A coalition of U.S. natural gas operators have established the Appalachian Methane Initiative (AMI) to monitor and reduce methane emissions in the Appalachia Basin, the companies announced in a Jan. 11 press release.

 The AMI was founded by natural gas producers and midstream service providers with operations in Appalachia, including Chesapeake Energy Corp., EQT Corp. and Equitrans Midstream Corp. 

The coalition intends to efficiently identify potential methane emissions from operations in the Appalachia Basin with coordinated satellite and aerial surveys on a geographic-basis instead of an operator-specific basis, the release said. 

“Applying a basin-wide, sector-agnostic approach to methane monitoring will not only allow accountability for methane emissions from all emitters; we believe it will eliminate any doubt – whether from policy-makers, customers, or the general public – that Appalachian natural gas is the cleanest form of traditional energy in the world,” said Toby Z. Rice, president and CEO of EQT Corp.

AMI will use methane monitoring and reporting frameworks to mitigate methane emissions from natural gas operations. Results will be reported and publicly available in order to share best practices to reduce methane emissions. 

AMI plans on implementing a full-basin monitoring plan in 2024. A pilot monitoring program is being developed this year to cover major operating areas in the Appalachia Basin. 

“Natural gas is and will continue to be an integral component of the global energy portfolio, and we must continue to responsibly develop, produce and transport our domestic resources to effectively and efficiently transition to a lower carbon future,” said Diana M. Charletta, Equitrans president and COO.