U.S. oil and gas emissions of ozone-forming chemical may be higher than EPA estimates

Oil rig. Credit: Pixabay

In addition to releasing greenhouse gasses, U.S. oil and natural gas production emits ethane, a hydrocarbon that contributes to ozone formation. Near the Earth’s surface, ozone is harmful to both human health and the environment. In a new study published in Environmental Science & Technology, researchers estimated that ethane emissions levels are about three times higher than the EPA’s numbers. This finding, based on a model using NOAA’s ethane data from towers and aircraft between 2015 and 2020 that included reductions in emissions during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggests that the EPA’s estimates might be underestimating emissions due to outdated or incomplete reporting from oil and gas operations.