{"id":28954,"date":"2016-02-26T09:12:15","date_gmt":"2016-02-26T09:12:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/?p=28954"},"modified":"2016-02-26T09:12:15","modified_gmt":"2016-02-26T09:12:15","slug":"largest-gas-leak-in-us-history-leaves-100-year-climate-legacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/2016\/02\/26\/largest-gas-leak-in-us-history-leaves-100-year-climate-legacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Largest gas leak in US history leaves 100-year climate legacy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Study says vast methane plume boosted California’s methane emissions 20%, and raises questions over\u00a0US gas drilling regulations<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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A still from infra-red footage shot by an Earthworks ITC-certified thermographer over the leak (Pic: EDF\/You Tube)<\/p><\/div>\n

By Joanna Peasland<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

A new study confirms the unprecedented Californian gas leak as the biggest ever,\u00a0leading to a 20% spike in the state’s methane emissions.<\/strong><\/p>\n

An estimated 60 metric tonnes of gas spewed\u00a0from the well near San Fernando Valley every hour, mounting to over 100,000 tonnes of methane and ethane during the 112-day blowout, according to a\u00a0scientific study in the journal Science<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The figures exceed previous estimations<\/a> and will leave an impact on the climate for the next 100 years, equal to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from 572,000 US cars, said the report.<\/p>\n

At its worst, the ruptured well – finally plugged earlier this month – was California\u2019s largest point source of methane.<\/p>\n

The amount of gas being released was double that of a coal mine in Alabama and equal to one-quarter of the annual methane pollution from all other sources in the Los Angeles Basin combined, the report added.<\/p>\n

Gas company SoCal detected the ruptured well on 23 October 2015<\/a>, which continued to spew gas until it was plugged on 11 February.<\/p>\n