ERG Supports Monitoring Oil and Gas Emissions and Advancing Air Quality Through Innovative Tool
ERG is committed to improving air quality through innovation and collaboration. For over a decade, ERG has supported the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by developing tools and assisting EPA in accurately estimating air pollutant emissions from the rapidly growing oil and gas industry. The evolution of drilling technology has led to significant increases in oil and gas production. Air emissions have surged, including nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and hazardous air pollutants. While emissions from more extensive facilities like refineries and processing plants are well documented, minor operations such as well pads, gathering stations, and tank batteries have often been overlooked. Under contract to EPA, ERG stepped in to address this significant gap.
ERG developed the Oil and Gas Tool, a robust Microsoft Access–based system that generates county-level emissions estimates across the United States, in collaboration with federal and state air agencies. The tool has become indispensable for state, local, and tribal agencies—especially where resources are limited—as it allows them to efficiently calculate and report emissions of key pollutants.
Mike Pring, an ERG senior environmental engineer, notes that, “EPA relies on states to include these emissions in inventories, but for many states, it is challenging to compile these estimates without assistance. This tool has helped EPA and states by quantifying emissions from over 1 million active oil and gas wells across the country. Accurately measuring emissions is critical for developing regulations and strategies to reduce emissions of harmful pollutants that may impact public health.”
ERG's support under this effort extends beyond the tool's initial development; we continue to work with EPA and state agencies to update the tool to reflect current trends and regulatory changes. This process of continuous improvement ensures the tool provides accurate and up-to-date annual emission estimates.
Development of the Oil and Gas Tool included gathering extensive activity data, refining emission factor data, and supporting specific-year inventories. In addition to the work of collecting the data and developing the tool, ERG also facilitated feedback from states and regional organizations, integrating their insights to improve the tool's functionality. The tool was recently featured in EM Magazine as a vital resource for maintaining air quality standards in the growing and evolving oil and gas sector. This acknowledgment underscores the tool’s importance in supporting environmental protection efforts nationwide and highlights ERG’s ongoing commitment to improving air quality through innovation and collaboration.