The U.S. Government's
Global Methane Initiative
Accomplishments

Global
Methane Initiative

USDA

USAID

FROM THE AMERICAN PEOPLE


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Contents

Letter from the Assistant Administrator

The Global Methane Initiative	

Agriculture	

Coal Mines	

Municipal Solid Waste	

Municipal Wastewater	

Oil and Gas Systems	

Looking Forward	


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December 2012
Dear Colleagues,

Climate change remains one of today's most critical international environmental problems. Methane, the
second most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) after carbon dioxide, is considered a short-
lived climate pollutant (SLCP), meaning that it has a relatively short lifespan in the atmosphere. Unlike other
GHGs, methane is the primary component of natural gas and can be converted to usable energy. Reducing
methane emissions is a cost-effective method to reduce GHGs that yields important co-benefits, such as air quality,
increased energy security, and improved worker safety.

The Global Methane Initiative (GMI) aims to reduce methane emissions and advance the abatement, recovery, and
use of methane as a valuable clean energy source. GMI achieves this by creating an international network to build
capacity, develop strategies and markets, and remove barriers to methane reduction project development in Partner
Countries. From the beginning, the United States has been a strong leader of GMI. The United States is currently
providing technical, financial, or capacity-building support to about 700 global projects and activities that reduced
methane emissions by approximately 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTC02E) in 2011 alone.

In October 2011, more than 160 GMI Partner Country representatives, government leaders, and technical experts
from 31 countries gathered in Krakow, Poland, for a Partnership-wide meeting that included site tours and technical
and policy sessions. During this meeting, the GMI Steering Committee approved plans for a third Partnership Expo
that will be hosted by the government of Canada in Vancouver in March 2013. Similar to past Expos held in China
and India, Methane Expo 2013 will be comprised of general plenary and concurrent sector-specific sessions and is
expected to attract nearly 750 participants from more than 40 countries. As in years past, the United States is taking
an active role in Expo planning and preparation.

Within the last year, renewed international interest in reducing emissions of certain air pollutants led to development
of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) that targets global emissions of SLCPs such as methane. As a CCAC
founding partner, the United States has already committed $12 million in new funding to this effort, which represents
a concrete step forward in taking further action on SLCPs. The CCAC provides an additional venue for GMI Partners
to share their methane reduction expertise and capacity building experiences garnered through GMI as well as learn
about methane abatement from other countries and organizations that join CCAC.

As Chair of the GMI Steering Committee and as a representative of the United States Environmental Protection
Agency, I am very pleased to report on these accomplishments and look forward to leading the United States'
continued engagement in international methane mitigation.

Sincerely,

Gina McCarthy

Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, U.S. EPA
Steering Committee Chair, Global Methane Initiative

Global
Methane Initiative

mi


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limate change is affecting our environment
and people around the world. Greater energy
efficiency, strategies to reduce greenhouse
gases (GHGs), and new technologies hold
promise for addressing this global challenge. Using
methane, the second most important GHG, as a clean
energy source offers a unique opportunity to mitigate
climate change and simultaneously increase available
energy supply. Efforts to mitigate, recover, and utilize
methane emissions can provide significant energy, eco-
nomic, and environmental benefits. The Global Methane
Initiative (GMI) promotes international action to address
climate change while developing clean energy and stron-
ger economies.

Origins of GMI

The Methane to Markets Partnership was launched in
November 2004 at a Ministerial Meeting in Washington,
D.C., when 14 national governments formally committed
to minimize methane emissions from key sources, stress-
ing the importance of implementing methane capture
and use projects in developing countries and countries
with economies in transition.

In 2010, building on the strong accomplishments and suc-
cessful track record of international cooperation through
the Methane to Markets Partnership, GMI was launched
with an expanded scope. The Partners expanded the
GMI mission beyond methane recovery and use to also
include methane abatement and avoidance, as weli as to
add a new sector—municipal wastewater. GMI Partner
Countries agreed to develop national action plans to
coordinate methane reduction efforts domestically and
abroad, appropriate for both developing and developed
Partner Countries to outline their needs and opportunities

and their plans to assist other countries. Developed
Partner Countries, as well as others in the broader interna-
tional community, were encouraged to provide financial
commitments to accelerate global methane mitigation
efforts.

Goals and Benefits

GMI's goals are to reduce global methane emissions to
address climate change, enhance economic growth,
strengthen energy security, and improve local environ-
mental quality and industrial safety. GMI brings together
the public and private sectors to develop projects that
can reduce emissions from the agriculture, coal mines,
municipal solid waste, municipal wastewater, and oil and
gas sectors.1

Today, GMI Partners collectively contribute approximately
70 percent of the world's anthropogenic (or manmade)
methane emissions. Cumulative methane emission reduc-
tions achieved through GMI total more than 159 million
metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTC02E).

159 MMTC02E

cumulative methane emission reductions
attributed to GMI

GMI Partner Countries work with both public and private
sector organizations to advance methane abatement,
recovery, and use by providing project development and
implementation support, training and capacity building,
technology demonstration and deployment, and market
development.

"Landfills" has been changed to "Municipal Solid Waste"at the subcommittee's request to better reflect the full spectrum of potential abatement activities
under GMI.

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The U.S. Government's Global Methane Initiative Accomplishments

Significant potential remains for further cost-effective
methane emission reductions. By 2020, global meth-
ane reduction potential is estimated to approach 1,800
MMTC02E at a breakeven price of $30 MTC02E.2 Because
methane is a short-lived atmospheric gas, reducing meth-
ane emissions will have important near-term benefits for
mitigating climate change.

Organizational Structure

GMI brings together national governments, industry,
nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and other
stakeholders to advance project development around
the world. The Initiative is structured around the Steering
Committee, the Administrative Support Group (ASG), five
technical subcommittees, and the Project Network, which
comprises representatives from the private sector and

NGOs (see Figure 1). Together, the Initiative's branches are
working to overcome the sector-specific barriers imped-
ing methane emission reduction project development.

The Steering Committee guides the work of the
Partnership and is supported by the ASG, or secretariat,
which is housed at the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA). The technical sector subcommittees—
Agriculture, Coal Mines, Municipal Solid Waste, Municipal
Wastewater, and Oil and Gas—are responsible for guiding
and assessing sector-specific activities and engaging
Partner Country delegates and Project Network members.
Each subcommittee has also developed an action plan
for coordinating and implementing these activities as a
means of building capacity, transferring technology, and
promoting private investment.

