Ascent Resources’ commitment to environmental stewardship and responsible operational performance starts with our company’s leaders. Ascent’s management team regularly reviews key performance indicators and challenges our employees at all levels to find ways to continuously improve our operations. Our environmental specialists work hand-in-hand with our operations team to ensure we are acting as a responsible partner in the communities where we operate.
Ascent Resources executes a robust leak detection and repair program employing infrared cameras to pinpoint leak sources on 100% of our operated well pads. Dedicated Ascent environmental, health and safety (EHS) staff are certified for Optical Gas Imaging by the Infrared Training Center and perform leak inspection surveys with infrared optical gas imaging cameras. Our EHS staff are then able to quickly coordinate repairs of any leaks detected with our operations and maintenance personnel. Many repairs are completed immediately upon detection of a leak and, in 2019, our average days from detection to repair was 4.5 days. Data collected through this program is used to identify areas for improvement and to target opportunities for minimizing leaks going forward. Ascent has initiated efforts to reduce leaks by modifying storage tank thief hatches, reviewing common leak sources during our pre-startup safety review of new well pads, and working with lease operators to prevent leaks from common leak sources within gas production units. In 2019, Ascent performed over 450 leak inspection surveys with an average leak occurrence rate of 0.18% across all components surveyed.
