Colorado Ongoing Basin Emissions Study (COBE-2)

Summary:

The Colorado Ongoing Basin Emissions (COBE) project, run by the Colorado State University Methane Emissions Technology Evaluation Center (METEC), PI Hodshire, served to help the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), Air Pollution Control Division (APCD) facilitate the state of Colorado’s efforts to enact greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction measures with the aim of informing the Upstream Oil and Natural Gas (O&G) Intensity Verification Rule. CDPHE has a charge to annually develop intensity default factors for the upstream segment for the implementation of the GHG Intensity Verification Rule (AQCC Regulation Number 7 Part B Section VIII.F). Development of robust GHG intensity default factors are therefore essential for proper implementation of both APCD and ECMC regulations. COBE informed the 2026 intensity default factors and developed two model results, one from CSU and another independent model from Colorado School of Mines (CSM). At the conclusion of COBE, CSU and CSM collaborated on a proposal, “COBE-2”, to continue the project through the Mark Martinez and Joey Irwin Memorial Public Projects Fund, administered by Energy & Carbon Management Commission (ECMC).

COBE-2 is intended to develop recommended 2027 intensity default factors as well as deepen the analyses within COBE, as COBE uncovered key open questions around measurement-informed inventory development. All analyses are intended to provide actionable information to all stakeholders, in particular CDPHE, ECMC, and other associated regulatory and/or governmental bodies and O&G operators. Communication and workshops for stakeholders and operator engagement was a focus in COBE and will continue to be a focus here.

Objectives:

Goal: To improve and protect the air quality in Colorado through the development and implementation of cost-effective and efficient air pollution control measures that are consistent with the requirements of state and federal law.

Objective: Help develop the 2027 intensity default factors using data collected from COBE as well as data shared from operators. Provide additional insights to CDPHE, ECMC, and O&G stakeholders on emission trends analysis in Colorado, measurement campaign recommendations, and MII methods.

Project Plan:

This continuation Project begins February 2026 and will run through April 2027. CDPHE needs initial findings to inform the 2027 intensity factors by September 2026.

Task 1: Project Planning and Management
Task 2: Operator Participation
Task 3: Diagnose and harmonize model differences
Task 4: Help develop recommendations for the 2027 intensity factors
Task 5: Continued analysis and publications of COBE and related projects, directed towards impactful
results for regulators and operators

What does operator/CSU participation look like in COBE?

1. Agree to participate: CSU/Operators covered by an NDA.

a. Expect operators to join in stages as more learn about project.

b. NDA will define how information will be exchanged – depends on legal counsel’s recommendations.

2. Operators provide email and phone contact for POC for CSU to send detections on their facility.

3. Operators can agree to different levels of participation:

a. Participate in occasional meetings held by science team to stay in the know;

b. Share own operator data, if operators are conducting aerial surveys, OGI inspections, or have continuous monitoring data and would be willing to share data with the team to better characterize emissions in Colorado and diagnose model differences between the CSU and CSM models; and/or

c. Operators want their own specific measurement informed inventory and can share enough data to understand at the asset level emissions.

4. Operator that share data return a best estimate of cause – maintenance, known problem – to CSU …sometimes reiteration is needed here.

5. CSU/Operators have regular working group meetings.