New Mexico goes public with greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas

  • October 21, 2019

Sarah Cottreell Propst, Cabinet Secretary of the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, left, and James Kenney, Cabinet Secretary of the New Mexico Environment Department, right, on Aug. 7,2019 at the Walter Gerrells Performing Arts Center in Carlsbad.

Wanting to be more transparent about greenhouse emissions from the oil and gas industry, the State of New Mexico has released data to keep the public informed of the problem.

The release came as the State continued to develop stricter policies to regulate air pollution from the industry and other sources.

The data was uploaded to the New Mexico Environment Department’s website, per an NMED news release, and will be regularly updated.

NMED Cabinet Secretary James Kenney said the move was to create greater transparency for the public regarding emissions from the industry amid a boom of oil and gas production in New Mexico and the Permian Basin.

He said compliance with state regulations will be strictly enforced.

“Transparency of self-reported emissions data, in conjunction with our regulatory efforts to curb excess methane emissions in the oil and gas industry, is essential to understanding air quality impacts in communities around the state,” Kenney said.

Emissions from oil and gas facilities often contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and are a large contributor to the state’s green house gas.

Excess emissions are not always in violation of state law, read the release, but present opportunities for improvement, the release read.

“Compliance with permits and air quality regulations is not optional,” Kenney said. “It is expected by the communities in which these facilities operate and by NMED.”

Industrial sources of the emissions that release more than 10 pounds per hour or 25 tons of pollutants annual were required to operate under NMED air quality permits and subsequent regulations.

Such sources could include oil and gas operations, along with asphalt plants and power plants, read the release.

The data released last week pointed to numerous oil and gas companies, both producers and midstream operators, and listed most of the excess emissions as resulting from equipment malfunctions.

Chemicals listed as emitted included carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and VOCs.

Source: Carlsbad Current-Argus.

Jerry Bohnen