Freezing temperatures recently hit West Texas, causing leaky pipeline systems in the Permian Basin to draw in air, compromising their products and risking explosions. Operators resorted to releasing or burning large volumes of gas.
Chevron reported 11 significant gas releases while purging tanks of oxygen, according to filings with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). The company estimated over 125,000 pounds of pollutants were released during the storm. In certain instances, tank hatches remained frozen open, allowing continuous gas venting for days.
Chevron attributed the incidents to the severe winter weather as declared by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. The company stated it followed “winter weather action plans for safe, reliable, and sustainable operations,” emphasizing safety as a priority.
The TCEQ activated a policy called “enforcement discretion” following Governor Abbott’s declaration, allowing authorities to overlook environmental infractions if operators reported them honestly.
An analysis by Inside Climate News showed a spike in air emission events, mostly from oil, gas, and petrochemical operations reported on the TCEQ website. Before the storm, incidents averaged 3.4 per day, increasing to 14.2 daily from Jan. 23 to Jan. 26.
About 1.6 million pounds of regulated pollutants were estimated to be released over those four icy days, with equipment failures causing leaks. The TCEQ did not comment on this.
“Extreme weather exacerbates ongoing emission issues,” said Luke Metzger, executive director of Environment Texas. He advocated for comprehensive weatherization across the energy supply chain and stricter pollution enforcement during extreme weather.
Permian Basin companies first noticed high oxygen levels in gas on Jan. 25. Targa Resources, a petrochemical supplier, reported “unacceptable oxygen levels” at its Legacy Gas Plant by 5 p.m.
An oil and gas consultant, maintaining client trust, explained that operators vent or flare gas when oxygen levels rise due to freezing temperatures affecting equipment.
Targa rerouted gas to flares at various plants, collectively emitting more than 240,000 pounds of carbon monoxide and 35,000 pounds of nitrogen oxides. Targa did not respond to requests for comments.
Energy Transfer, based in Dallas, also flared gas for 24 hours at six of its Permian Basin plants, resulting in 25,000 pounds of nitrogen oxide emissions.
In a significant incident on Jan. 25, an Anadarko E&P Onshore tank leaked for 24 hours, releasing 39,000 pounds of natural gas pollutants, as reported by the company. Unregulated methane emissions likely totaled 117,000 pounds.
“The industry is vulnerable to extreme weather,” said Sharon Wilson, founder of Oilfield Witness. She noted similar issues occur in summer heatwaves.
In 2023, a heatwave led to further emissions throughout the Permian Basin supply chain, as noted by Inside Climate News. According to Wilson, many emissions go unreported despite using advanced gas imaging equipment.
Refineries
As the cold moved east, refineries and chemical plants faced issues. Deer Park Oil Refinery reported freeze-related compressor trips, leading to 14 hours of gas flaring and 52,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide emissions.
Equistar Chemicals and Dow Freeport also reported freezing-related disruptions, resulting in extensive flaring and emissions.
Bayport Polymers emitted 190,000 pounds of carbon monoxide and other pollutants during a 48-hour gas flare event. In East Texas, a stuck valve at a VMH gas plant released nearly 130,000 pounds of hexane.
Adrian Shelley, Texas director of Public Citizen, emphasized stricter rules to reduce preventable pollution as weather extremes increase.
Original Story at insideclimatenews.org