Wednesday, May 24th, 2017
Methane leaks and explosions are uncommon, but they can be fatal, as witnessed in the April 2017 Firestone, Colo., explosion that killed two men and seriously injured one woman. In May 2017, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission issued a Notice to Operators that requires systematic inspection of their inventory of flowlines—active as well
Wednesday, September 28th, 2016
NASA is conducting low-level aircraft flights measuring greenhouse gases over the U.S. mid-Atlantic region for the CARbon Airborne Flux Experiment (CARAFE), which will measure the exchange of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane between Earth and the atmosphere. Water vapor, temperature and vertical wind measurements also will be taken. “The direct measurements of
Friday, May 13th, 2016
Satellite readings show that atmospheric methane and carbon dioxide are continuing to increase despite global efforts to reduce emissions. Methane concentrations were somewhat constant until 2007, but since then have increased at about 0.3% per year, whereas global carbon dioxide levels continue to rise at about 0.5% per year. The results, presented this week at
Monday, April 18th, 2016
DURHAM, N.C. – A modern twist on an old technology could soon help detect rogue methane leaks, hidden explosives and much more. A Duke University team is using software to dramatically improve the performance of chemical-sniffing mass spectrometers. Conventional mass spectrometers separate compounds by giving them an electric charge and passing them through electric and/or
Tuesday, April 12th, 2016
Sacramento, Calif. – Methane emissions from restored wetlands may offset the benefits of carbon sequestration a new study from the U.S. Geological Survey suggests. Wetlands are known to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide through plant photosynthesis and also provide habitat and food sources for wildlife, act as biological filters for improving water quality and improve coastal
Friday, February 26th, 2016
The Aliso Canyon natural gas well blowout, first reported on Oct. 23, 2015, released over 100,000 tons of the powerful greenhouse gas methane before the well was sealed on Feb. 11, according to the first study of the accident published today in the journal Science. The results confirm that Aliso Canyon is the largest methane
Thursday, February 25th, 2016
Irvine, Calif., Feb. 24, 2016 – Hundreds of methane-emitting hot spots have been identified across the Los Angeles Basin, including a “clean ports” truck refueling facility near the Port of Long Beach, power plants, water treatment facilities, and cattle in Chino, according to new findings by the University of California, Irvine. Atmospheric scientists conducted a
Thursday, February 12th, 2015
Feb. 12, 2015—A new study led by Colorado State University found wide variations in the amount of methane being emitted at U.S. natural gas gathering facilities and processing plants.
