Reducing Methane Emissions from the Oil and Gas Sector: an RCT of policy and technology solutions

Last registered on February 16, 2023
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Reducing Methane Emissions from the Oil and Gas Sector: an RCT of policy and technology solutions
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0010800
Initial registration date
January 19, 2023

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
January 23, 2023, 7:14 AM EST

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Last updated
February 16, 2023, 4:05 PM EST

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Thomas Covert
Affiliation
University of Chicago
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Ludovica Gazze
PI Affiliation
University of Warwick
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PI Name
Olga Rostapshova
PI Affiliation
University of Chicago
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PI Name
Michael Greenstone
PI Affiliation
University of Chicago
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Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2022-11-17
End date
2025-12-31
Keywords
Environment & Energy
Additional Keywords
field experiment, emissions, air pollution, regulation
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial is based on or builds upon one or more prior RCTs.
Abstract
Methane is a potent natural gas with 80-times the short-term global warming potential of carbon dioxide. Colorado has been a leader in regulating these harmful methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, but the state still lacks the ability to comprehensively monitor emissions. This study plans to evaluate the impact of a low-cost notification intervention which increases regulatory scrutiny on oil and gas companies.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Covert, Thomas et al. 2023. "Reducing Methane Emissions from the Oil and Gas Sector: an RCT of policy and technology solutions." AEA RCT Registry. February 16. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.10800-1.1
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2022-11-17
Intervention End Date
2023-12-01

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
The primary outcomes of the experiment will be (1) a binary indicator of methane emissions using our Mobile Air Monitoring Lab (MAML), (2) a measure of the magnitude of methane emissions detected by the MAML, and (3) a binary indicator of emissions detected by an infrared camera during regulatory inspections.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The aim of this experiment is to determine whether notifications to O&G operators that indicate increased regulatory scrutiny can reduce facility-level emissions. Emissions will be measured using novel ground-based technology.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
We used a balanced re-randomization method.
Randomization Unit
Randomization is at the facility-level.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
571 facilities
Sample size: planned number of observations
We estimate that we will be able to collect data from between 2,500 and 4,000 facility visits.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
We randomized half of facilities into treatment, half in control.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
University of Chicago Social and Behavioral Sciences IRB
IRB Approval Date
2021-10-12
IRB Approval Number
IRB21-1506
Analysis Plan

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