Figure 1: GMI Organizational Structure

Administrative
Support Group

>

Agricultural
Subcommittee

J

Coal Mines
Subcommittee

J

Municipal Solid

Waste
Subcommittee

J

Municipal
Wastewater
Subcommittee

A

J

Oil and Gas
Subcommittee

Project Network Members

]

2 U.S. EPA, Global Mitigation ofNon-C02 Greenhouse Gases (EPA Report 430-R-06-005), 2006. www.epa.gov/climatechange/Downloads/EPAactivities/
GlobalMitigationFullReport.pdf.

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The Global Methane Initiative

The Importance of Methane

Methane (CH4) is a potent GHG that is 25 times more effective at trapping heat than C02 over a 100-year
timeframe.3 Annual methane emissions are the second most abundant GHG after C02, with an estimat-
ed 7,196 MMTCOjE emitted from anthropogenic (or manmade) sources in 2010.4 Anthropogenic sources
of methane include oil and natural gas production, coal mining, municipal solid waste (e.g., landfills),
municipal wastewater, and agriculture (including livestock manure).

Anthropogenic sources of methane have increased over time, causing the atmospheric concentration
of methane to grow 150 percent since 1750. Without more aggressive measures, methane emissions
are expected to increase nearly 20 percent by 2030, continuing an upward trend far above the natural
level of methane.5

Reducing methane emissions can significantly slow near-term climate change impacts because meth-
ane has a relatively short atmospheric lifetime of about 12 years. Methane also is the primary compo-
nent of natural gas, so capturing and utilizing methane as a clean-burning energy source can promote
sustainable development and energy security. Additionally, reducing methane emissions can avoid
the negative health effects (e.g., breathing problems, asthma attacks, reduced lung function, lung
diseases) and premature deaths associated with unhealthy ozone levels. Recent studies estimate that
aggressive actions to reduce methane emissions would reduce ozone air pollution globally and could
avoid roughly 400,000 premature ozone-related deaths by 2030.6

* Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Contribution of Working Group III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007, www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg3/en/contents.html.

4	U.S. EPA, Global Anthropogenic Emissions of Non-CO2Greenhouse Gases: 1990-2030 (EPA Report 430-R-12-006), 2012.www.epa.gov/
climatechange/EPAactivities/economics/nonco2projections.html.

5	U.S. EPA, 2012.

s UNC Global, UNC Studies, Global Coalition Agree: Decreasing Short-term Greenhouse Gases Benefits Climate, Health, 2012. http://global.unc.
edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3006<emid=94.

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The U.S. Government's Global Methane Initiative Accomplishments

The GMI Partnership Continues To Grow

GMI now comprises 40 Partner Countries and the
European Commission, as well as more than 1,100 diverse
organizations from six continents who participate in the

Project Network. This growth represents nearly a tripling
in the number of Partners (see Figure 2) and a 10-fold
increase in Project Network members since 2004.7

Figure 2: GMI Partner Countries

O Argentina
Australia
j ^ Brazil
Bulgaria
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia

Dominican
Republic

Ecuador

i-



I

European
Commission

Finland

Georgia

Germany

Ghana

India

Indonesia

Italy

Japan

Jordan

Ethiopia

As of November 2012.



Kazakhstan

Mexico

Mongolia

Nicaragua

Nigeria

Norway

Pakistan
Rem

Philippines
Poland



^1^

Republic of Korea
(South Korea)

Russia

Serbia

Sri Lanka

Thailand

Turkey

Ukraine

United Kingdom

United States
of America

Vietnam

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The Global Methane Initiative

U.S. Government Leadership in Reducing Methane Emissions

U.S. government efforts under GMI are led by EPA and
involve the collective efforts of other federal agencies
and departments, including the Department of State, the
Department of Agriculture, the Department of Energy, the
Agency for International Development (USAID), and the
U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA).

In 2004, the United States pledged up to $53 million over
a five-year period to help facilitate the development
and implementation of methane projects in developing

countries and countries with economies in transition. In
2010, the United States pledged another $50 million to
ensure the success of the GMI over the next five years.
These resources will help support diverse activities,
including prefeasibility and feasibility studies at potential
project sites and capacity-building through technology
transfer and training. Funding will also be used to support
the development of tools and resources and the work of
the ASG across more than two dozen Partner Countries
(see Figures 3 and 4).

Figure 3: FY 2011 U.S. Expenditures by Type of Activity

Technology
Demonstration
and Deployment
General	2%

Partnership	I

Support V I
19% N

Training and
Capacity-Building
^ 41%

Figure 4: FY 2011 U.S. Expenditures by Region8

North America
11%

Expenditures for a large October 2011 Partnership-wide meeting in Krakow, Poland—with benefit to all GMI Partners—account for a significant portion of
Europe's share (see page 7).

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The U.S. Government's Global Methane Initiative Accomplishments

The funds committed by the United States have been
instrumental in leveraging funding from other sources,
dramatically increasing the reach and influence of U.S.
financial support (see Figure 5). In this context, "lever-
aged" funding refers to financial (or in-kind) contributions
to project development catalyzed by or building upon
initial U.S. government contributions by other entities,

such as the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank,
other Partner governments, and the private sector. The
consistently strong U.S. support has been a major factor
in the Initiative's growth in size, scope, and influence. This
solid foundation will help GMI reach its expanded goals as
it works to advance methane projects around the world.

Figure 5: U.S. Government Funding and
Leveraged Funding, FY 2005-FY 2011

Total U.S.
Government
Funding

Leveraged
Funding

$64.5

w

200	300	400

Dollars (in millions)

500

Specific U.S. Government Efforts

The U.S. government has been actively helping to ad-
vance methane mitigation through project assistance and
tracking, ongoing capacity-building, and workshop and
conference support. Some of these efforts are highlighted
below.

Tracking Emission Reductions in Partner
Countries

GMI continues to track project-related emission reduc-
tions. Currently, GMI is tracking nearly 2,000 methane
project sites around the world, of which the United States
is providing technical, financial, or capacity-building
support for about 700. From 2005 through 2011, poten-
tial and actual emission reductions from U.S.-supported
projects approached nearly 141 MMTC02E and more than
159 MMTC02E, respectively (see Figure 6). In 2011, U.S.

efforts in support of GMI yielded actual annual emission
reductions totaling approximately 30 MMTC02E. "Actual"
emission reductions are those that have been achieved
and measured from implemented projects in any given
year. "Potential" represents annual emission reductions
that have been identified through GMI capacity-building
activities (e.g., prefeasibility or feasibility studies) that
could be realized if the emission reduction project(s) were
fully implemented.

Additionally, GMI has a new Web interface for sites and
activities aimed at improving the ability to search for
projects that are of interest to Partner Country delegates
and Project Network members. The new interface allows
a user to search by the sector as well as the country where
the project is located.

