WASHINGTON: US liquefied natural gas exporters, seeking to meet standards of overseas import markets, plan to continue to monitor and curb their methane emissions despite President Donald Trump's plans to roll back climate regulations, two trade groups said.
The Environmental Protection Agency last week announced the "most consequential day of deregulation" in US history, unveiling 31 deregulatory actions to reverse former President Joe Biden's climate-focused agenda.
Among the moves was a rollback of a requirement for companies to report their annual emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas methane, as well as a decision to review the endangerment finding, the legal foundation for all US climate regulation that identifies greenhouse gases as pollutants.
For companies seeking to export US natural gas to customers in the European Union and Asia, the rollbacks are unlikely to have an effect on operations, according to Fred Hutchison, president of industry group LNG Allies, whose members include LNG exporters and project developers and natural gas producers.
Some smaller oil and gas producers have been opposed to stringent standards for methane emissions.
"Whatever changes are made to how the United States regulates methane, including the endangerment finding, the EU methane regulation remains unchanged," Hutchison said, referring to European import standards.
"Our members have invested tens of millions of dollars reducing their emissions all before any US regulations were in place. They are committed to continuing to drive down their emissions," said Chris Treanor, representing LNG coalition PAGE (Partnership to Address Global Emissions), whose members include gas producer EQT and pipeline company Williams.
Before Biden left office, his administration asked the EU to ensure US LNG shipments that met his EPA's methane regulations would automatically comply with Europe’s standards for imports.
LNG Allies' Hutchison said a rollback of those US methane rules could complicate the trade flow.
Several US companies have already taken steps to certify that the gas they are exporting is transparent around its methane emissions intensity, using third-party certification like Methane Intelligence (MiQ).
Georges Tijbosch, CEO of MiQ, said companies that account for around 20 per cent of US gas production use MiQ certification.
The launch last year of satellites to monitor methane emissions could also pressure oil and gas producers to curb their pollution.
"Regardless of regulations, there are still eyes in the sky - satellites that are tracking emissions to the source level," said Dan Byers, vice president for policy at the US Chamber of Commerce's Global Energy Institute.
"That creates incentives for operators to keep reducing methane." — Reuters
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