Methane ‘ultra-emitters’ offer oil, gas industry quick, significant way to reduce climate footprint

Capitol Crude: The US Energy Policy Podcast

Using satellite data from 2019 and 2020, a team of French and US researchers created the first systematic estimate of large methane leaks that can only be seen from space. They detected about 1,800 so-called “ultra-emitters” over the two years, of which roughly 1,200 came from oil and gas facilities. Those high-emitting events, which are normally undetectable and not accounted for in national greenhouse gas inventories, represented as much as 12% of global methane emissions from the oil and gas industry, according to their study.

Senior editor Jasmin Melvin spoke with Antoine Halff, co-founder and chief analyst at Kayrros, a French data analytics company that supplied the data that the study was based on, about the prevalence and causes of oil and gas “ultra-emitters” and the climate benefits as well as business opportunities that could come from greater use of satellites to detect and address these emissions.

Stick around after the interview for Chris Van Moessner with the Market Minute, a look at near-term oil market drivers.

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