Shell joins EDF’s Methane Detectors Challenge days before application deadline

(WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 11, 2014) Environmental Defense Fund welcomes SWEPI LP (Shell) to the list of companies participating in the pioneering “Methane Detectors Challenge” with seven days remaining for technology developers to submit proposals. Announced on April 3, the Challenge is a collaborative project between EDF and five other oil and natural gas companies aimed at identifying and bringing to market new, cutting-edge technologies that could ultimately help reduce methane emissions from oil and natural gas operations.

“Shell is pleased to join the ‘Methane Detectors Challenge’, an innovative approach to continuously improve the techniques and tools available to industry to take full advantage of the benefits of natural gas in a responsible and sustainable way,” said Paul Goodfellow, Vice President – U.S. for Shell Upstream Americas’ Unconventionals business. 

Methane emissions present both an economic and environmental opportunity for the oil and gas industry. There is a market need for cost-effective technologies that provide continuous detection of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that can escape to the atmosphere during production, transportation and delivery of natural gas. Shell joins Apache Corporation, BG Group, Hess Corporation, Noble Energy and Southwestern Energy as an industry partner in this effort to help catalyze new technologies for enhanced detection of oil and gas emissions.

“Shell is one of the largest global energy companies and its participation adds a new level of support and expertise,” said Ben Ratner, EDF natural gas program manager. “EDF initiated this Challenge to jumpstart the market for new solutions that could cut emission detection time from months to minutes. We have already received strong interest from innovators at private companies and universities – and with Shell onboard, we expect that to grow.”

Full details on the Methane Detectors Challenge, including the Request for Proposal and downloadable Application Form, can be found at www.edf.org/methanedetectors. Proposals are due no later than June 17, 2014, 5 PM Eastern time.