Reuters: Abandoned U.S. oil wells still spewing methane, study finds
BOSTON (Reuters) - Some of the millions of abandoned oil and natural gas wells in the United States are still spewing methane, marking a potentially large source of unrecorded greenhouse gas emissions, according to a study released on Monday.
Researchers at Princeton University measured emissions from dozens
of abandoned wells in Pennsylvania in 2013 and 2014 and found they were
emitting an average of 0.27 kg (0.6 lbs) of methane per day, according
to the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences.
"These measurements show that methane emissions from abandoned oil and
gas wells can be significant," according to the study. "The research
required to quantify these emissions nationally should be undertaken so
they can be accurately described and included in greenhouse gas
emissions inventories."
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is mulling whether to
issue mandatory standards for reducing methane emissions from the oil
and gas sector as part of President Barack Obama's broad climate action
plan...
