Study Finds High Methane Losses From Fracking

Methane emissions lost to the atmosphere during hydraulic fracturing operations in Utah are 6–12% of the amount produced, according to a recent study published in Geophysical Research Letters (2013, DOI: 10.1002/grl.50811). That level of loss would nix the greenhouse gas benefit gained from substituting natural gas for coal when generating electricity. The study was conducted by the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, Boulder, Colo., and the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration at a large gas and oil field in Utah’s Uintah County in 2012. The test was done using an aircraft to take measurements. With a clear atmosphere and low winds on the sampling day, the researchers used an atmospheric mass balance technique, which measured an air mass as it moved through the region. Officials with the natural gas industry take issue with the results and point to other studies estimating emissions to be just over 1%.