2021 Methane Emissions Intensity Overview

ONE Future is pleased to present its fifth Annual Methane Intensity Report, chronicling our members’ success in driving methane emissions reductions and our collaborative approach to continuous improvement. The data demonstrate that our science-based, performance-focused, standard approach is successful in helping our members prevent, find, and fix methane emissions in a cost-effective manner, proving that energy can be affordable, reliable, and clean.

As the events of 2022 have shown, perhaps no fuel is more important to the world’s twin aspirations of energy and climate security than American natural gas.

Our commitment to continuous improvement is demonstrated in this report as well as in the activities of the Coalition and its members. We have long advocated for, and invested in, research to advance emissions management technology and practice. We advocate for better science all the time.

A case in point is the substantial investment by the Coalition and its members in GTI Energy’s Veritas initiative, which is deploying developing technology in field studies across all segments of the value chain to understand how we can more accurately measure, reconcile, and validate emissions. We believe that work will yield a pathway to better informed decisions about resource allocation and provide more transparency and improved stakeholder confidence in the terrific work that our members and others are doing to reduce emissions.

Our members also decided to adopt a more robust emission calculation methodology for combustion exhaust emissions which, as our Report illustrates, resulted in a slight increase in emissions for 2021, though we continue to beat our 1% methane intensity target. Better accuracy yields better science, which enables better decisions.

Finally, coinciding with the release of this year’s report, we will announce the inaugural ONE Future Awards and award five $10,000 scholarships to future leaders. The awards will recognize the natural gas industry’s leading innovators and step-changes in technology that will make a lasting impact on lowering methane emissions. The scholarships will be awarded to five students in key fields with a focus in the natural gas industry, and who are passionate about the role natural gas can play in our future.

It is a privilege to serve an organization that remains committed to its founding premise and seeks to build upon it year over year.

Sincerely,

Jim Kibler
Executive Director

Production Milestones for CY2021:

• Methane Intensity of 0.152% vs. goal of 0.283% – beating goal by 46%.
• Four net new production member companies.
• ONE Future’s Production Segment produces 25% of US natural gas.
• Overall production increased 29% from CY2020 to CY2021.

Technology and Methodology for reducing emissions:

• Replace or repair high-bleed pneumatic devices with low or no-bleed devices.
• Combustion control of gas pneumatic device bleed.
• Switch natural gas-powered pneumatic devices to devices that use alternative power, where applicable and/or feasible.
• Use heat exchangers to extract well heat from natural gas then utilize the heat to produce electricity via a thermoelectric generator (TEG), which results in the reduction of natural gas-fired fulltime generator engine count and/or utilization.
• Reroute natural gas-powered pneumatic device vent gas into process equipment or for combustion in enclosed combustors and/or process heaters.
• Replacement of natural gas-powered chemical injection pumps with pumps and/or heat trace pumps that use alternate power.
• Voluntary Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) programs to identify and fix equipment leaks at aboveground sites.
• Use electric-powered fracking equipment.
• Include pneumatic controllers in existing LDAR surveys using Optical Gas Imaging (OGI) cameras, in order to detect and repair malfunctioning devices.
• Addition of continuous emission monitors in some locations.
• Reduce gas pneumatic emissions by optimizing overall equipment counts.
• Reduce gas well liquids unloading emissions by installing physical systems to remove liquids such as using foaming agents, velocity strings, wellhead compression, plunger lifts, and vent-less restoration.
• Use tankless design at new well sites to reduce emissions from tanks, truck loading, and fugitive components.

Production Members

Gathering & Boosting Milestones for CY2021:

• Methane Intensity of 0.080% vs. goal of 0.080% – meeting goal.
• Four net new G&B member companies.
• ONE Future G&B member companies represent approximately 42% of the total U.S. natural gas production in CY2021.
• Overall G&B throughput increased 16% from CY2020 to CY2021.

Technology and Methodology for reducing emissions:

• Voluntary LDAR programs to identify and fix equipment leaks at aboveground sites.
• Use instrument air for pneumatic devices.
• Use electric controllers and pumps.
• Include pneumatic controllers in existing LDAR surveys using Optical Gas Imaging (OGI) cameras, in order to detect and repair malfunctioning devices.
• Install electrically operated glycol pumps to replace natural gas operated pumps.
• Program compressor unit controls to reduce pressure prior to venting.
• Maximize the utilization of compressors to optimize combustion performance and fuel efficiency.
• Performance-based maintenance program to determine the need for compressor rod packing replacement. A performance-based program uses the measured leak rate of the rod packing to objectively evaluate whether rod packing needs replacement.
• Continuously monitor operational parameters to quickly notify operators of performance issues and operating conditions.
• Improvement of piping design to eliminate direct venting during compressor blowdowns.
• Full recovery of dehydration still vent low pressure gas stream (post Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylene (BTEX) recovery) using vapor recovery units (VRU).
• Use combustion control to reduce dehydrator uncondensed glycol regenerator still vent off gas and flash tank vapor emissions.
• Use a spark igniter or glow stick to combust dehydrator uncondensed glycol regenerator still vent off gas and flash tank vapor emissions when the VRU is down or the reboiler, if used for combustion control, has cycled off.
• Use electric motor-driven compressor units.
• Improve piping and process design to minimize direct venting during pipeline maintenance activities.

