Draft rules would oblige petroleum industry to cut methane

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and the Canadian government has taken a step toward reducing emissions of it in the oil and gas industry. Draft regulations released yesterday would result in a 45 per cent drop by 2025.

‘We’re really happy’

“We’re really happy that these regulations finally got released,” says Duncan Kenyon, a policy director at the Pembina Institute, a non-profit think tank. “Previous governments, previous political parties have been talking about putting these regulations in place since 2007. And we’ve been involved in those discussions for the past 10 years.”

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The rules would oblige oil and gas companies to stop leaks and increase equipment maintenance. They would also encourage companies to stop using gas for production.

Kenyon says this would not be expensive to do, that technology already exists and has been used effectively elsewhere in the world.

Rules would encourage efficiency

He adds that methane is a valuable commodity used for cooking and heating and that companies should be encouraged to not waste it and make their operations more efficient.

There will be consultations before the regulations are finalized. Pembina Institute would like a stronger commitment to leak detection and repair, and faster timelines for implementation.

“Generally, I think this is going to be a good starting point for Canadians,” says Kenyon. “For the industry itself, it’s going to start making them think about how to be more efficient, more cost-effective.”