I’m writing this week’s Highwood Bulletin from Houston Texas, where I’m enjoying Tex Mex, meeting up with clients, talking about methane fee strategy, and attending the ONE Future annual conference. This week’s bulletin covers new EPA rules, EU import rules, consolidation, MiQ equivalency guidance, and new reports, conferences, and other opportunities. Thanks as always for reading!
New EPA Rules Coming Soon
Both OOOOb/OOOOc and the IRA Methane Fee proposal have reached the Office of Management and Budget, Executive Office of the President for final review and approval. We should have final rules very soon. In the meantime, you can request a meeting with OMB here, or just hold your breath like me!
Europe Natural Gas Import Restriction Proposed for Methane
The European Commission is proposing that natural gas imported to Europe would need to meet specific targets for methane emissions occurring across the supply chain. The proposal is for the rule to take effect in 2030, but debates are underway to bring the effective date to 2026. The rule would pressure exporting countries to not only reduce methane emissions, but quantify and track emissions. Read more here. Click here to learn more about carbon border adjustments.
Exxon Acquires OGMP 2.0 Company Pioneer
Major consolidation is underway in the US, with Exxon acquiring Pioneer and Chevron acquiring Hess. The consolidations raise interesting questions on future emissions commitments, as Exxon has a 2030 net-zero target in the Permian, while Pioneer is committed to OGMP 2.0. Read more here.
MiQ Releases Advanced Equivalency Guidance
If you’re excited about the EPA’s novel “technology matrix” proposed in OOOOb/OOOOc, you’ll be even more excited about MiQ’s efforts to take this to the next level. Equivalency modeling with tools like LDAR-Sim and FEAST is not new, but MiQ’s new matrix of technology deployment options is extremely detailed compared to previous efforts. Check it out here.
Billion Dollar Canadian Green Fund Suspended
Many of Canada’s clean tech start-ups depend on Sustainable Development Technologies Canada (SDTC) for funding, but that CAD 1 billion fund has been has been frozen as the result of a whistleblower report, calling into question $38 million of “relief payments” made as a result of Covid-19. Read more here.
Report: IOGP Methane Technology Selection (with tool)
IOGP, Ipieca, and OGCI, with help from our friends at Carbon Limits, have jointly published a new report called “Recommended practices for methane emissions detection and quantification technologies – upstream.” The title of the report says it all, but the great thing about this publication is that it comes with an interactive tool. Check out the report here and the tool here, and reach out to Highwood to get more specific on how to develop a technology deployment strategy.
Announcing the 2023 Voluntary Initiatives Report!
One of the things we’re known for at Highwood is our annual report, Voluntary Emissions Reduction Initiatives for the Oil and Gas Industry. This year’s report is now out, and it’s better than ever, with exhaustive data on each initiative, trends over the years, and valuable insights from our expert contributors. Whether you’re a fan of this report or learning about it for the first time, hold on to your methane sensors because you’re in for a treat. Check out the 2023 report here.
Course: Methane Detection and Quantification Technology
The world of methane monitoring is complex – and it’s not about to get easier! If you’re struggling to understand the available technologies, how to deploy them, how to manage data, and how they fit into regulations and voluntary initiatives, you’re not alone. That’s why we put together this course with Evaluate Energy – taught by myself and Highwood’s Director R&D, Dr. Jeff Rutherford. Register today for the December 2023 offering.
Version 3 of LDAR-Sim Released
The Leak Detection and Repair Simulator (LDAR-Sim) is an open-source model for testing out new methane detection and quantification solutions in a virtual environment. As part of our education mandate, Highwood has been working hard to release V3 of LDAR-Sim, which came out last week. Read all about the new version and how to use it here.
Research Digest
The Highwood Bulletin covers major news in emissions management. If you’re interested in learning about novel advancements in science and research, check out our Research Bulletin. We recently published the 9th edition here.
Want to Write for the Bulletin?
We’re always looking for guest writers who would like to contribute a Feature Article to the Highwood Bulletin. Please reach out if you’d like to write an unbiased, apolitical, solution-agnostic article for our ~2500 subscribers and ~7500 LinkedIn followers on an emissions management topic. Please reach out to [email protected] with your idea. Authors are fully credited and have a profile page on our website (we are happy to backlink).
Join our Team! Highwood is Hiring!
We currently have multiple exciting career postings on our website. In addition to those listed, Highwood is always looking for bright folks who want to help us change the world for the better. If you have experience in greenhouse gas emissions management and you’re looking for a career change, please reach out! Check out our active opportunities on our website by clicking here.
