Natural gas certification firm Project Canary and the Center for Energy Water Sustainability (CEWS) at Colorado State University have established the oil and gas industry's first standardized freshwater reporting framework and metrics, Project Canary announced Aug. 26.

Freshwater acquisition and management are a critical part of the well completion process and this framework enables and encourages producer efforts towards freshwater stewardship, an important component of a responsibly sourced gas (RSG) certification program. 

The new reporting framework centers around responsible freshwater use and mitigation efforts and allows producers to differentiate their performance relative to water use. Companies reusing or recycling water in their operations will be considered more responsive to ESG objectives, thereby encouraging sustainable water practices.

"Project Canary's vision to bring accurate and independent ESG certification to the oil and gas water space is transformative," said Dr. Ken Carlson, director of the CEWS. "Working to bring elevated water stewardship to oil and gas operations has been very rewarding for our team, and we are excited to roll out the program to more regions of the country."

"The CSU team's dedication to sustainable operations aligns perfectly with the mission of Project Canary," said Josh Zier, lead certification engineer at Project Canary. "The framework our teams developed exhibits the same engineering rigor contained within the TrustWell certification. Applying this freshwater-verified attribute to our TrustWell process allows leading operators to differentiate their ESG leadership."

As drought conditions worsen and water becomes an increasingly valuable commodity, particularly in areas of heightened water stress, operators must strive to reduce their impacts on groundwater and freshwater resources. The new program accounts for regions facing increased water stress through a localized methodology that provides for competitive water use, population, and drought severity.

This year, Project Canary has launched several projects for its continuous, on-site, real-time emissions monitoring technology including a pilot project with electric and gas utility Xcel Energy to buy natural gas for its Colorado customers produced by Crestone Peak Resources and certified as “responsibly sourced” by Project Canary. In April, Project Canary launched a pilot project with Chesapeake Energy Corp. that initially includes wellpads in northeast Pennsylvania and northwest Louisiana. Other notable partnerships include EQT Corp. and NextDecade Corp.

Comments