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The Global Methane Initiative

Figure 6: Annual Methane Emission Reductions from
U.S.-Supported Projects, 2005-2011

50,000,000

40,000,000

^ 30,000,000
O

20,000,000
10,000,000

0 -

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
fl Actual k _ Potential

Ongoing Capacity-Building/Technology
Transfer

In 2011, the United States continued to provide technical
support for GMI. The United States held more than 20
workshops and "hands-on" technical demonstrations in
more than 10 Partner Countries. One of these included an
Asia-Pacific oil and gas sector meeting held in September
2011 in Jakarta, Indonesia (see page 22 for details) to
discuss strategies for reducing methane emissions from
oil and gas facilities. The United States also conducted
site visits, hosted several U.S. study tours, and supported
ongoing technology demonstrations (see Table 1 for
some examples).

Promoting Project Financing Options

In April 2011, EPA co-sponsored a webinar about potential
methane emission project financing options available
from the Overseas Private Investment Corporation. This
webinar—targeted at corporations, investors, project
developers, energy service companies, and financial
institutions with interest in emerging market investment
opportunities—attracted more than 100 global attend-
ees representing GMI Partner Countries and the Project
Network.

Poland Hosts Partnership-wide Meeting

Building on the expanding Project Network and Partner
Countries, GMI—in cooperation with the government
of Poland—held a Partnership-wide meeting in Krakow
in October 2011. The meeting attracted more than 160
Partner Country and Project Network representatives,
government leaders, and technical experts from 31
countries. Marcin Korolec, Undersecretary of State with
Poland's Ministry of Economy, welcomed GMI to Poland
and emphasized the importance of methane as a clean
energy source. The meeting included sector-specific site
tours and technical workshops, formation of a Municipal
Wastewater Subcommittee, a tour of the World Heritage
Site Wieliczka Salt Mine, and networking opportunities for
participants.

The following sections highlight some of the notable
2011 activities and projects supported by the U.S. govern-
ment in each of the five sectors: agriculture, coal mines,
municipal solid waste, municipal wastewater, and oil and
gas systems.

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The U.S. Government's Global Methane Initiative Accomplishments

Table 1. Examples of 2011 Site Visits, Study Tours, and Technology Demonstrations

Activity

Sector

Locations/Participants

Site Visits

Agriculture

•	Farm digesters in China, Mexico, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

•	Poland's National Research Institute of Animal Production.



Coal Mines

•	India's Ministry of Coal, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the
Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI), which operates the
CMM Clearinghouse in Ranchi; the Central Institute of Mining and Fuel
Research (CIMFR) in Dhanbad; and Essar Energy in Durgapur.

•	Poland's Central Mining Institute of Katowice's experimental "Barbara"
mine and JSW's "Pniowek" hard coal mine.



Municipal
Solid Waste

•	Contagem (Perobas) Landfill in Brazil.

•	El Molle and Loma Los Colorados Landfills in Chile.

•	Piyungan, Solo, Chipeucang, Bogor, and Bantar Landfills in Indonesia.

•	"Barycz" Landfill in Poland.

•	Kocael, Komurcuoda, and Kemerbergaz Odayeri Landfills in Turkey.

•	Lugansk, Chernihiv, Mariupol, Kryukivshchyna, and Borispol Landfills in
Ukraine.



Oil and Gas

•	Poland's Gaz-System compressor station and laboratory.

•	India's Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) natural gas compressor sta-
tion and processing plant.

Study Tours
to the United
States

Municipal
Solid Waste

•	Brazilian participants met with members of the National Association of
Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), EPA, and other select orga-
nizations, and also visited U.S. landfill gas energy projects.

•	Representatives from Mexico's TECMED (Tecnicas Medioambientales)
and Grupo Bimbo and Serbia's University of Novi Sad visited seven land-
fill gas to energy projects in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.



Oil and Gas

• Representatives from Russia's Gazprom, India's Oil and Natural Gas
Corporation (ONGC), and Argentina's Empresa Nacional Del Petroleo
(ENAP) Sipetrol visited facilities operated by Chevron, Oxy, and
ConocoPhillips in Texas and New Mexico.

Technology
Demonstrations

Agriculture

• Household- to large-scale anaerobic digester demonstrations in China,
the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.



Oil and Gas

• Assisted a subsidiary company of the China National Petroleum Corpo-
ration (CNPC) to evaluate and purchase leak detection and measurement
equipment.

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ethane is produced and emitted from the
decomposition of livestock manure and

(the organic components in agro-industrial
wastewater.9 These wastes are typically
stored or treated in waste management systems that
promote anaerobic conditions (e.g., liquid or slurry in
lagoons, ponds, tanks, or pits) and produce biogas, a
mixture of about 70 percent methane, 30 percent C02,
and less than 1 percent hydrogen sulfide.

GMI helps brings together the collective resources and
expertise of the international community to address tech-
nical and policy issues and to facilitate anaerobic diges-
tion (AD) projects in Partner Countries. GMI also provides
a forum to reduce AD project development barriers that

commonly exist by raising awareness about AD technolo-
gies, building capacity, developing strategies and mar-
kets, assisting with project financing, and working directly
with Partners to address specific technical and financial
concerns.

Through GMI, the United States advances the recovery
and use of methane at agricultural operations in several
countries, including China, the Philippines, and Thailand.
U.S.-supported workshops and demonstration projects
are instrumental in ensuring successful development of
commercially operating AD projects. Many of these activi-
ties, which provide multiple benefits, such as water pollu-
tion control and improved rural sanitation, will continue
to yield methane emission reductions in future years.

Working With Small- to Medium-Scale AD Systems
in the Philippines

In the Philippines, the agriculture sector contributes 71
percent of the country's methane emissions, of which
livestock manure accounts for approximately 10 percent.10
Because many of the emissions are from small farms, EPA
has focused on supporting small-scale AD technology
development, including fixed domes, stacked domes, and
tubular and bag digesters.

In 2011, the Philippine Council for Industry and Energy
Research and Development hosted a series of training
workshops supported by a joint initiative between EPA
and the World Bank. These trainings were intended
to develop a cadre of in-country technical experts
who learn to design AD systems, manage system
construction, and train AD operators in the operation,

maintenance, and troubleshooting of these systems. The
workshops covered a range of topics, including digester
design (i.e., estimates of standing pig population,

Tubular digester in the Philippines

' Agricultural methane sources also include rice cultivation and enteric fermentation. GMI's Agriculture Subcommittee focuses on livestock and agro-
industrial wastes.

* U.S. EPA, 2012.

