CNX’s 2024 Wrapped
The projects and milestones that defined the year
January 6, 2025
By Positive Energy Hub Staff
As a play on Spotify’s annual “Wrapped,” we’re sharing our own year-in-review highlighting key projects and milestones throughout 2024 that showcase our commitment to responsible, transparent operations, environmental stewardship, and uplifting the communities where we work.
Just like Spotify Wrapped reveals personalized insights, CNX 2024 Wrapped reflects the greatest hits of our team innovating, driving change, and delivering long-term, sustainable energy solutions for Appalachia:
“All Out” RT
As CNX’s novel Radical Transparency program advanced across operating areas, initial results from continuous monitoring by Clean Air Engineering this year demonstrated CNX site-level emissions are far below nationally-designated air quality standards. Importantly, no sustained levels of asthma-inducing PM2.5 or cancer-causing BTEX were observed during any phase of development.
Within the first year of the Radical Transparency program, hundreds of thousands of datapoints have been collected, reported to PA DEP, and transparently posted simultaneously on CNXRadicalTransparency.com. The number of sites equipped with Radical Transparency monitoring equipment continues to grow, with 15 active and archived sites (both well pads and compressor stations) contributing to the real-time feed of air, water, and chemical data.
At its core, Radical Transparency is about open-sourcing environmental data, but its also our way of being open with stakeholders and constantly fielding questions and seeking feedback. Through the program, we’re learning more about our communities’ individual needs and are able to adapt operations to best fit each operating area. This is done through a combination of data-driven efforts and hosting community open houses so local residents can directly interact with CNX employees.
- Related: Radical Transparency is also gaining traction among local industry players, with longstanding chemical provider Chemstream announcing in February their operations are fully compliant with the initiative.
Bold GHG Reductions
With Appalachian natural gas already boasting the lowest methane intensity of all producing regions in the nation, CNX takes these qualities to the next level through an Emission Reduction Task Force that’s always innovating to further reduce our emissions footprint. As outlined in this year’s Corporate Sustainability Report, we reduced operational methane intensity by 52% in our production segment and 31% in our gathering and boosting segment between 2020 and 2023.
Additionally, with a mission to further reduce methane in our midstream segment, we invested $5 million into various technologies, including switching to electric-driven pumps at the Mamont Compressor Station. This singular upgrade translated to an 88% drop in emissions. What’s more, the Mamont station is also part of our Radical Transparency program, feeding air quality data to CNXRadicalTransparency.com in real-time.
H2 Advancements
Appalachia’s hydrogen hub aspirations became closer to reality throughout the year as official funding agreements were finalized via the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2). On top of joining industry-wide initiatives to help jumpstart clean hydrogen development and use in the region, the team was actively working on policy measures to ensure the benefits of the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) can materialize in Appalachian communities.
Importantly, U.S. Treasury recognized the value captured waste coal mine methane (CMM) presents as a feedstock for clean hydrogen production in their final tax credit rules (45V). We're encouraged by this milestone, but remain committed to advocating for opportunities to fully realize the benefits this ultra-low carbon intensity fuel source can unlock in our region and beyond.
Tangible & Local Investments
Work in Westmoreland County and the Alle-Kiski valley came into focus this year as the team geared up for activity in 2025. Importantly, the $20 million Kiski Water Line Project was completed in June and is designed to better serve our local operations while delivering water resource solutions for area residents. The 20" line is expected to serve as the primary alternative to water purchased from the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County (MAWC) during voluntary or mandatory water conservation periods. The water line also significantly reduces the need for CNX to utilize water trucking, further reducing community impact.
Complementing this growing operational footprint in our Central PA (CPA) region, we opened an office in North Apollo this past summer to provide residents, local businesses, landowners, and community members with a place to access the CNX team. With the planned acquisition of Apex Energy’s upstream and midstream assets in Westmoreland County, this office location will serve as a meeting area for new landowners, community members, and other stakeholders to get to know us.
Moving a little farther to the south, CNX also established new regional headquarters in Richlands, Virginia. Ground zero for our mine methane capture operations, the expanded presence will enhance CNX's unique opportunities to help meet rapidly expanding energy demand in a way that advances energy security and decarbonization goals.
- Related: Our first carbon project, the Appalachian Valley Improved Forest Management (IFM) Project, was launched in Virginia this year. Partnering with ClimeCo, we’re preserving over 34,000 forest acres in Virginia, which enhances carbon storage capabilities and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Importantly, this effort helps protect local wildlife and keeps our forests thriving for generations to come.
CNG & OFS Developments
2024 was another year of differentiation at CNX, advancing oilfield services solutions that provide cost, safety, and environmental efficiencies for the industry. April saw the launch of the AutoSepSM Technologies (AutoSep) joint venture with Deep Well Services (DWS), which introduced an automated flowback system for the completions process that leverages CNX’s technical development capabilities and the service quality standard DWS provides to the industry.
We also reached new CNG milestones during the year, notably completing the first full year of deploying CNG water-hauling trucks in southwestern Pennsylvania with FORCE Environmental Solutions. By using CNG, these trucks reduce emissions by 30% and related operating costs by 50%. During that period, CNX used 49,525 gallons (GGE) of CNG, which displaced ~36,192 gallons of diesel. Significant operational efficiencies, such as load time, were equally realized.
Teaming up with NuBlu Energy, 2024 also saw the launch of ZeroHP CNG™, a cutting-edge technology that eliminates the need for mechanical compressors. The new process displays myriad advances including drastic reductions in capital and operating costs, environmental footprint, required maintenance, and trailer fill time. With the capability to fill the largest virtual pipeline trailers in about an hour without the need for refrigeration, the patent-pending approach furthers CNX’s strategic position to meet the growing demand for clean and affordable energy.
- Related: The announcement with NuBlu also launched the Clean mLNG system, a micro-scale LNG liquefaction solution that leverages both Geobaric Energy and NuBlu's methane-only refrigeration technology (Mlng). Leveraging cutting-edge processes and patent-pending technologies, Clean mLNG achieves cost savings and environmental benefits exceeding those of traditional mega-scale LNG processes, marking a significant industry milestone by enabling the cost-effective production of small-scale LNG without compromising performance, and by providing a path to zero Scopes 1 and 2 upstream emissions.
Workforce & Job Training
Equally as important as the operational investments made in 2024 are the unique career readiness programs the CNX Mentorship Academy provides. Over the last three years, the Academy has been opening doors for local youth by helping them learn from the region’s best and brightest. In February 2024, the CNX Board of Directors approved CEO Nick Deiuliis’ request to make another $1.5 million compensation donation to the CNX Foundation in support of the Mentorship Academy – further expanding the program’s offerings and partnerships.
2024 was clearly a busy year for the CNX team, launching a range of new technologies and achieving significant milestones that directly tie back to our commitment to making Appalachia stronger. While we are incredibly proud of our team and partners, we look forward to what’s ahead for us in 2025 as we continue looking for new and improved ways to develop, transport, and use abundant, Appalachian energy.
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