In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s a big push by the government, industry, and the broader public to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to offset those that do occur. Given its carbon-intensive nature, the oil and gas sector is at the heart of this activity, with almost daily announcements about carbon-neutral LNG shipments, carbon-dioxide capture and sequestration projects, and other efforts. The problem is, it can be difficult sometimes to figure out what’s real and what’s not — that is, which efforts have an actual, measurable impact and which are sort of vague or fuzzy and need to be sussed out. Today, we discuss the latest round of announcements by producers, midstreamers, refiners, and others to “green up” their operations and products.
Back in the mid-1970s, Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra was the manager of the New York Mets and America was in the midst of a streaking fad. (Stay with us on this.) Well, there was a rain delay during a Mets spring training game in Florida and, to help pass the time, two streakers climbed over the outfield fence and sprinted across the wet grass, ending their run with belly-flops onto the tarp-covered infield. The crowd went wild; the streakers were peacefully arrested. During his nightly phone call with his wife Carmen, who was back at the Berras’ home in New Jersey, Yogi mentioned the incident, and she asked, “Were they male or female streakers?” Yogi thought a moment and answered, “I’m not sure. They had bags over their heads.”
Canadian crude output is rising, requiring new export routes. As traditional pathways face constraints, the U.S. Rockies—especially the Guernsey, WY hub—are emerging as key corridors for moving Canadian heavy crude to downstream markets, including the Gulf Coast.
Which brings us to the spate of announcements by energy companies over the past few months (many of which we’ve blogged about) on the steps they’re taking to reduce or offset their GHG emissions and produce what’s referred to as either “carbon-neutral” or “net-zero” hydrocarbons. (No, really, there’s a connection here.) There have been plans put forward to electrify some upstream operations or to run compressors and equipment on wind or solar power. To reduce venting and flaring. To better detect and plug leaks in pipelines. To capture CO2 from plant operations and permanently store it deep underground. To use carbon offsets to counterbalance the GHG emissions they or their products generate. And there are certainly other efforts not enumerated here. The point is, if you focus only on the “bags on the heads” of these initiatives, they’d all look similarly green and well-intentioned. But with just a little more scrutiny, you can see real differences between them.
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About the song
“A Matter of Trust” was written by Billy Joel and appears as the third song on side one of his 10th studio album, The Bridge. Released as the second single from the album in July 1986, "A Matter of Trust" went to #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. Personnel on the record were: Billy Joel (lead, backing vocals, guitar, acoustic piano, synthesizer); David Brown and Russell Javors (guitar); Doug Stegmeyer (bass), Liberty DeVito (drums), and Jeff Bova (synthesizer).
The Bridge was recorded in 1985-86 at The Power Station, Chelsea Sound, and RCA Studios in New York City and Evergreen Studios in Burbank, CA. Produced by Phil Ramone, the album was released in July 1986. It went to #7 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart, and has been certified 2X Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Four singles were released from the LP.
Billy Joel is an American singer, songwriter, and musician from New York who has sold over 150 million records worldwide. He started his career as a member of The Hassles, who made two albums for United Artists in 1967 and 1969. Joel then formed the keyboard and drum duo, Attila, who released one album for Epic in 1970. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of All Music wrote: "Attila undoubtedly is the worst album released in the history of rock and roll." Joel himself has called the album "psychedelic B.S." He started his solo career in 1971, with the release of his debut album, Cold Spring Harbor. Billy Joel has released 13 studio albums, six live albums, 16 compilation albums, and 61 singles. He has won five Grammy Awards, is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and has been awarded a Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress and a Kennedy Center Honor. He continues to write music and occasionally perform live.
