Fixing the Leaks: What Would it Cost to Clean Up Natural Gas Leaks?

A study commissioned by the Clean Air Task Force and conducted by Carbon Limits finds that finding and fixing natural gas leaks is a cost-effective strategy for reducing methane pollution. Based on data from over 4,000 inspections, the analysis shows that repairing most leaks is profitable for companies because the value of the conserved gas outweighs the repair costs. Quarterly LDAR surveys are estimated to abate methane at a net cost of less than $280 per metric ton, while monthly inspections at well sites and gas plants cost between $800 and $900 per metric ton—both figures remaining below the EPA's estimated societal damage cost of $970 per metric ton of methane. The document argues that current US federal regulations are insufficient, as only gas processing plants built since 1984 are required to perform leak inspections, and advocates for more robust federal rules based on the empirical evidence of low abatement costs.

• Repairing the majority of natural gas leaks is economically beneficial for operators because the value of the saved gas exceeds the cost of the repair. Even with gas prices as low as $3 per thousand cubic feet, more than 90% of leaks can be fixed with a payback period of under one year.
• The cost of abating methane through LDAR surveys is lower than the estimated societal damage caused by those emissions. Quarterly surveys cost less than $280 per metric ton of methane, and monthly surveys at well sites and gas plants cost $800 to $900 per metric ton, whereas EPA economists estimate the damage from one metric ton of methane at $970.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Fixing the Leaks: What Would it Cost to Clean Up Natural Gas Leaks? https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/21094039/CATF_FactSheet_FixingTheLeaks.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Fixing the Leaks: What Would it Cost to Clean Up Natural Gas Leaks? n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/21094039/CATF_FactSheet_FixingTheLeaks.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Fixing the Leaks: What Would it Cost to Clean Up Natural Gas Leaks? |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/21094039/CATF_FactSheet_FixingTheLeaks.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforcendfixing, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Fixing the Leaks: What Would it Cost to Clean Up Natural Gas Leaks?}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/21094039/CATF_FactSheet_FixingTheLeaks.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }