Meet the Top Polluters
Chevron
Chevron aggressively ran its “methane in the pipe” advertising campaign, while its climate strategy was dubbed “worst among its peers.”
At the same time the company owns local news outlets in several communities where it operates that publish articles promoting the company’s image while ignoring or under-reporting stories about its pollution events and environmental violations.
Hilcorp
Hilcorp has consistently ranked as the #1 methane polluter in the U.S. oil and gas industry. The company has built its business model on buying up older and more polluting wells. From New Mexico to Alaska to Ohio the company continues to leak and incur fines in the name of increasing profits, all while putting frontline communities at risk. In 2024 alone, the company agreed to pay cumulative penalties in excess of $10 million for failing to curb its emissions in New Mexico and Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, the company and its top executive were allegedly helping lead a fight to end methane emissions penalties.
Total Energies
One of the world’s largest oil and gas producers, Total has established near-term methane emissions goals, but the company is one of the top methane polluters in the U.S. In Texas, the company has earned a notorious track record for drilling and polluting the air, just hundreds of feet away from homes, schools, and playgrounds.
Exxon
Despite being one of the top methane polluters in the U.S., and one of the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters, Exxon’s chief executive Darren Woods instead blamed the public for the failure to address climate change, saying: “The people who are generating those emissions need to be aware of and pay the price for generating those emissions. That is ultimately how you solve the problem.” For decades, Exxon knew, and worked to obstruct, action to address fossil fuel use and the climate crisis.
Diversified Energies
Diversified, the largest owner of oil and gas wells in the U.S., was the focus of a Bloomberg investigation in 2021 that found widespread gas leaks at its aging production installations, and a field visit in 2022 from Earthworks found similar evidence of leaking equipment. The company has farther to go to slash methane pollution than almost any other company in the country.
CNX resources
CNX spent most of 2024 promoting its “Radical Transparency” but the only thing transparent about this company is the gas spewing from its operations – good thing Earthworks methane detecting cameras can see through their PR tricks. This polluter has had a prolific end to 2024, including a leak, captured by EDF’s MethaneSAT Satellite, pumping out methane at a rate of 1000 kilograms per hour – the weight of an adult American Bison every hour. One hour at that rate has more of a climate impact than you could produce after 18 years of driving (based on a vehicle that gets 22.2 miles per gallon and drives 11,500 miles per year).
Continental Resources
Continental is one of the oil and gas industry’s top methane polluters, and according to a 2023 report the company had the highest emissions from associated gas venting and flaring of all U.S. producers. While the company reported a profit of $1 billion in its final quarter before Harold Hamm officially retook Continental as privately held, one analysis estimated that it would cost Continental only about $12 million to clean up the bulk of its methane emissions. Hamm was also reportedly at the forefront of the Trump administration’s energy policy and won a key victory as the Securities and Exchange Commission dismantled a rule requiring large companies disclose their emissions and any plans to reduce them.