New regulations and guidelines are now in force in B.C. to reduce methane emissions from upstream oil and gas operations.
The BC Oil and Gas Commission released a statement last week to remind industry and other stakeholders of the changes, which took effect on Jan. 1, 2020.
BCOGC said the new regulations address the primary sources of methane emissions from drilling sites, including pneumatic devices, equipment leaks, compressor seals, glycol dehydrators, storage tanks and surface casing vents.
The rules are designed to meet or exceed federal and provincial methane emissions reduction targets.
The Government of B.C. has a methane emission reduction target of 45 per cent by 2025 relative to 2014 levels, while the Government of Canada has set a reduction target of 40-45 per cent by 2025 relative to 2012 levels.
BCOGC said the the new regulations are expected to reduce methane emissions by 10.9 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent over a 10-year period.
