Eagerly Awaited Methane Study Offers Answers in Wider Debate

Scientists and policymakers have worried that shale gas sites in the United States are leaking record amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from wellheads, pipelines, valves and other paraphernalia. A new study suggests some of the major leaks have been plugged, while other leaks remain a problem for policymakers to tackle.

Cornell University civil and environmental engineering professor Anthony Ingraffea, who co-authored a 2011 study showing that the climate footprint of the methane emissions from natural gas production is higher than previously estimated, said Allen’s study shows that methane emissions can be contained if energy companies choose to install the right equipment.

Eagerly Awaited Methane Study Offers Answers in Wider Debate