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The U.S. Government's Global Methane Initiative Accomplishments

process water use, potential energy reduction calcula-
tions); digester financing and performance (e.g., quan-
tification of certified emission reductions); hands-on
digester design, construction, and operation; flare
installation; gas handling; and methane measurement,
verification, and reporting.

As part of these trainings, EPA developed pilot-scale
tubular digesters with larger diameter material (appropri-
ate for up to medium-scale farms) that reduce costs by 50
percent when compared to other designs.

In 2011, EPA developed a simple Excel-based calculator
tool to assist in designing covered lagoon systems for
swine waste management in the Philippines. Using the
tool is straightforward; it has a simple interface through
which users enter farm-specific data. The tool estimates
design parameters, emission reductions, energy genera-
tion potential, and costs for swine-related covered lagoon
systems. Similar tools for other countries may be devel-
oped in the future for use in digester design-related train-
ings. EPA also supported the development of technical
standards for small-scale AD systems to enable Philippine
farmers to design and operate these systems.

Developing the International AD Database

Table 2. Commercially Operating AD
Projects in the International AD Database

Country

Number of Projects

China

15

Mexico

395

Philippines

6

Thailand

33

Vietnam

14

The United States contributed to the development of
an international AD database that provides information
on the types and scale of operating AD systems in GMI
Partner Countries. This information can help identify the
types of projects that are successful in certain countries or
regions. In 2011, EPA began collecting data from Partner
Countries using a standardized data collection template
(see Figure 7). Currently, the database contains informa-
tion on more than 450 AD systems in China, Mexico,
the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam (Table 2). These
projects involve more than 3.5 million swine and almost
100,000 dairy cows. EPA expects the number of commer-
cially operating AD projects to increase as it continues to
develop programmatic environments by which projects

can be deployed using local design and service industries
around the world.

Figure 7. International AD Database Data Collection Template

Activity Template:

Contains general
information about
activities, such as
anaerobic digester
projects or feasibility
studies.

ACTIVITY NAME

OUTSIDE FUNDING
ORGANIZATIONS

Ag Project Template:

Contains detailed technical
data pertaining to anaerobic
digester projects or studies.

ASSOCIATED DEVELOPERS AND
TECHNOLOGY PROVIDERS

DATA COLLECTED BY

Site Template:

Contains general
information about the
site at which the
activity is located.

PRIMARY CONTACT

OWNER OPERATOR CONTACT

OWNER OPERATOR ORGANIZATION

Contact
Template:

Lists contact
information for
any individual's



ORGANIZATION



Organization
Template:

Lists information
about organizations
listed in any other
templates.

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Agriculture

Conducting Resource Assessments

EPA continues to support a strategic approach to reducing
methane from the agriculture sector by assisting with the
development of country-specific resource assessments
(RAs). These assessments are critical planning tools that
identify and rank the agriculture sectors and subsectors
for potential emission reductions. In 2011, EPA finalized
RAs for the Dominican Republic and Turkey. Based on the
RAs EPA has conducted to date, more than 55 MMTC02E
could be reduced by implementing AD systems for agri-
cultural waste in those Partner Countries (see Table 3).

Table 3. Potential Emission Reductions
Identified in Resource Assessments

Country

Argentina

Brazil

Colombia

Dominican Republic

Potential Emission
Reductions (MTC02E/y)

2,274,700

20,313,300

1,241,700

354,800

Ecuador

386,500

5,716,100

Mexico

14,785,600

Philippines

2,553,800

Thailand

4,956,000

Turkey

1,328,100

Vietnam

1,420,300

55,330,900

Leveraging Funds and Partnerships

Since 2006, the United States has entered into partner-
ships with GMI Partner Countries, NGOs, farm owner co-
operatives, the United Nations (U.N.), and the World Bank.
Through funds and technical assistance agreements,
these partnerships have successfully increased adoption
of AD technology.

The Livestock Waste Management East Asia project, for
example, was a partnership between GMI, the World
Bank, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),
commercial farmers, and the governments of participat-
ing countries (China, Thailand, and Vietnam). The program
promoted institutional capacity-building and policy

development and implementation to create affordable
pollution control methods for livestock waste manage-
ment in order to reduce major negative environmental
and health effects associated with concentrated livestock
production. The project began in 2006 and was complet-
ed in December 2011. Over the course of the project, the
World Bank provided $21 million in funding, with partner
governments and farm owners contributing additional
funds. EPA and FAO provided technical assistance and ad-
ditional funding to help implement projects and increase
the number of participating farms.

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ethane is emitted from active and aban-
doned underground and surface mines,
and as a result of post-mining activities,
including coal processing, storage, and
transportation. To facilitate coal mine methane (CMM)
project development, GMI is building international
alliances to advance methane recovery and use at coal
mines throughout the world.

Underground mines are the single largest source of CMM
emissions in many coal-producing countries. For years,
methane in coal mines was viewed as a nuisance and a

safety hazard that had little intrinsic value. Current CMM
recovery and use projects have shown the opposite is
true: CMM is a clean energy source and a commodity that,
when captured, can provide many benefits to the mine in
terms of increased revenue, improved worker safety, and
greater mine productivity.

The United States is a leader in CMM recovery and contin-
ues to work with international partners through GMI to
share information, expertise, and technology to promote
CMM project development.

Continuing Support for CMM Recovery and Utilization in China

In 2011, EPA continued to support CMM recovery and
utilization project feasibility studies at Chinese coal mines.
The studies assess the technical and economic viability of
implementing methane recovery and utilization projects,
with detailed findings and project implementation rec-
ommendations compiled in comprehensive final reports.

With EPA funding, the Virginia Center for Coal and
Energy Research (VCCER), which is affiliated with Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech),
developed a regional handbook for coalbed methane
(CBM) degasification in the Southern Shanxi province of
China. VCCER and its collaborative research partners con-
ducted a detailed CBM reserve analysis on a gas-bearing
coal property in China's Qinshui Coal Basin, considered to
be representative of the region.

In November 2011, EPA published a report entitled China's
Energy Markets: Anhui, Chongqing, Henan, and Guizhou
Provinces. This document compiles the results of energy
market analysis performed during the course of several
comprehensive CMM recovery and utilization feasibility
studies conducted in China. In 2011, EPA also completed

its feasibility study for CMM drainage and utilization at
theTai Xi Group Mines in Inner Mongolia, China.