Gathering and Boosting Members

Processing Milestones for CY2021:

• Methane Intensity of 0.027% vs. goal of 0.111% – beating goal by 76%.
• Three new processing member companies.
• ONE Future’s Processing Segment processes 27% of U.S. natural gas.
• Overall processing throughput increased 7% from CY2020 to CY2021.

Technology and Methodology for reducing emissions:

• Where possible, replace or repair high-bleed pneumatic devices with low or no-bleed devices.
• Perform LDAR programs to identify and fix equipment leaks at aboveground sites.
• Add vapor recovery controls on dehydrators.
• Add vapor recovery controls on tanks.
• Use certified control devices to improve destruction efficiencies.
• Replace rod packing more frequently than regulatory requirements.
• Use blowdown headers to reduce direct venting during compressor and equipment blowdowns.

Processing Members

Transmission & Storage Milestones for CY2021:

• Methane Intensity of 0.089% vs. goal of 0.301% – beating goal by 70%.
• Nine net new Transmission & Storage member companies.
• ONE Future’s Transmission & Storage Segment encompasses 63% of transmission pipeline mileage across the U.S.
• Overall Transmission & Storage throughput increased 12% from CY2020 to CY2021.

Technology and Methodology for reducing emissions:

• Voluntary LDAR programs to identify and fix equipment leaks at aboveground sites.
• Performance-based monitoring and replacement for reciprocating compressor rod packing.
• Replacement of four stroke lean burn engines with more efficient turbines that have lower combustion exhaust methane emissions.
• Use of compressors driven by electric motors as an alternative to gas-fired engines.
• Conversion of reciprocating engine and turbine gas starters to electric or air operated starters.
• Reduction of maintenance blowdown emissions by operating practice changes (such as increasing the length of pressurized hold times on compressors to reduce number of compressor unit blowdowns to atmosphere).
• Use of vent gas recovery (VGR) systems for compressor related venting and re-route for beneficial use. These systems capture gas that would be vented to the atmosphere from sources such as case venting (rod-packing), dry gas seals, and compressor unit blowdowns.
• Reduction of blowdown emissions by implementing pipeline pump-down techniques that lowers the pipeline pressure prior to transmission pipeline blowdowns and conducting regulatory required Emergency Shutdown tests (ESDs) utilizing “vents blocked” tests.
• Use of sleeves and composite wraps to repair pipelines, eliminating the need to blowdown the pipeline.  Use of pipeline isolation systems and hot taps to make new connections, eliminating the need to blowdown the pipeline.
• Where possible, replacing or repairing high emitting pneumatic devices with low or no-bleed devices.
• Voluntary LDAR programs to identify and fix equipment leaks at aboveground sites.
• Performance-based monitoring and replacement for reciprocating compressor rod packing.
• Replacement of four stroke lean burn engines with more efficient turbines that have lower combustion exhaust methane emissions.
• Use of compressors driven by electric motors as an alternative to gas-fired engines.
• Conversion of reciprocating engine and turbine gas starters to electric or air operated starters.
• Reduction of maintenance blowdown emissions by operating practice changes (such as increasing the length of pressurized hold times on compressors to reduce number of compressor unit blowdowns to atmosphere).
• Use of vent gas recovery (VGR) systems for compressor related venting and re-route for beneficial use. These systems capture gas that would be vented to the atmosphere from sources such as case venting (rod-packing), dry gas seals, and compressor unit blowdowns.
• Reduction of blowdown emissions by implementing pipeline pump-down techniques that lowers the pipeline pressure prior to transmission pipeline blowdowns and conducting regulatory required Emergency Shutdown tests (ESDs) utilizing “vents blocked” tests.
• Use of sleeves and composite wraps to repair pipelines, eliminating the need to blowdown the pipeline.  Use of pipeline isolation systems and hot taps to make new connections, eliminating the need to blowdown the pipeline.
• Where possible, replacing or repairing high emitting pneumatic devices with low or no-bleed devices.

Transmission and Storage Members

Distribution Milestones for CY2021:

• Methane Intensity of 0.113% vs. goal of 0.225% – beating goal by 50%.
• Nine new distribution member companies.
• ONE Future’s Distribution Sector delivers 47% of the natural gas that powers the U.S.
• Overall quantity of gas delivered to end users increased 15% from CY2020 to CY2021.

Technology and Methodology for reducing emissions:

• Make significant progress in replacing higher emitting pipe and continue to implement ongoing pipeline replacement initiatives to improve system integrity and reduce methane emissions.
• Voluntary LDAR programs to identify and fix pipeline and equipment leaks at aboveground sites. 
• Increase leak survey frequency.
• Use of pipeline pump down procedures to minimize emissions when mains must be repaired or retired.
• Where possible, replacing or repairing high emitting pneumatic devices with low or no-bleed devices.
• Ongoing implementation and improvement of damage prevention programs.
• Efforts to reduce/eliminate any Grade 3 leak backlog.
• Implement practices that identify higher emitting leaks to target for quick repair and help eliminate the largest emitters that can contribute up to 50% of the emissions from the pipeline system.
• Use of innovative aerial or satellite survey detection technology over areas with non-state-of-the-art pipeline materials.
• Improve emergency response time to enhance safety and reduce emissions.

Distribution Members