Bloomberg reported this week that the Committee on Science, Space and Technology in the U.S. House of Representatives sent letters to 10 oil companies operating in Permian Basin asking them to disclose and stop leaks of methane. Among the companies were Pioneer Natural Resources, ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum, ConocoPhillips and Chevron. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, said she is concerned that leak detection and repair programs aren’t sufficient, and she demanded that the companies disclose more information about leaks. Johnson wrote, “The U.S. cannot achieve its targeted reduction in methane emissions under the global methane pledge without a swift and large-scale decline in oil and gas sector methane leaks.”
“We share her interest in better understanding and minimizing methane emissions from the Permian Basin,” Tadd Owens of Pioneer said.