Southwestern Energy Co. furthered its commitment to reducing its emissions with a recent agreement for the transportation of responsibly sourced natural gas (RSG) by Kinder Morgan Inc. to Northeast markets.

“Southwestern believes responsibly sourced gas is foundational to a low-carbon future,” Bill Way, the company’s president and CEO, commented in a release on Sept. 21. “This innovative agreement with Kinder Morgan to deliver responsibly sourced energy to customers in the Northeast is evidence of our commitment to help bring about that future.”

Southwestern is an independent energy company focused on the development of unconventional natural gas reservoirs in the Appalachian and Haynesville shale basins.

Considered first-movers in the RSG space, Southwestern certified its first wells as responsibly sourced in 2017 through a partnership with Project Canary. Since then, the company has expanded the Project Canary partnership to include all of its natural gas production in the Appalachian Basin.

“We have been first-movers in the RSG market, announcing earlier this year the certification and continuous monitoring of our entire existing and future Appalachia portfolio,” Way continued. “This strategic agreement builds on that initiative and continues our efforts to provide cleaner energy to customers across the United States and beyond.”

Beginning Nov. 1, Southwestern will produce and Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP), a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan, will transport the RSG on its existing pipeline infrastructure to benefit a large market in the Northeast.

The distribution of the RSG is expected to power the equivalent of approximately 100,000 homes annually while reducing greenhouse-gas emissions equal to the removal of approximately 5,000 internal combustion engine vehicles from the road, according to the company release.

“We are pleased to be part of this agreement focused on providing this lower-carbon fuel to the Northeastern United States,” said Tom Martin, Kinder Morgan’s president of natural gas pipelines.

“This is one of several RSG initiatives currently underway at Kinder Morgan and aligns with our commitment to minimize methane emissions associated with the production, transportation, storage and distribution of natural gas,” he said.

TGP and Southwestern are both founding members of the ONE Future Coalition, the company release noted, working together to reduce methane emissions and to ensure the future of natural gas as a long-term sustainable fuel.

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