Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Continental’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions are reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in accordance with the GHG Reporting Rule using EPA’s methodologies, calculations, emission factors and other various requirements. Continental periodically revises its reported emissions based upon and in response to engagement with EPA regarding its comments, questions, and any new or modified reporting interpretations.

For reporting purposes, we convert our GHG emission data to metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Tonnes CO2e). We monitor GHG and methane intensities that measure the Tonnes CO2e of GHG and methane emissions per one thousand barrels of oil equivalent (MBOE). Since 2016, Continental has reduced its GHG and Methane intensities significantly while increasing production. These steady reductions in emissions intensities are a result of many efforts. In an effort to reduce flaring, Continental has worked with midstream companies to ensure they are aligned with our development forecasts.  Where possible, we combine production at centralized facilities or shared equipment among multiple facilities, resulting in fewer internal combustion engines and pneumatic controllers. We also replaced some higher-horsepower engines with lower-horsepower engines to reduce the volume of gas used. We utilize low- and intermittent-bleed pneumatic controllers across our operations. We have a robust Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) program to find and fix emissions leaks from tanks and other equipment, and have an internal expectation to complete repairs within 10 days, shorter than existing regulatory requirements. At new facilities, we increased our use of vapor recovery towers and vapor recovery units to minimize storage vessel emissions.