​How It Works

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Capping Methane, Converting Liabilities into Climate Assets

Across the United States, hundreds of thousands of inactive and marginal wells leak methane — a greenhouse gas 84 times more potent than CO₂.
These sites create both environmental risk and financial liability for operators, landowners, and state agencies.

SWS Carbon provides a direct, field-ready solution:
We locate, measure, and permanently seal methane-emitting wells, then quantify the verified emission reductions through the International Carbon Registry (ICR) and ISO 14064-2/-3 frameworks.
Each closure transforms an abandoned liability into a certified, monetizable carbon asset — reducing emissions, restoring land, and creating lasting economic value.

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1. Identify Methane Sources

Across the United States, millions of marginal and inactive wells continue to leak methane — a greenhouse gas 84 times more potent than CO₂ over a 20-year period.
SWS Carbon identifies and prioritizes these high-risk sites using:

• EPA and state oil-and-gas commission data;

• Satellite and airborne plume detection (Carbon Mapper, GHGSat, NASA EMIT);

• Field inspections using optical gas-imaging and methane-specific sensors.

Each site is screened to ensure it meets the eligibility conditions defined in the ICR 370 v1.2 “Methane Emissions Prevention via Permanent Abandonment of Marginal Oil and Natural Gas Wells” methodology.
Only wells not subject to a legal closure mandate or public-funded program are accepted, satisfying the additionality and regulatory-surplus requirements under ISO 14064-2 § 5.3.1 (a–d).

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2. Measure & Baseline

Baseline methane emissions are measured by Qualified Methane Specialists (QMS) following EPA Method 21, OGI protocols, and ICR Appendix B guidance.
Each project’s baseline incorporates:

• Continuous or spot methane-flow readings;

• Historic production and venting data from state databases;

• Conservative emission-factor modeling consistent with ICR Annex C and ISO 14064-2.

This establishes the defensible reference scenario required for verified emission-reduction accounting.

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3. Cap & Decommission

SWS Carbon coordinates permanent well abandonment in compliance with applicable U.S. regulations — such as:

• Texas RRC Statewide Rule 14,

• Pennsylvania DEP 25 Pa. Code § 78a.91-98,

• New Mexico OCD Rule 19.15.25 NMAC.

Operations include:

• Mechanical isolation and cement-plug installation per ICR Section 5.1;

• Surface vent-flow elimination and gas-migration testing;

• Reclamation and restoration of surface integrity.

Each closure is georeferenced, photographed, and logged into the project’s ICR digital record, providing transparent chain-of-custody evidence.

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4. Verify & Certify

Independent, accredited Validation and Verification Bodies (VVBs) review all data under ISO 14064-3 and ICR verification procedures § 7.0.
Verification confirms that:

• Methane elimination is permanent, measurable, and conservative;

• Leakage, rebound, and double-counting risks are quantified and discounted;

• A 5 % permanence buffer is applied;

• Annual MRV (Monitoring, Reporting & Verification) is conducted for 10 years.

Upon VVB approval, results are submitted to the International Carbon Registry (ICR) for credit issuance.
Each tonne of avoided methane is serialized, geotagged, and published on the ICR public ledger as a Reduction/Avoidance (RAD) credit under Sectoral Scope 10 – Fugitive Emissions from Fuels.

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5. Monetize & Reinvest

Issued credits are marketed through corporate offtake agreements and voluntary carbon marketplaces.
Proceeds are transparently allocated to:

• Funding additional methane-abatement and reclamation projects;

• Supporting U.S. field contractors, landowners, and host communities;

• Long-term monitoring and verification commitments.

This cycle converts physical emission elimination into a verifiable climate-finance instrument, supporting both U.S. methane-reduction goals and global BVCM (Beyond Value Chain Mitigation) targets.

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The Result

Every well decommissioned through SWS Carbon represents:

• The permanent removal of a fugitive-methane source;

• The elimination of an environmental liability from private or public balance sheets;

• The creation of a verified U.S. carbon credit recorded under ICR 370 v1.2 and ISO 14064-2/-3.

By applying the International Carbon Registry framework to U.S. energy infrastructure, SWS Carbon transforms stranded liabilities into durable, finance-grade climate assets.

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