Researchers Fly Over 8,000 Well Pads And Find Hundreds Of Methane Leaks

"As Pennsylvania’s natural gas production continues to expand, so does the possibility of potentially harmful methane emissions.

A new study from scientists in the Environmental Defense Fund’s Oil and Gas program examined the most common sites for methane leaks at oil and gas pads nationwide. A team of researchers partnered with Gas Leaks Inc., a company that uses infrared technology to inspect well pads, to fly a helicopter over thousands of pads in seven regions in the United States.

In total, the researchers flew over 8,000 pads in areas saturated by drilling, including North Dakota’s Bakken Shale and the Marcellus Shale in Southwestern Pennsylvania."

Elizabeth Lepro reports for PublicSource April 7, 2016.