Expanding mine gas storage silo in Southern Shanxi, China

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Coal Mines

Capacity-Building Meetings in

A collaborative effort between EPA and key Indian organi-
zations to bring India's coal methane resources to market
in an environmentally beneficial manner has produced a
first for India: prospective operators are being offered ac-
tive coal mining blocks to develop projects to extract and
utilize CMM. In early 2011, India's Central Mine Planning
and Design Institute (CMPDI) issued a notice inviting ten-
ders for five CMM blocks held by Coal India Limited (CIL).

As part of this activity, EPA met with Indian organizations
focused on coal mining and methane emission reduc-
tions. During the trip, EPA toured new laboratory facilities
and methane data collection field sites on the coal blocks
that have been designated by the Indian government for
potential CMM development.

In October 2011, EPA co-hosted the first Indo-U.S. work-
shop on CMM with the Central Institute of Mining and
Fuel Research (CIMFR) in Dhanbad. The goal of the four-
day workshop was to share information on coal seam
gas and drainage and utilization technologies with local

India

mining officials. Presentation topics included financial
feasibility of CBM/CMM projects, mine degasification sys-
tems, directional drilling, well logging, and sustainability.
The workshop also included a site visit to the Parbatpur
CBM development project.

Dulling cores in the Damodar Valley, India

Disseminating Best Practices and Assessing Opportunities in
Kazakhstan

In 2011, the United States continued to support dis-
semination of a new document that GMI was integral in
developing—Best Practice Guidance for Effective Methane
Drainage and Use in Coal Mines—published by the United
Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in
2010. This publication directly contributes to improving
mine safety standards at active underground coal mines
by supporting safer mining practices to reduce fatalities,
injuries, and property losses.

In May 2011, EPA supported a UNECE Best Practices
Workshop in Karaganda. The workshop featured interna-
tional experts presenting on best practices for pre-mine
drainage, post-mining drainage drilling methods, meth-
ane utilization and abatement, and the current status
of gas drainage and utilization at Arecelor Mittal Lenina
MineinTemirtau.

EPA conducted a mission to Kazakhstan to learn more
about the current status of the country's coal industry and
discuss areas for potential CMM project opportunities.
Subsequently, EPA published Deep Gassy Coal Mines of
Karaganda Coal Basin, which features detailed informa-
tion on the Karaganda Coal Basin. The report highlights
current CMM capture and utilization opportunities for
four Arcelor Mittal Temirtau underground coal mines—
Kazakhstanskaya, Lenina, Abaiskaya, and Tentekskaya—
and seeks to identify potential opportunities for future
site-specific assessments.

13


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The U.S. Government's Global Methane Initiative Accomplishments

Supporting a Cogeneration Project n Poland

Iri 2011, an EPA-funded feasibility study found that meth-
ane from the abandoned Zory Coal Mine in Poland could
be economically extracted and converted to liquefied nat-
ural gas (LNG). The report estimated that CMM captured
from the abandoned Zory Coal Mine could help avoid
490,000 billion cubic meters (m3) in methane emissions
annually. Based on the study's finding that the project
could be even more economical, a 2-megawatt (MW)
combined heat and power (CHP) plant generation unit
has been in operation at the mine since 2010. The engine
is fueled with gas from the mine, power is sold to a power
supply corporation power trader, and the thermal energy
is sold to a heat supplier for a small housing estate. The
system produces about 46,500 kilowatt-hours of energy
per day, which is enough to power more than 11,000
households, and the thermal energy serves almost 1,800
apartments.



CHP unit at abandoned Zory Coal Mine in Poland

Continuing Technical Discussions n Ukraine

In September 2011, EPA hosted a technical workshop in
conjunction with a UNECE Best Practices Workshop in
Donetsk. The two-day GMI event was attended by nearly
100 participants and brought together key CMM recovery
and utilization experts to share information about the
state of Ukraine's coal industry, best practices for de-
gasification in advance of mining, maximizing methane

capture and optimizing gas utilization, and mitigating
ventilation air methane (VAM) emissions. The workshop
focused on mine safety, covering topics such as current
programs for training new coal mine inspectors, explosion
prevention, post-mining drainage, and advanced drilling
technology in overpressured formations.

Additional Coal Workshops, Scoping Missions, and Tools

EPA participated in CMM workshops in Colombia, Russia,
and Turkey, and conducted a scoping mission to Vietnam
to discuss CMM/CBM project development at four coal
mines in Mao Khe, Quang Hanh, Duong Huy, and Khe
Cham. To aid CMM project developers, EPA updated an
existing CMM technology database that provides basic
descriptions of key CMM recovery and utilization tech-
nologies, including each technology's current status and
commercial availability.

EPA also published a white paper discussing CMM
projects that involve flaring-only of drained gas. Based

on information about more than 300 projects in the GMI
CMM Project Database, EPA identified 10 flaring-only
projects and an additional 13 energy recovery projects
that flare nonrecoverable gas. The paper compares the
GHG emission benefits of flaring to both energy recovery
and venting to the atmosphere. Based on the findings,
the GMI Coal Mines Subcommittee adopted the position
that flaring should only be considered for mines with
low-concentration drained CMM, where installing CMM
end-use projects might be technically or economically
infeasible or impractical.

14


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Municipal solid waste (MSW) management
and treatment activities are sources of
methane emissions worldwide. Opportu-
nities exist for reducing methane emis-
sions by collecting the methane-containing landfill gas
(LFG) from landfills and using it for fuel. Methane emis-
sions from MSW can also be reduced by modifying how
the collected waste is treated. Organic fractions of the
MSW stream can be diverted from landfills and instead
disposed of at anaerobic digesters, composting facilities,
or waste-to-energy facilities. Using these climate-friendly
MSW solutions can yield substantial energy, economic,
environmental, and public health benefits.

GMI brings together collective Partner resources and
experience to facilitate technology transfer and demon-
stration, policy support, capacity-building, and market
development necessary to implement LFG energy proj-
ects and increase LFG emission reductions. Specifically,
the MSW sector has been working to reduce the barriers
to LFG energy project development in Partner Countries.
These barriers include the following: lack of in-country
technical expertise; inadequate identification or evalua-
tion of suitable candidate landfills; lack of demonstrated
technical and economic feasibility of proven technologies
and practices in local contexts; and other financial, infor-
mational, and institutional obstacles.

Engaging and Training Local Government Officials

Argentina

LFG-fired boiler in operation at Gaoantun Landfill in China

EPA provided a series of informational presentations to
the Bahia Blanca City Council on the basics of LFG energy
and the climatic and economic benefits and opportunities
of LFG recovery projects. The presentations included an
overview of LFG energy recovery technologies and the
fundamentals of LFG formation, collection, and control.
EPA also made presentations to the municipal sustainabil-
ity coordinator and the Argentina Solid Waste Association.

