When writing my blogs I try to be as un-opinionated as possible. I try to show faces and present both sides. This week, I’m going off the rails. This week’s blog reeks of my personal opinion. I guess since I have been on a work hiatus and a bit removed from the oil and gas industry, my ‘political correctness’ has gone to the wayside. Maternity leave and too much baby talk will do that to you. I am doing my best to get my head back into ‘work mode.’ For me, reading about what is new in the oil and gas industry is the best way to do that.
Of course, the price of a barrel of oil is all over the news, especially here in Houston. Our state and local economy is heavily dependent on every aspect of the energy market. However, something that can hurt us, even more, is moving through the halls of the current administration and can be much more detrimental. The problem is most people don’t even know it is happening.
I have written a few blogs on the impending EPA regulations in the past. So why am I blogging about the same topic again? I feel it is that important. And honestly, I don’t understand how a group of people can think that areas like Houston, the 4th largest metropolitan city in the United States, will survive if these regulations are passed. Yes, air quality is important. I have horrible allergies and I can feel it when we have high ozone days in Houston. Imposing rules or regulations to make sure that companies are updating equipment to ensure there are less methane leaks makes complete sense. Getting well operators and drillers to capture gas rather than burn it off at well sites, seems like something that should have been happening all along.
These are all things that can be fixed and should be. And with Texas being such a big part of the oil and gas industry, if our state took the lead and did these things up front instead of following the status quo, then we could maybe make a dent in the amount of VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) that are being put into the atmosphere.
I guess the problem I have is that these regulations, in my opinion, they target the oil and gas industry. Oil and gas are not the only reason Southeast Texas has bad air quality. A city this large should have a better mass transit system. Heck, half the bus stops in Houston don’t even have a bench for riders to sit to wait for the next bus, that’s just mean. Trains or light rail from the ‘burbs to the city would be a huge help with pollution (Anything to help with the traffic on I-10 between 99 & Highway 6 is welcome.) What about the pollution from the ports? We have the Port of Houston and 17 other smaller ports along the Gulf of Mexico. These ports bring more traffic from trucks that are delivering the goods being shipped in.
To meet the Administrations goal of cutting methane emissions by 40-45% by the year 2025 seems lofty if the oil and gas industry is to go it alone. Shipping, trucking, vehicle manufacturing, city planners, the list can go on, should all be effected. And with the current state of the energy industry, imposing hard regulations during 2015 seems scary to this new person to the oil and gas industry.
There has to be a balance. Our industry does need to do it’s part and clean up it’s act. No more spills, no more burning off gas just because at that moment it is a cheaper option. The gas that is being burned can be captured, processed and eventually sold for profit with some capitol investment up front. Let’s update old antiquated equipment that emits toxic fumes. Yea, I’m talking about all you TEG users! The energy industry has to start doing these things on our own. If not the option will be taken away from us and we will be forced to things in a manner and a time line we most likely will not enjoy.
Croft Production Systems has environmentally friendly options for your natural gas processing. Some of these options are so green they don’t even need air permits. Click the link below and learn how CROFT can get your company on the right track to helping the industry with air pollution.
Resources:
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/og_fs_081815.pdf
https://www.edf.org/climate/cleaner-air-port-cities
https://www.epa.gov/controlling-air-pollution-oil-and-natural-gas-industry
