Methane emissions: Industry releases more than estimated

Updated June 16,2025

Methane,a potent but often overlooked greenhouse gas,poses a significant threat to climate goals. While it dissipates faster than carbon dioxide, methane ⁢traps roughly 30 times more heat over a century and over 80 times more heat over 20 years, making it a critical target for immediate action.

A common practice in natural gas production ‍is to ‍flare methane when containment isn’t economical. Burning methane converts it to⁤ carbon dioxide, which has a lesser, though still substantial, climate impact. However, monitoring methane⁢ leaks is challenging, leading to underestimations of emissions,‍ researchers and environmental advocates say.

Methane also escapes from coal mines, often exceeding emissions from natural gas production. As miners expose⁣ coal seams, methane is released and continues long after mines are abandoned. The Ember clean energy think tank estimates that coal mine methane emissions could be 60% higher than official figures. Abandoned coal mines are particularly problematic, emitting more methane than abandoned oil and gas wells. Globally, methane from coal mines has the same⁣ warming effect as India’s total annual carbon dioxide emissions.

Nonprofits are using ground-based sensors, aerial monitors, and satellites to improve methane emissions data. The⁣ Environmental Defense Fund’s MethaneSAT project has revealed that numerous small oil and gas wells, each emitting less than 100 kilograms per hour, account for a majority of U.S. oil and gas⁢ methane emissions.

Ritesh Gautam, lead scientist for MethaneSAT, said these marginal wells, producing only‍ 6-7% of U.S. oil and gas, disproportionately contribute almost⁤ 50% of the sector’s methane ⁤emissions. He noted over half a million such wells are ⁢scattered across the U.S.

Fortunately, many tools to curb methane emissions from the ⁢energy industry already exist. The International Energy ⁤Agency (IEA)‍ reports that about 70% of fossil fuel sector methane emissions could be avoided wiht existing, low-cost technologies. For oil and gas, this includes better pipeline fittings and methane capture systems. Capturing methane can be profitable, as the saved gas can ⁣be sold.

Capturing ⁤methane from coal mines is more complex.Traditional methods involving heating⁣ air pose explosion risks. however, safer catalytic alternatives have been developed, according to Robert Jackson, a professor of earth system science at Stanford University.

Despite available solutions, only about 5% of active oil and gas facilities worldwide use methane pollution control systems. millions of abandoned oil and ⁤gas wells and tens⁣ of thousands ⁤of abandoned coal mines in the U.S. continue to emit methane, with no one held accountable.

“If there isn’t a regulatory mandate to treat the methane, ‍or put a price on it, many companies continue to do nothing,” Jackson ‍said.

He added that while methane recovery is profitable long-term,the margins frequently enough aren’t enough to justify upfront investments for companies seeking high returns.

Furthermore, methane regulations may weaken. While the Trump governance approved funds for reclaiming abandoned⁢ coal mines, it halted ‍funding for plugging abandoned oil and gas wells and limited environmental reviews for new fossil fuel projects. Congressional Republicans are also seeking to repeal the methane fee included in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. Weaker methane regulations ⁤could lead to increased emissions, hindering climate goals.

What’s next

Without stronger incentives to track and limit methane, emissions are likely to keep rising, ⁤pushing the world further⁢ away from climate goals and contributing to a hotter planet.