China

EPA was invited by JUCCCE, a nonprofit organization
dedicated to accelerating the greening of China, to
participate in a 10-day training event in Beijing sponsored
by the National Academy for Mayors of China. The GMI
training session was attended by 36 mayors, focused on
LFG capture and utilization, and included a site visit to
the Gaoantun Landfill, which has received significant EPA
technical assistance on the design and operation of its
LFG collection and monitoring system.

15


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The U.S. Government's Global Methane Initiative Accomplishments

Continued Partnership with the International Solid Waste
Association

EPA and the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA)
have been collaborating on environmental protection and
integrated solid waste management by co-hosting work-
shops and trainings and working together informally on
other technical assistance activities. In 2011, EPA and ISWA
continued this partnership and took a major step toward
formalizing this highly successful relationship.

GMI participated in an ISWA- and SIBICO International
Ltd.-organized solid waste conference held in Moscow,
Russia. EPA contributed by sponsoring a session on its
experience in landfill biogas extraction and utilization
technology application, and by conducting a L.FG energy
workshop. ISWA formally joined GMI by signing a memo-
randum of understanding (MOU) with EPA—a major con-
ference highlight. Under this MOU, EPA and iSWA pledged

to collaborate on a number of activities, including: coor-
dinate training activities and workshops; promote GHG
reduction and mitigation and energy recovery from the
waste sector; build LFG capture and utilization capacity in
ISWA-GMI countries; and provide critical support, feed-
back, and review for tools, reports, and guidance.

Following up on the MOU commitment, EPA participated
in ISWA's 2011 Beacon Conference in Novi Sad, Serbia,
which focused on waste-to-energy technologies and op-
portunities and packaging waste in developing countries.
EPA presented a paper delineating market conditions
in central and eastern Europe and identifying ways GMI
might support growing LFG energy opportunities in those
regions.

Educating Stakeholders on the Benefits of Direct Thermal LFG
Energy Projects

Electricity-generating projects are the most prominent
LFG energy projects worldwide. To encourage the devel-
opment of international projects that directly utilize LFG,
EPA sponsored a variety of initiatives—including study
tours and feasibility studies—to educate corporations
on how LFG can be a reliable and low-cost fuel source for
their operations.

In September 2011, LFG energy professionals from Mexico
and Serbia traveled to several LFG energy projects located
in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina to partici-
pate in a study tour. The tour included visits to a wide vari-
ety of industrial and commercial sectors, including auto
manufacturers, chemical plants, greenhouses, and artisan
kilns. The study tours gave the potential international end
users confidence that the technology is demonstrated,
reliable, and cost-competitive with other alternative fuel
sources.

EPA conducted searches for landfills in close proximity to
manufacturing facilities. In 2011, EPA worked closely with
ALFA, CEMEX, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, and Proctor
and Gamble to map coordinates of various plants in GMI

Partner Countries—such as Brazil, China, the Dominican
Republic, Germany, Mexico, Poland, and the United
States—with landfills from the GMI International Landfill
Database. EPA worked with landfill operators to confirm
technical data and then applied country-specific LFG
modeling tools to assess the site-specific potential for a
LFG energy recovery project.

Site tour participants visit the flare station at EnergyXchange in
North Carolina

16


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Municipal Solid Waste

Expanding Work in New GMI Partner Countries

Ethiopia and Nigeria

EPA participated in a GMi-sponsored side event at the
African Carbon Forum, which is a knowledge-exchanging
platform for all carbon markets. The workshop
featured speakers from EPA, Ethiopia, and Nigeria who
discussed advancing landfill methane projects and the
associated public health benefits achieved through the
advancement of improved solid waste practices. EPA
presented an overview on GMI and its work in Africa to
date. Other presentations focused on opportunities for
reducing landfill methane emissions and improving solid
waste management in Ethiopia, as well as incorporating
LFG recovery as a component of integrated solid waste
management in the Lagos State of Nigeria.

EPA awarded a grant to Nigeria's Lagos Waste Manage-
ment Authority (LAWMA) to evaluate capturing and utiliz-
ing LFG from the Abule Egba and Solous Landfills. Based
on the findings, LAWMA commenced the first phase of its

LFG energy project, which will ensure steady electricity
supply to residents in 2012. EPA also sponsored a grant
with Ethiopia's Community Development Research to
host a Landfill and Soiid Waste Management Workshop
in Addis Ababa. Session topics included assessment of
Ethiopia's landfill operations, current solid waste man-
agement practices, LFG collection processes, and market
conditions and technologies available for LFG energy.

Turkey

EPA representatives traveled to Turkey for a six-day scop-
ing visit to observe landfill operations and site conditions
and discuss LFG energy market conditions with local
stakeholders. The tour included visits to the Kemerburgaz
Odayeri, Komucouda, and Kocaeli Landfills—two of which
included LFG energy projects. Visits were also made to
composting and recycling facilities and a gasification
plant in Kermerburgaz, as well as a hazardous waste
incinerator in Kocaeli.

Bringing New LFG Projects Online

In 2011, EPA provided technical assistance to several
new LFG collection and beneficial energy-use projects.
In Brazil, the Solid Waste Treatment Center BR-040 in
Belo Horizonte added a fourth GE Jenbacher engine and
installed 5.6 MW of electric-generating capacity, and
is sending this renewable energy to the local grid. In
Colombia, a LFG flare with a rated capacity of 3,000 m3

per hour was installed at the El Guacal Sanitary Landfill
in Heliconia. Together, these new projects accounted
for total GHG reductions of 256,848 MMTCO.E in 2011.
Both projects have been registered and have submitted
monitoring reports to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change's (UNFCCC's) Clean
Development Mechanism.

17


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The U.S. Government's Global Methane Initiative Accomplishments

Completing LFG Assessment Reports

EPA completed assessment reports at eight landfills in
multiple GMI Partner Countries during 2011 (see Table 4).
The objective of these assessment reports was to evaluate
the methane emission reduction potential and explore
various energy recovery technology options available at
the study sites. Collectively, these landfills represent an
estimated 454,500 MMTC02E in potential emission reduc-
tions for 2012 if projects were developed at these sites.

Table 4.2011 LFG Assessment Reports

Country

Name of Landfill/Location

Brazil

Maracanau Landfill (State of Ceara)
Uberaba Landfill and Vale de Aco
Landfill (State of Minas Gerais)

China

Hongshantou Landfill (Xiangfan)
Lingshan Landfill (Jimo)

Taoshugang Landfill (Changde)
Zhanjing City MSW Landfill (Zhanjing)

Nicaragua

La Chureca Landfill (Managua)

18


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is®. •? a

filrdHi^i *Tr

M

ethane is produced when the organic
material in municipal wastewater decom-
poses anaerobically. Varying amounts of
methane are emitted during the collec-
tion, handling, and treatment of wastewater depending

on methods employed. A number of techniques can
be employed to reduce or recover and use wastewater
methane that can yield substantial energy, economic,
environmental, air quality, and public health benefits.

