US oil sector champions methane controls
Biden administration hopes to fast-track emission restrictions, a popular measure among many large-cap operators
The US oil patch is getting behind a Democrat effort to reimpose regulations on methane emissions. Operators including ExxonMobil, BP, Shell, Total, US independent Occidental Petroleum and Norway’s Equinor all back reinstating limits. Former president Donald Trump revoked regulations last year, despite disapproval among many major operators. But after a year of poor revenue returns, companies waking up to ESG investor concerns and a new president pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by up to 52pc by 2030, emission controls are again an urgent matter. The shale patch hopes natural gas will serve as an important bridging fuel for the energy transition—especially given forecasts
Also in this section
24 April 2024
But even planned exploration activity is unlikely to reverse declining output from mature fields
23 April 2024
Cheaper Russian barrels and lower overall crude prices have helped cut key oil consumer’s import bills in election year
22 April 2024
Pursuing three different goals as part of the same package may mean achieving none of them
22 April 2024
Beijing’s renewed targeting of NOC management could threaten investment