Emission measurements at oil and gas facilities

Basin-wide airborne survey of the New Mexico Permian Basin (Chen, et al., 2022).

We conduct research aimed at quantifying and mitigating methane emissions from oil and gas production to improve climate performance. Using airborne surveys and other remote sensing measurements, we assess regional emissions in major producing basins like the Permian and Bakken, finding that large, infrequent methane releases and flaring are key drivers of greenhouse gas output. For instance, methane emissions in the Permian Basin account for up to 9.4% of gross gas production. We also collaborate across academic institutions on topics including effectiveness of leak detection and repair programs to emissions assessments of shallow water platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.

Related Publications

Negron, A., Kort, E., Plant, G., Brandt, A., Chen, Y., Hausman, C., & Smith, M. (2024). Measurement-based carbon intensity of US offshore oil and gas production. Environmental Research Letters, 19(6), 064027. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad489d
Sherwin, E., Rutherford, J., Zhang, Z., Chen, Y., Wetherley, E., Yakovlev, P., Berman, E., Jones, B., Cusworth, D., Thorpe, A., Ayasse, A., Duren, R., & Brandt, A. (2024). US oil and gas system emissions from nearly one million aerial site measurements. Nature, 627(8003), 328-334. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07117-5
Wang, J., Barlow, B., Funk, W., Robinson, C., Brandt, A., & Ravikumar, A. (2024). Large-Scale Controlled Experiment Demonstrates Effectiveness of Methane Leak Detection and Repair Programs at Oil and Gas Facilities. Environmental Science & Technology, 58(7). https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c09147
Yu, J., Hmiel, B., Lyon, D., Warren, J., Cusworth, D., Duren, R., Chen, Y., Murphy, E., & Brandt, A. (2022). Methane Emissions from Natural Gas Gathering Pipelines in the Permian Basin. Environmental Science & Technology Letters, 9(11), 969–974. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.2c00380
Plant, G., Kort, E., Brandt, A., Chen, Y., Fordice, G., Gorchov Negron, A., Schwietzke, S., Smith, M., & Zavala-Araiza, D. (2022). Inefficient and unlit natural gas flares both emit large quantities of methane. Science, Report: Methane Emissions, 377(6614), 1566-1571. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abq0385
Chen, Y., Sherwin, E., Berman, E., Jones, B., Gordo, M., Wetherly, E., Kort, E., & Brandt, A. (2022). Quantifying Regional Methane Emissions in the New Mexico Permian Basin with a Comprehensive Aerial Survey. Environmental Science & Technology, 56(7), 4317–4323. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c06458
Lyon, D., Hmiel, B., Guatam, R., & all, et. (2021). Concurrent variation in oil and gas methane emissions and oil price during the COVID-19 pandemic. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 21(9), 6605–6626. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-6605-2021
Englander, J., Brandt, A., Conley, S., Lyon, D., & Jackson, R. (2018). Aerial Interyear Comparison and Quantification of Methane Emissions Persistence in the Bakken Formation of North Dakota, USA. Environmental Science & Technology, 52(18), 8947-. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.8b01665
Gvakharia, A., Kort, E., Brandt, A., Peisch, J., Ryerson, T., Schwarz, J., Smith, M., & Sweeney, C. (2017). Methane, Black Carbon, and Ethane Emissions from Natural Gas Flares in the Bakken Shale, North Dakota. Environmental Science & Technology, 51(9), 5317–5325. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6b05183
Brandt, A., Yeskoo, T., McNally, M., Vafi, K., Yeh, S., Cai, H., & Wang, M. (2016). Energy Intensity and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Tight Oil Production in the Bakken Formation. Energy Fuels, 30(11), 9613–9621. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.6b01907
Peischl, J., Karion, A., & Sweeney, C. (2016). Quantifying atmospheric methane emissions from oil and natural gas production in the Bakken shale region of North Dakota. JGR Atmospheres, 121(10), 6101-6111. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JD024631
Kort, E., Smith, M., Murray, L., Gvakharia, A., Brandt, A., Peischl, J., Ryerson, T., Sweeney, C., & Travis, K. (2016). Fugitive emissions from the Bakken shale illustrate role of shale production in global ethane shift: Ethane Emissions From the Bakken Shale. Geophysical Research Letters, 43(9), 4617-4623. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068703
Lyon, D., Alvarez, R., Zavla-Araiza, D., Brandt, A., Jackson, R., & Hamburg, S. (2016). Aerial Surveys of Elevated Hydrocarbon Emissions from Oil and Gas Production Sites. Environmental Science & Technology, 50(9), 4877–4886. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6b00705