A Wyoming natural gas company has become the first in the country to join an international program designed to show that energy producers are working to reduce their methane emissions.
Jonah Energy has become the first American oil and gas producer to submit methane emissions data to the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership, a United Nations-sponsored program.
The data will be used to create a global uniform platform that allows participating companies to demonstrate how much they have reduced emissions and what steps they plan to take to further reduce emissions, said Paul Ulrich, Jonah’s vice president of government and regulatory affairs.
The information will be used to show buyers, end consumers and regulators exactly what steps Jonah is taking to reduce its emissions, Ulrich said.
“From an economic standing alone, pivoting Wyoming to provide the cleanest natural gas in the country is vital,” he said. “For us to be able to compete and grow in a national and global market, we have to provide the cleanest natural gas possible. This is a first significant step.”
Jonah is working to earn the “Gold Standard” emissions rating from the OGMP, Ulrich said, which will show the steps the company has agreed to take to carefully monitor and reduce emissions.
“The ‘Gold Standard’ says you’ve committed to steps you take for continuous improvement,” he said. “It gives consumers and regulators confidence in and transparency into our market.”
