UT’s Energy Institute will lead an initiative to detect and fix methane leaks in pipelines and wells in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico, according to an agreement signed on Jan. 15.
The institute will receive between $60 to $80 million for its efforts on this project, with $40 million from the Methane Emissions Reduction Program established by the Inflation Reduction Act, administered by the Department of Energy. The funding is currently stalled due to a Trump administration executive order pausing all Inflation Reduction Act programs and policies. The initiative, which involves collaboration from universities nationwide, is estimated to lead to a reduction of 10.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2030 and will reduce emissions at almost 17,000 wells, half of which are in Texas.
“The Energy Institute has done some really important work in terms of research and bringing different parts of the University together to work on research projects or conferences that address different energy issues,” said Melinda
Taylor, the initiative lead and a senior lecturer in the School of Law. “This is the first time that we’ve tried to do something quite this ambitious.”
The institute will aim to detect and repair leaks in oil and gas pipelines and wells with help from graduate students. Engineering students will detect, monitor and analyze the leaks using optical gas imaging cameras on the ground, along with drones and satellites from farther away. Meanwhile, other students will fix the leaks on the field which will provide workforce training to people in the oil and gas industries.
“If we can help them modernize and get more comfortable with monitoring their emissions and taking steps to reduce emissions, I think that’s really good for the long run,” Taylor said. “Both for the environment, but certainly for their industry.”
For the monitoring and measuring side of the project, the institute will partner with multiple big industry names, such as Exxon Mobil, Chevron and British Petroleum. However, the project will also collaborate with trade associations such as the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association, which have nearly 3,000 members that may lack the resources to mitigate emissions on their own.
“We have tried to work with those trade associations and with a handful of representatives of small companies because they have different considerations than big, large multinational corporations do,” Taylor said. “They just have less capital to work with.”
While funding for projects under the Inflation Reduction Act is on pause until review by the Trump administration, Taylor said she is hopeful about the project going through due to its widespread support.
“There’s so much support for this program from the industry, as well from academia and the nonprofit community,” Taylor said. “I’m optimistic that we will eventually, hopefully before too long, get the green light to go ahead with this.”
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story included an incorrect date. This has been corrected. The Texan regrets this error.