U.S. Natural Gas Operators Said Looking to Measure Methane Intensity as European Scrutiny Rises

Domestic natural gas producers are going to be under increasing pressure to differentiate the methane intensity of their LNG cargoes as Europe cracks down on greenhouse gas emissions, according to experts.

Ministers for the European Union (EU), representing one of the biggest markets for U.S. liquefied natural gas, finalized rules in late May that impact both oil and natural gas imports. The rulemaking, scheduled to be implemented in 2030, would impose “maximum methane intensity values” on imported fossil fuels. The European Commission (EC) has been tasked with setting the methane limits.

Certifying the methane intensity of natural gas will ensure U.S. supply has a welcome home in the EU, MiQ CEO Georges Tijbosch recently told NGI. The rulemaking will be a “game changer,” as measuring methane emissions will no longer be “just voluntary. That’s the biggest difference.” The rules are likely to upend “the entire global LNG market…It’s a sea change.”