A new provincial report shows Alberta is on track to meet and exceed its methane emissions reduction goal..The province’s second annual progress report on methane emissions reductions from Alberta’s oil and gas sector shows methane emissions from those operations decreased by about 44% between 2014 and 2021..Based on the estimates, the UCP government said it will meet, and surpass its target to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 45% from 2014 levels by 2025..“Alberta was the first government in Canada to set a methane emissions reduction target, and we’re 1% away from meeting it,” Alberta Minister of Environment and Protected Areas Sonya Savage said..“This is the result of strong leadership from the men and women in our industries, and investments in technology and innovation that are making a difference for our oil and gas sector.”.The latest progress report is for the 2021 reporting year..The progress report for the 2020 reporting year showed methane emissions from upstream oil and gas operations decreased by about 34% between 2014 and 2020..The progress report fulfills the requirements of the methane equivalency agreement between Alberta and Canada that came into force in 2020. The agreement keeps Alberta in charge of regulating emissions from the oil and gas sector..“I’m incredibly proud to see the work our energy industry has accomplished over the past seven years,” Alberta Minister of Energy Pete Guthrie said..“It would not be possible without collaboration, ingenuity and technology advancements. We will continue to work above and beyond to ensure our responsible energy sector thrives for decades to come.” .Helping industry cut methane emissions.The UCP government said Alberta’s approach to reducing methane emissions focuses on investments in technology, innovation and scientific research, and programs that help the oil and gas sector improve methane emissions monitoring and management..The Methane Technology Implementation Program allocated almost $24 million for methane reduction projects at oil and gas sites, with funded projects estimated to reduce methane emissions by 17 million tonnes over the lifetime of the technologies versus if projects had not moved forward..The Alberta Methane Emissions Program is enabling methane emission reductions in Alberta’s oil and gas industry while supporting government regulatory revisions, reducing costs to industry and ensuring best practices around methane detection and management. This program is supported by $17.6 million from the Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) fund..The Alberta Energy Regulator’s annual methane emissions report is now available online. The UCP government and the regulator continue to ensure methane emissions monitoring meets regulatory requirements, and are both committed to transparent reporting of results..“The AER is responsible for ensuring oil and gas companies meet our regulatory requirements to reduce methane emissions,” said Laurie Pushor, president and CEO of the Alberta Energy Regulator..“In addition to reporting on progress towards Alberta’s methane reduction goal, our annual report provides enhanced transparency of the performance of each producer.”
