Advocates say the Texas Railroad Commission process is more of a 'rubber stamp' for oil and gas companies to keep polluting indefinitely.
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Since 2019, when the Texas Methane and Flaring Coalition, an industry group, was formed and the Railroad Commission appointed a “Blue Ribbon Task Force” on flaring in 2020, the practice has received more scrutiny in Texas. Methane’s contribution to climate change in the short term is more potent than carbon dioxide. The oil and gas industry is the second-largest source of industrial methane emissions in the United States, after agriculture.The Environmental Protection Agency is finalizing methane regulations this year for the oil and gas industry, but in the meantime a patchwork of state regulations govern flaring.
Wright pointed out the natural gas Callon flares is “fully marketable.” He also noted the company was requesting a “sizable increase” in the amount of permitted flaring. The new permits more than double the volume of gas Callon can flare at the drilling sites, compared to previous permits. A spokesperson for Wright said the commissioner’s comments “reflect his strong desire that both Callon and the gas gatherer work together to improve efficiencies where possible.”
The third-party issues referenced can include midstream companies that transport oil and gas from Callon drilling sites to processing and refining facilities. The number of flaring permits issued by the Railroad Commission peaked in 2019 at 6,972. After declining for several years, the total is creeping back up. Permits increased from 3,351 in fiscal year 2021 to 3,667 in 2022. Initial data shows fiscal year 2023 is on track to surpass 2022.
Gunnar Schade, associate professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University, said that flaring rates in Texas follow the booms and busts of oil production. Schade, who has studied, pointed to RRC data that showed flaring has increased as the industry recovered from the decline in production at the start of the pandemic in 2020. He said lowering the flaring rate is only part of the equation; if gas and oil production continues to increase, so will overall methane emissions.