Fossil Fuel Production May Emit More Methane Than Thought
A gas flare at the Shell Chemical LP petroleum refinery in Norco, Louisiana.Photo: Drew Angerer (Getty Images)The oil and gas industry may be seriously undercounting its greenhouse gas emissions. A technique used to burn off methane during production may be getting rid of less of the greenhouse gas than previously thought, a new study finds—which could mean that emissions from flaring could be as much as five times higher than previous estimates.A study published Thursday in Science looks at the efficiency of a process…