Gas Drillers Can Cut Emissions by Fuel Capture, Study Finds
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Natural-gas producers can cut greenhouse-gas emissions associated with shale drilling by capturing more of the fuel that escapes when the well is first dug, a Cornell University professor said.
As much as 7.9 percent of the gas from wells tapping shale formations escapes into the atmosphere, according to a study published today in the journal Climatic Change Letters. The methane that escapes traps solar heat at many times the rate of carbon dioxide, contributing more to global warming than burning coal or oil, according to the study.