WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. — Seneca Resources has received a certification of 100% of its Appalachian natural gas production.
Seneca, the exploration and production segment of National Fuel Gas Co., announced Tuesday that it has achieved a certification of 100% of its Appalachian natural gas production, over 1 billion cubic feet of daily gross production, under Equitable Origin’s EO100 Standard for Responsible Energy Development, a series of rigorous environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance targets.
Equitable Origin is a non-profit organization that created the first market-based mechanism to recognize and reward responsible energy producers and to empower energy purchasers through independent, site-level certification. The EO100 Standard for Responsible Energy Development is grounded in a set of comprehensive, globally applicable ESG performance targets developed with extensive stakeholder input.
“Seneca’s Equitable Origin certification validates our long-standing culture and history of environmental responsibility and community engagement,” said Justin Loweth, president of Seneca Resources. “We will continue to embrace new technologies and implement best practices in order to remain on the leading edge of the industry’s sustainability initiatives. In addition, as we look ahead, we expect that the certification of Seneca’s entire Appalachian natural gas base will differentiate our responsibly sourced, low methane-intensity production with end-users and commercial markets.”
As part of the certification process, a team of accredited auditors from Geosyntec, representing a variety of technical and social backgrounds, conducted an independent, third-party audit of Seneca’s Pennsylvania operations to assess its alignment to the five principles of the EO100 Standard, including corporate governance and ethics, social impacts, human rights and community engagement, Indigenous Peoples’ rights, occupational health, safety and fair labor standards, and environmental impacts, biodiversity, and climate change.
Geosyntec is a consulting and engineering firm that works with private and public sector clients to address new ventures and complex problems involving our environment, natural resources, and civil infrastructure. Geosyntec’s dedicated team of ESG and sustainability practitioners assist in building a solid foundation and strategic roadmap that is data-driven and tailored to mitigate business risks, leverage opportunities, and drive long-term business value.
Audit activities included a thorough examination of Seneca Resources’ documented programs, a field assessment of its operations, and 30 interviews with internal and external stakeholders.
“We are delighted to announce that Seneca has achieved EO100 certification of its Appalachian operations, demonstrating its social and environmental responsibility as well as a commitment to continuous improvement. Seneca’s certification will expand the supply of certified natural gas that the market demands,” said Soledad Mills, CEO of Equitable Origin.
In addition to certification under the Equitable Origin Standard, Seneca is also seeking responsibly sourced gas (RSG) certification for approximately 300 million cubic feet per day of the National Fuel Company’s Appalachian production under Project Canary.
Project Canary’s proprietary TrustWell operational certification process is a recognized, comprehensive market leader for operators seeking RSG certification, with a focus on air, land, water, and community impacts. Overall, this certification process is expected to analyze more than 600 unique operational and environmental, social, and governance (ESG)-related data points on a per-well basis.
