-wild-west-we-need-regulation-to-control-the-sectors-methane-emissions/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }