An op-ed in this publication by the Texas Oil & Gas Association (TxOGA) praised Texas oil and gas producers for slashing the intensity of methane emissions by more than half amid rising production, hailing it as a new benchmark for the state’s “energy leadership.”
This may seem like welcome news, but as someone who studies environmental conditions in South Texas and spends every day with the data that captures our reality, I urge caution.
At the Rio Grande International Study Center in Laredo, we monitor the air quality across the Eagle Ford Shale, and along the U.S.-Mexico border. Taking a closer look at this claim of methane “reduction” makes it clear that the truth is more complex, and the underlying data tells a different story — one that raises serious concerns about transparency, accountability and the industry’s PR machine.
Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas responsible for nearly 25% of the warming our planet is experiencing today. In places like El Paso, it’s fueling climate change and wasting valuable energy resources. Cutting methane emissions is the fastest, most effective way to slow down the warming of our planet and protect our communities from a climate catastrophe.
The S&P Global report behind the methane claims omits key details — actual emissions figures, regional data, and modeling methods. It even lumps Texas and New Mexico together, an effective way to mask underperformance in Texas. Our state, unfortunately, is riding the coattails of New Mexico’s policy leadership, who have made it a priority to reduce harmful emissions and natural gas waste, particularly from the massive Permian Basin, which straddles both states.
Even more telling, the report itself quietly acknowledges that satellite data showed no significant change in methane intensity between 2023 and 2024.
This framing is everything. Without the proper data that distinguishes between Texas’ and New Mexico’s emissions, Texans are left with an overly optimistic picture that doesn’t match what’s happening on the ground or in the air.
MethaneSAT’s measurement data captures all emissions, including the many smaller, widespread sources that account for a significant share of total emissions, overall. Thanks to this new data from this satellite launched in 2024, we have been able to dig into methane emissions in the Permian Basin. We know that the methane intensity in the Delaware Sub-Basin, which is the most active part of the Permian, is more than double that of neighboring New Mexico. That means for every unit of oil and gas produced, Texas is releasing over twice as much methane.
The difference lies not in geology, but in policy.
New Mexico has taken methane seriously. It has enacted smart, science-based regulations, including a ban on routine flaring, robust leak detection, and mandated zero-emission equipment in many cases.
Texas, on the other hand, still allows routine flaring, functionally exempts thousands of wells from inspection, and lacks basic standards for emissions control equipment. The massive impact of those differences is both environmental and economic.
Since 2020, New Mexico has doubled its oil and gas production while holding methane emissions flat. Texas, meanwhile, has increased production by just 20% with no meaningful change in emissions. This is unacceptable given the powerful forces of climate change that are bearing down upon us.
The data is unmistakable: Texas is falling behind. Last year alone, operators flared 168 billion cubic feet of gas in the Texas Permian Basin — 40% more than was reported to the state. That would have been enough to meet the residential gas needs of 4.5 million Texas households. Its market value would have been around $380 million.
Meanwhile, a closer look at the Delaware Sub-basin in Texas using the Texas Flaring Project’s interactive map highlights alarming trends.
In Reeves County, alone, an estimated $40 million worth of natural gas was burned off. Just next door in Loving County, satellite data shows flaring levels nearly three times higher than what companies reported to the state—representing another $29 million in wasted energy.
You can’t fix what you don’t track. That’s why RGISC was proud to partner with the Texas Flaring Project to equip our communities with the data we need to hold both state agencies and industry accountable for wasteful flaring and the pollution it causes. They must keep pollution in the pipe.
All told, Texas wasted $1.5 billion worth of natural gas in 2023. That’s 590 billion cubic feet of wasted energy which means lost tax revenue that could help impacted communities like mine on the border, and fund schools, health clinics, or critical infrastructure. Nearly 2.4 million Texans live within half a mile of an active oil or gas well and bear the health burdens of the resulting poor air quality and underregulated operations.
We must do better. New Mexico has shown that strong, sensible regulations don’t threaten industry, which has increased production. They are reducing waste, protecting health, and fostering innovation. Texas has the resources, the technology, and the workforce to lead the field. Why are we okay with our state falling behind?
Texas leaders must stop cherry-picking stats fed to them by the industry’s PR machine, and embrace real solutions. Border communities and your community all deserve clean air, opportunity, and honest leadership.
Editor's Note: The above commentary was penned by Tricia Cortez, executive director of the Rio Grande International Study Center. It appears in the RGG Business Journal with the permission of the author.
