Recent comprehensive aerial measurements have uncovered that oil and natural gas producers across the U.S. are emitting methane into the atmosphere at rates more than four times those estimated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This new data, which is based on industry-reported figures, also reveals that operators are exceeding their own emissions goals by a factor of eight.
Data Collection by MethaneAIR
The data was collected using MethaneAIR, a specially equipped jet aircraft, which measured regions accounting for 70% of onshore contiguous U.S. oil and gas production. MethaneAIR employs similar technology to MethaneSAT, a satellite developed by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). MethaneSAT, launched in March this year, is expected to begin delivering public data later this year and will enter full operation in early 2025.
“Information used to track methane emissions today is based on extrapolations from very limited measurements. Now we can take robust, reliable measurements directly at an unprecedented scale,” said Dr. Ritesh Gautam, Lead Senior Scientist on the MethaneSAT mission at EDF. “These new findings represent a major advance over current methods, but also just a preview of the continuous high-resolution measurements that are coming soon from MethaneSAT and other satellites.”
The Impact of Methane Emissions
Methane is a highly potent greenhouse gas, central to the effort to prevent catastrophic climate change. The new measurements underscore the urgent need for accurate emissions data, which is increasingly in demand from regulators, fossil fuel companies, investors, and the public. The significant gap between reported and actual emissions highlights the importance of transparent reporting based on real measurements.
The Role of MethaneAIR and MethaneSAT
Both MethaneAIR and MethaneSAT are designed to measure methane levels precisely with high spatial resolution over wide areas, detecting numerous smaller emissions that other satellites miss. MethaneAIR provides quantitative data on total emissions from large regions and jurisdictions, data that is crucial for tracking progress in reducing methane emissions.
Policy and Market Implications
Data from MethaneAIR, MethaneSAT, and other remote sensing tools will enable a more accurate assessment of reported methane emissions at the basin and sub-basin levels across diverse oil and gas producing regions. This will inform key policy and regulatory developments, including emissions reporting and the implementation of EPA standards to cut oil and gas methane pollution.
The ability to compare emissions and emissions intensity at the basin and country level will also impact the competitiveness of U.S. operators under upcoming methane performance standards for natural gas imported to the European Union, as well as for LNG suppliers to Japan and South Korea.
Urgent Need for Accurate Reporting
The findings emphasise the importance of the EPA continuing to update its reporting program to improve data accuracy and address underreported emissions. This includes the agency’s commitment to incorporate data from satellites and other advanced measurement technologies into the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program.
EDF stresses that while these plans are a positive step, more needs to be done to enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of the data.
Excessive Emission Rates and Industry Commitments
The aggregate emission rate observed across 12 major production basins would amount to 7.5 million metric tons per year (about 860 metric tons of methane pollution every hour), enough to meet the annual energy needs of over half of U.S. homes.
The observed methane loss rate of 1.6% is eight times higher than the 0.2% emissions intensity target adopted by 50 companies under the Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter announced at COP28.
The high leak rates raise serious questions about the effectiveness of the industry’s management practices and their commitment to meeting stated methane performance goals. These findings also suggest competitive concerns for U.S. operators under new emissions standards for gas exported to the European Union and other major markets like South Korea and Japan.
Comprehensive Data Analysis
MethaneAIR data, collected from over 30 flights between June and October last year, covered areas representing over 70% of U.S. onshore oil and gas production. The data was compared with the EPA’s 2020 gridded methane emissions inventory.
Highest emissions were seen in the Permian Basin, followed by Appalachian and Haynesville basins. Gas-dominant basins like Appalachian and Haynesville have lower but still significant methane loss rates, while oil-dominant basins like Permian, Eagle Ford, and Bakken show higher rates.
Relatively mature basins with ageing infrastructure, such as Uinta, have extremely high methane loss rates, partly due to unaddressed fugitive emissions even as production declines. The findings align with other independent estimates from ground, aerial, and satellite platforms.
Featured Image: Credit: MethaneAIR