Forming New Subcommittee and Taking a Leadership Role

In October 2011, GMI officially added the Municipal
Wastewater Subcommittee as its fifth sector subcom-
mittee. Previously, EPA played an active role in the
Wastewater Task Force, and volunteered to serve as a
co-chair of the newly formed subcommittee.

As a co-chair of the new GMI Municipal Wastewater
Subcommittee, EPA is actively engaged in supporting the
subcommittee's initial activities:

Developing sector action plan. The sector action
plan will lay out the specific activities and strategies
that the Municipal Wastewater Subcommittee will
undertake to promote methane reduction and use.

Once the sector action plan is developed, EPA will
formulate a U.S.-specific Wastewater Action Plan.

Developing sector fact sheet. The sector fact
sheet will summarize the focus and scope of the
new municipal wastewater sector as well as describe
the activities that the subcommittee envisions
undertaking.

Planning and coordinating subcommit-
tee events. EPA is actively involved in planning
and coordinating 2012 Municipal Wastewater
Subcommittee events.

Participating in Wastewater Events

Brazil

At the invitation of the Brazilian Association of Sanitary and
Environmental Engineering, Rio de Janeiro Chapter, EPA
presented on "Opportunities to Use Biogas, Heat & Energy
at Sewage Treatment Plants" in June 2011. This presenta-
tion focused on studies analyzing the opportunities to
utilize biogas, heat, and energy at sewage treatment plants
in the United States and included a discussion of potential
applications internationally. More than 200 participants
from across Brazil and Latin American were in attendance.
Other topics covered during the seminar included energy
management, energy efficiency, and improved water
management.

Chile

In October 2011, EPA presented on biogas recovery op-
portunities within the wastewater sector at a seminar

sponsored by the Biotechnology Nucleus Curauma of the
Catholic University of Valparaiso and the Autonomous
University of Mexico. EPA was invited to participate in this
seminar, both to present on biogas utilization opportunities
as well as to gain insights into existing Latin American initia-
tives focused on GHG mitigation from this sector.

The Netherlands

At the Sixth International Symposium on Non-CO?
Greenhouse Gases, EPA led a panel discussion address-
ing global opportunities to reduce methane emissions
from wastewater treatment plants. The panel included an
overview of GMI's focus within the sector and was followed
by private sector presentations focused on anaerobic
digesters, as well as overviews of methane capture and use
opportunities in Brazil and across Latin America.

19


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M

ethane emissions occur during normal
operation, routine maintenance, and
system disruptions in the oil and natural
gas industry. Emissions vary among facili-
ties and are largely a function of process and equipment
type, operation and maintenance procedures, and equip-
ment conditions. Although natural gas is a relatively
clean source of energy, methane losses from oil and gas
systems account for more than 20 percent of total world-
wide methane emissions.

GMI's Oil and Gas sector has undertaken numerous
activities to support the identification, reduction, and

recovery of vented and fugitive methane emissions from
oil and natural gas systems in Partner Countries. Through
capacity-building workshops and trainings, prefeasibility
and onsite measurement studies, and the development
of critical tools and resources, the sector works to reduce
the informational, institutional, and financial barriers to
emission reduction technologies and practices.

The United States encourages GMI Partner Countries to
implement proven, cost-effective technologies and prac-
tices that can minimize methane losses.

Conducting Measurement Studies With Gas Authority of
India Limited

The Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) is a state-owned
natural gas processing and distribution company with
headquarters in New Delhi. GAIL, which was incorporated
in August 1984, was initially given the responsibility of
constructing, operating, and maintaining a large pipeline
project that served as a cornerstone for India's natural gas
market. GAIL has since grown by building core pipeline
assets, processing plants, and a gas-based petrochemical
business. GAIL joined the Natural Gas STAR International
Program in August 2011, and has been working collabora-
tively with EPA as well as Natural Gas STAR International
partner Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).

EPA conducted a two-week measurement study at GAIL's
Vijaipur facility. This field work builds on the desktop
study of GAIL's Vijaipur facility, which was completed in
May 2011. The measurement study not only sought to es-
tablish the actual emission estimate, but also showcased
the advantages of conducting leak inspections using the
forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera. As part of the

Leak measurement using a Hi Flow® Sampler at GAIL's Vijaipur facility

study, leaks were measured using a Hi-Fiow Sampler, a
turbine meter, or an acoustic leak detection device. A
significant study outcome involved making actual mea-
surements for the seal oil degassing vents using a turbine
meter.

20


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Oil arid Gas Systems

Undertaking Field Measurement Studies and Training
Workshops in Mexico

Global Gas Flaring Reduction Workshop

In May 2011, the World Bank's Global Gas Flaring
Reduction (GGFR) Partnership and EPA organized a
joint workshop addressing flaring, venting, and fugitive
emissions in PEMEX installations. The specific workshop
objective was to build capabilities in support of PEMEX's
Strategic Flare/Vent/Fugitives Measurement Plan within
the newly formed Grupos de Medicion. GGFR and GMI
experts provided a detailed overview of current best
practices on measuring gas flare, vent, and fugitive vol-
umes; outlined key constraints and considerations when
selecting flare measurement systems for both new and
existing flaring installations; discussed practical meter-
ing experiences and challenges faced by operators; and
provided other lessons learned from their experience
in monitoring, verification, and regulatory supervision.
The workshop targeted staff from PEMEX as well as
Mexico's Energy Secretariat and National Hydrocarbon
Commission. EPA presentations provided overviews
of GMI, the Natural Gas STAR Program, and EPA's GHG

Reporting Program, as well as results of the training and
measurement study work with PEMEX.

Measurement Study and Training

In late 2011, GMI, GGFR, and PEMEX collaborated to orga-
nize a four-day methane emission measurement study
combined with a one-day training session for 35 people
from PEMEX Exploration and Production in Poza Rica. The
classroom training session provided a broad overview
of the technologies for methane emissions detection,
quantification, and control. It also covered more strategic
topics associated with planning, execution, implementa-
tion, and follow-up of measurement studies. Over four
days, the trainees participated in a measurement study
of five installations, with training on equipment use,
measurement study activities, and information recording
for a variety of methane emissions sources. In addition to
methane venting and leak measurements, the study also
included GGFR Partnership-supported measurement and
analysis of soot formation in flare burners.

