BLM-ES, Study of Air Emissions and Effects of Best Management Practices at Oil and Gas Sites in the Northern Appalachian Basin

BACKGROUND: The BLM wishes to support original studies of air emissions from drilling, completion, and production at oil and gas well sites, in order to assess the effects of best management practices on air emissions. The information from these studies will be useful to the BLM and other regulatory agencies, as well as the industry in general, in making better-informed decisions regarding air quality management at oil and gas sites. OBJECTIVES: This project will support a growing body of research on air emissions generated by drilling, completion, and operation of oil and gas wells and the potential reductions of those emissions by the application of best management practices (BMPs). The BLM wants to support studies whose findings may inform various questions regarding the efficacy of voluntary BMPs in curbing GHG emissions, such as the following: â¿¢ What are the major sources of GHGs at oil and gas well sites, compressors, and other associated facilities? â¿¢ How applicable are the solutions recommended by the EPAâ¿¿s Natural Gas Star program to typical oil and gas sites in the northern Appalachian Basin? â¿¢ What proportion of oil and gas producers are partners in Natural Gas Star? â¿¢ How aware are producers of the cost savings attainable through implementing methane capture technologies like those promoted by Natural Gas Star? â¿¢ How will the EPAâ¿¿s green completion requirement affect methane emissions from oil and gas production? â¿¢ What are the obstacles preventing broader use of methane capture technologies by oil and gas producers operating in the northern Appalachian Basin? â¿¢ What strategies are state agencies taking to reduce GHG emissions in the oil and gas sector, and how may these strategies affect GHG emissions? PUBLIC BENEFIT: Various public agencies that regulate air quality and/or the oil and gas sector will benefit from the availability of more information on the relative effectiveness of various strategies employed by agencies to curb GHG emissions. The public will benefit from this project by gaining further understanding of the carbon footprint of oil and gas development.