Natural gas companies establish Appalachian Methane Initiative

The formation of AMI, whose founding members include Chesapeake Energy Corporation, EQT Corporation, and Equitrans Midstream Corporation, brings together two of the top five natural gas producers in the US and one of the country’s leading midstream service providers.

AMI’s efforts are intended to promote greater efficiency in the identification and remedy of potential fugitive methane emissions from operations in the Appalachian Basin through coordinated satellite and aerial surveys on a geographic-basis, as opposed to an operator-specific basis, and taking into account advanced methane monitoring and reporting frameworks.

The coalition will seek to coordinate and share best practices in mitigating methane emissions from natural gas operations, including production and midstream, and collaborate on activities and monitor results through transparent, publicly available reporting.

“As an industry, we have an important role to play in both meeting global energy needs and reducing climate change risks,” said Chesapeake's President and CEO, Nick Dell’Osso. “The AMI coalition offers an opportunity to better measure and understand our emissions profiles as we work to reduce the environmental impact of natural gas production and answer the call for affordable, reliable and lower carbon energy.”

“Appalachia is home to the United States’ richest natural gas basins, which also boast some of the lowest methane emissions intensities in the world. This is an achievement that we have earned through years of environmental commitment, and AMI further builds on this commitment,” said Toby Z. Rice, President and CEO of EQT Corporation. “Applying a basin-wide, sector-agnostic approach to methane monitoring will not only allow accountability for methane emissions from all emitters; we believe it will eliminate any doubt – whether from policy-makers, customers, or the general public – that Appalachian natural gas is the cleanest form of traditional energy in the world. At a time when international coal and associated GHG and methane have reached all-time highs, it is imperative that we recognise Appalachian natural gas for what it is, namely a means of meaningfully reducing global emissions.”

“Sustainability performance is about knowing we, as an industry, are collectively doing the right thing for future generations – serving Americans’ current and increasing needs for reliable, clean-burning energy and supporting our national security and energy independence,” said Diana M. Charletta, Equitrans President and COO. “As a founding member of AMI, we are excited by the potential to further enhance methane monitoring and measurement across the Appalachian Basin, with the goal of promoting additional emission reductions. Natural gas is and will continue to be an integral component of the global energy portfolio, and we must continue to responsibly develop, produce, and transport our domestic resources to effectively and efficiently transition to a lower carbon future.”

AMI is focused on developing and implementing a pilot monitoring programme in 2023 to cover select areas of interest within the major operating footprints of the Appalachian Basin, with the goal of working to develop and implement a full-Basin monitoring plan in 2024.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/business-news/12012023/natural-gas-companies-establish-appalachian-methane-initiative/