Industry Partnership Leverages Collaboration, Innovation To Accelerate Methane Reductions

The Environmental Partnership today released its seventh annual report showcasing the U.S. oil and natural gas industry’s commitment to responsibly developing America’s abundant energy resources while driving measurable environmental improvements. Participating companies continued to build on the industry’s progress in reducing methane emissions, which declined over 40% across U.S. onshore production regions since 2015, while production increased more than 50%.

“Reducing methane emissions is an important and complex challenge—there’s no one-size-fits-all solution,” said Emily Hague, director of The Environmental Partnership. “TEP helps operators explore the full range of solutions, make informed choices for their unique operations, and continuously improve strategies to deliver America’s essential oil and natural gas efficiently and responsibly.”

The Environmental Partnership, whose members represent nearly 65% of U.S. onshore oil and natural gas production, provides a collaborative platform where companies share best practices and develop innovative solutions that reduce emissions across the supply chain.

“Methane emissions reduction is a key driver for improving operational efficiencies – recovering lost product that can help fuel America’s economy,” said Vanessa Ryan, Chair of The Environmental Partnership and general manager of climate and engagement for Chevron. “Through collaborative industry initiatives like The Environmental Partnership, companies are working together to find pragmatic and scalable solutions that minimize waste and achieve the highest level of operational performance.”

Key highlights from the 2025 TEP Annual Report include:

• Detecting and Repairing Leaks: Participating companies conducted over 678,000 surveys at more than 199,000 sites, achieving a leak occurrence rate of just 0.02%—less than one component leaking per 1,000. Since 2018, the leak occurrence rate has dropped more than 87%.
• Improving Flare Performance: Flare intensity among TEP members fell to 0.74% in 2024, a reduction of more than 75% since 2019, even as production continued to grow.

Beyond its six existing performance programs, the report highlights the ingenuity and practical solutions TEP companies are implementing to advance operational excellence, environmental progress, and U.S. energy security.

About The American Petroleum Institute (API)
The American Petroleum Institute (API) represents all segments of America’s oil and natural gas industry, supporting nearly 11 million U.S. jobs. With approximately 600 members, API companies produce, process, and distribute the majority of the nation’s energy. Founded in 1919, API has developed over 800 standards to enhance operational and environmental safety, efficiency, and sustainability.