It’s well understood that methane is a significant greenhouse gas and that reducing methane emissions from oil and gas production is critical to hitting long-term emissions targets, but that’s about where most of the common ground ends. There are serious disagreements about the actual magnitude of methane emissions, the proper role of government regulation, and whether requirements to control those emissions would place an undue burden on the energy industry and lead to decreased supply. In today’s RBN blog, we look at how emissions estimates are made, why they can vary significantly, and how the disagreements about how to curb those emissions might be resolved.
The RBN NATGAS Haynesville is a weekly natural gas fundamentals analysis focused on supply, flow, and LNG-driven demand dynamics within the Haynesville basin.
As we’ve discussed in previous RBN blogs — including Paradise, Part 3 and Standards — methane is the primary constituent in pipeline natural gas but also a super-potent, front-end-loaded GHG, with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) often estimated to be more than 80 times that of carbon dioxide (CO2) during the initial 20-year period after it’s emitted into the atmosphere and more than 25 times that of CO2 over a 100-year period. That means making even modest reductions in methane emissions can really help blunt the long-term effects of man-made climate change.
In 2020, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory Data Explorer, U.S. methane emissions from energy production and use totaled the equivalent of 269 million metric tons (MT) of CO2 (based on the 100-year timeframe noted above). As shown in Figure 1, that made the energy industry the biggest source (39%; blue slice) of methane emissions in the U.S. in 2020, topping agriculture (36%; orange slice), waste (19%; gray slice), changes in land use (5.5%; yellow slice), and industrial processes (0.05%).
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About the song
“Cover Me” was written by Bruce Springsteen and appears as the second song on side one of Springsteen’s seventh studio album, Born in the USA. Released as a single in July 1984, the song went to #2 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock and #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles charts. It has been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. The song was recorded at the Hit Factory in New York City in January 1982. Springsteen had originally written “Cover Me” for Donna Summer, but his manager, Jon Landau, decided to keep the song for Springsteen’s Born in the USA album because of its hit potential. Personnel on the album were: Bruce Springsteen (lead vocals, lead guitar, acoustic guitar), Roy Bittan (piano, synthesizer, backing vocals), Clarence Clemons (sax, percussion, backing vocals), Danny Federici (organ), Garry Tallent (bass, backing vocals), Steven Van Zandt (rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals), Max Weinberg (drums, backing vocals), and Richie Rosenberg (backing vocals).
Born in the USA was recorded between January 1982 and March 1984 at The Hit Factory and Record Plant in New York City. Produced by Jon Landau, Chuck Plotkin, Bruce Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt, the album was released in June 1984. It remains Springsteen's biggest-selling album with sales of over 30 million copies worldwide. Recorded with the E Street Band, the album went to #1 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart and has been certified 15x Platinum by the RIAA. Seven singles were released from the LP.
Bruce Springsteen is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician. Nicknamed “The Boss,” he is known for his song lyrics and high-energy concerts, some that have lasted over four hours. He has released 21 studio albums, 23 live albums, eight compilation albums, one soundtrack album, seven EPs, and 77 singles, most of which feature his E Street Band. He has sold more than 140 million records worldwide. He has won one Academy Award, two Golden Globes, 20 Grammy Awards, and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame. He has received Kennedy Center Honors, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the National Medal of Arts. Springsteen continues to record and begins an extensive international tour with his E Street Band on April 28 in Barcelona, Spain.
