A new environmental advocacy group analysis released last week found Louisiana’s oil and gas industry wasted over $82 million worth of natural gas in 2019, which is more than two-thirds of the state’s yearly residential consumption, reports Louisiana Illuminator.
Commissioned by the left-leaning Environmental Defense Fund, the analysis drew gas production data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration and fed it into a peer-reviewed emissions inventory modeling formula, EDF spokesperson Matt McGee says.
The goal of the research was to try to determine how much methane, the primary compound in natural gas, is released into the atmosphere in Louisiana. The waste occurs when gas is flared, vented or leaked from oil and gas infrastructure.
Natural gas is found at virtually every oil well because it’s a natural byproduct of exploration. But it is colorless and odorless, making it difficult to detect without expensive thermal imaging equipment. Scientists have begun finding significant methane leaks across the globe as such imaging technology becomes more accessible. Read the full story from Louisiana Illuminator.