Touring Facilities in Texas and New Mexico

Representatives of ONGC (India), Gazprom (Russia), and
ENAP Sipetrol (Argentina) joined their U.S. Partner com-
panies to tour operational facilities and exchange ideas
for accelerating implementation of projects that capture
and use methane. Three U.S. Natural Gas STAR partners—
Chevron, Oxy, and ConocoPhillips—hosted the first-of-its-
kind study tour, which covered facilities over an expanse
of more than 1,100 miles in a 10-day period.

The West Texas and New Mexico sites showcased specific
methane emission reduction projects, including vapor
recovery units (VRUs), plunger lifts, and reduced emission
completions. Participants discussed these projects with
the hosts and collected information to help them evaluate
project applicability at their own facilities.

Study tour highlights included discussing the causes
of reciprocating rod packing emissions and potential
solutions, studying techniques for using infrared cameras,
visiting manufacturing facilities to view various types

of VRUs and emission inspection/quantification tools,
and exploring methane emission capture and control
methods with equipment experts. During the tour,
ONGCs carbon management team also presented on its
GMI activities and emission reduction projects, including
tankVRU rehabilitation, servo gas system replacement
with instrument air, and vapor recovery using an ejector
system.

Study tour participants and a ConocoPhillips representative near a well
completion site

21


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The U.S. Government's Global Methane Initiative Accomplishments

Oil and Gas Workshops Around the World

Colombia

EPA hosted a technical training workshop in August
2011, teaming with the Centro de Tecnologia de Gas de
Colombia, a research organization that provides techni-
cal assistance to Colombian natural gas transmission and
distribution companies. The training focused on the major
sources of methane emissions from gas transmission and
distribution, as well as the tools and techniques needed to
carry out a methane emissions measurement study.

Indonesia

EPA's Natural Gas STAR International Program attended
the Society of Petroleum Engineers'2011 Asia Pacific Oil
& Gas Conference and Exhibition in Jakarta. The event
focused on business and technology innovation to ensure
sustainable energy. Immediately following the confer-
ence, EPA held its first-ever GMI Asia-Pacific Technical
Workshop for the Oil and Gas Sector, which was attended
by industry executives and other interested parties, with
a main goal of sharing GMI and Natural Gas STAR Partner
experiences and exchanging technical information on
minimizing methane losses.

EPA also participated in the 2011 Pacific Energy Summit,
again held in Jakarta, which brought together more than
100 participants from government sectors and oil and
natural gas companies. The summit allowed EPA repre-
sentatives to participate in the dialogue surrounding the
environmental considerations important to the develop-
ment and use of natural gas in Southeast Asia and the
southern Pacific. The summit focused on several issues
related to natural gas development and use in the region,
including: natural gas as an energy source for transition-
ing to a low-carbon economy; growing role of natural gas
to meet rising energy demand; fiscal, regulatory, and legal
steps to ensure adequate natural gas supplies; and current
and projected domestic natural gas markets.

Russia

EPA supported and participated in an Environmental
Defense Fund workshop on methane emissions control
in the Russian gas sector, held in Moscow in December
2011. Attendees represented a diverse group of stake-
holders, including UNFCCC Joint Implementation project
developers with investment portfolios concentrated on
the gas industry. The presentations were informative and
prompted lively discussion on a variety of topics, includ-
ing: climate policy and the role of the natural gas sector
both in Russia and globally, international climate negotia-
tions, and technological solutions to methane emission
control in the natural gas industry.

Ukraine

More than 45 transmission and distribution sector rep-
resentatives attended a two-day workshop led by EPA
and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in June 2011.
The workshop, which took place in Cherkassy, brought
together participants from laboratories in all of Ukraine's
natural gas transmission and distribution systems. The
goal of the workshop was to share best practices and
build capacity for methane detection, monitoring, and
measurement technologies and practices. This was the
first in a series of trainings for staff members who are
responsible for leak detection and measurement activities
at Ukrtransgaz.

22


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he Initiative accelerates deployment of meth-
ane emission-reducing technologies and
practices, which stimulate economic growth
and energy security in GMI Partner Countries,
improve local environmental quality, and help reduce the
impacts of climate change.

The United States recognizes that methane mitigation
is an essential part of the solution. The U.S. government
will continue to strongly support methane reduction
capacity-building and project development through GMI,
focusing on the opportunities of the Methane Expo 2013.

Specific future efforts to be undertaken by the U.S. gov-
ernment include:

Vision for the Coming Year. The United States
wili facilitate the continued growth and effectiveness
of GMI, in addition to expanding our efforts in com-
plementary areas (e.g., CCAC, UNFCCC). In 2012, the
U.S. government will expend slightly more than $8
million on GMI, primarily to provide capacity-building
support to GMI developing countries. The United
States is tailoring its approach within each sector and
placing an additional emphasis on capacity-building
and project opportunities in the following countries:

Agriculture: China, India, Indonesia, Mexico,
Nicaragua, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam

Coal: China, India, Russia, Ukraine

Municipal Solid Waste: Brazil, China, Indonesia,
Ukraine

Municipal Wastewater: Chile, China, Mexico

Oil&Gas: China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Mexico,
Russia, Ukraine

Organizing the Methane Expo 2013. The United
States is pleased to be playing a leadership role—in
partnership with the government of Canada—for the
upcoming Methane Expo 2013, which will take place
on 12-15 March 2013 in Vancouver. We will build
on the success of the two previous Expos—held in
Beijing, China in 2007 and

New Delhi, India in 2010 - GLOBAL METHANE INITIATIVE
by organizing world-class
technical and policy
sessions and showcas-
ing project development
opportunities and cutting-
edge technologies and
expertise.

Tracking and Promoting GMI-Related
Emission Reductions. EPA will continue to main-
tain and update the GMI project tracking system to
facilitate information sharing. In particular, EPA will
work with Partner Country delegates and Project
Network members to ensure complete and accurate
project information. We will encourage use of the
Web interface to identify project opportunities and
methane emission reductions associated with GMI
activities.

Involvement in the Climate and Clean Air
Coalition. The U.S. government will remain actively
involved in the CCAC and support its goal to address
short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). In accordance
with an October 2011 Steering Committee charge
to the ASG, EPA will keep GMI apprised of Coalition
activities that complement the Initiative's goals.

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Global
Methane Initiative

December 2012
www.globalmethane.org

Recycled/Recyclable • Printed on 100% Postconsumer, Process Chlorine Free Recycled Paper that has been manufactured with Wind Power. ^
~ Printing was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,


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