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New program will help smaller oil and gas companies reduce methane emissions

Don Horne   

News

The new Methane Emissions Reduction Program introduced by Alberta will help oil and gas facilities “identify, reduce, improve or eliminate methane waste” through energy-efficient equipment upgrades, boosting competitiveness, productivity and environmental performance.

“A key component of Alberta’s Climate Leadership Plan includes reducing methane emissions by 45 per cent by 2025,” said Shannon Phillips, Minister of Environment and Parks and Minister responsible for the Climate Change Office. “Methane emissions are not only harmful to our environment, they can shorten equipment life and increase operating costs for industry. This program will help pinpoint problem areas and solutions, saving businesses money, creating jobs and bringing Alberta closer to reaching our methane reduction targets.”

The total incentive available for facility owners is $250,000 per facility, per fiscal year. The incentives are designed for oil and gas facilities operating in Alberta that do not exceed 40,000 barrels of oil per day.

“We expect these incentives to drive real action and results to reduce methane emissions, supporting an important sector of Alberta’s economy,” said Monica Curtis, CEO, Energy Efficiency Alberta. “We are especially grateful for the input and direction from the Methane Emissions Leadership Alliance in the creation of this initiative.”

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Work with the Alberta Energy Regulator to develop provincial oil and gas methane standards is also currently underway. While the directives are being finalized, government is supporting industry’s early action on methane reductions through:

“This program will allow producers to better understand their emissions profile and make the best decisions to reduce emissions,” said Jackson Hegland, executive director, Methane Emissions Leadership Alliance. “It also supports job growth and incentivizes the deployment of made-in-Canada technologies. Effective collaboration with industry and service providers means the program has been designed for simplicity and ease of use, encouraging rapid deployment.”

“This program is a momentous step toward the field deployment of methane emissions reduction technologies on a mass scale which will help Alberta’s producers meet their methane reduction targets by 2025,” said Soheil Asgarpour, president, Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada.

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