Oil and Natural Gas Sector Hydraulically Fractured Oil Well Completions and Associated Gas During Ongoing Production

On March 28, 2014 the Obama Administration released a key element called for in the President's Climate Action Plan: a Strategy to Reduce Methane Emissions. The strategy summarizes the sources of methane emissions, commits to new steps to cut emissions of this potent greenhouse gas, and outlines the Administration's efforts to improve the measurement of these emissions. The strategy builds on progress to date and takes steps to further cut methane emissions from several sectors, including the oil and natural gas sector. This technical white paper is one of those steps. The paper, along with four others, focuses on potentially significant sources of methane and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the oil and gas sector, covering emissions and mitigation techniques for both pollutants. The Agency is seeking input from independent experts, along with data and technical information from the public. The EPA will use these technical documents to solidify our understanding of these potentially significant sources, which will allow us to fully evaluate the range of options for cost-effectively cutting VOC and methane waste and emissions.