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Fugitive methane emissions: How to tackle them as regulations tighten
Methane leaks are under scrutiny globally as regulators clamp down on fugitive emissions. Dynamic pressure regulation and sensor technology can help networks make cuts.
Fugitive methane emissions: How to tackle them as regulations tighten
Methane leaks are under scrutiny globally as regulators clamp down on fugitive emissions. Dynamic pressure regulation and sensor technology can help networks make cuts.
What do Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Pakistan and Iran have in common?
The answer is that, between them, these countries host the top 25 locations globally in the oil and gas sector with the largest rates of emissions of methane. The city of Esenguly, in the Balkan Province, Turkmenistan, is allegedly the worst offender. The area generates emissions of 10.5 tonnes of methane per hour, according to data captured last year by satellite systems and compiled by UCLA’s School of Law.
Although Turkmenistan predominates, locations in Iran and Venezuela also make the list of the top 25 worst offenders when it comes to methane emissions. The most polluting sites in Iran and Venezuela produce fugitive methane emissions of between 7.1 and 6.9 tonnes of methane every hour respectively, according to the UCLA report. (To give an idea of volumes at the lower end of the scale, the city of Daharki in Pakistan, coming in at number 25, generates emissions of 3.7 million tonnes an hour.)
Why is this significant?
It’s significant because of methane’s impact on global warming. Methane is 80 times more potent a greenhouse gas than CO2, making it a disproportionately powerful contributor to global temperature rises relative to volumes emitted. Taking five tonnes of methane emissions an hour out of the global climate equation would have a major effect: the equivalent to taking a million SUVs off the road or shutting down a 500MW coal-fired power station (these comparisons courtesy of UCLA Law).
So, paradoxically, while satellites tracking and revealing huge emissions of methane in certain countries is alarming, these irregularities are also a source of hope: tackling the largest sources represents “big opportunities …. for near-term reductions” in greenhouse gases, says UCLA.
That’s because, unlike CO2, which persists in the atmosphere for centuries, methane has a relatively short atmospheric lifetime (approximately 12 years). “This means that reductions in methane emissions can deliver measurable climate benefits within a single generation,” points out Matteo Campanelli, project manager at Automa, which develops technology for detecting and reducing methane emissions.
“Reductions in methane emissions can deliver measurable climate benefits within a single generation.”
Matteo Campanelli, project manager, Automa
What do Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Pakistan and Iran have in common?
The answer is that, between them, these countries host the top 25 locations globally in the oil and gas sector with the largest rates of emissions of methane. The city of Esenguly, in the Balkan Province, Turkmenistan, is allegedly the worst offender. The area generates emissions of 10.5 tonnes of methane per hour, according to data captured last year by satellite systems and compiled by UCLA’s School of Law.
Although Turkmenistan predominates, locations in Iran and Venezuela also make the list of the top 25 worst offenders when it comes to methane emissions. The most polluting sites in Iran and Venezuela produce fugitive methane emissions of between 7.1 and 6.9 tonnes of methane every hour respectively, according to the UCLA report. (To give an idea of volumes at the lower end of the scale, the city of Daharki in Pakistan, coming in at number 25, generates emissions of 3.7 million tonnes an hour.)
Why is this significant?
It’s significant because of methane’s impact on global warming. Methane is 80 times more potent a greenhouse gas than CO2, making it a disproportionately powerful contributor to global temperature rises relative to volumes emitted. Taking five tonnes of methane emissions an hour out of the global climate equation would have a major effect: the equivalent to taking a million SUVs off the road or shutting down a 500MW coal-fired power station (these comparisons courtesy of UCLA Law).
So, paradoxically, while satellites tracking and revealing huge emissions of methane in certain countries is alarming, these irregularities are also a source of hope: tackling the largest sources represents “big opportunities … for near-term reductions” in greenhouse gases, says UCLA.
That’s because, unlike CO2, which persists in the atmosphere for centuries, methane has a relatively short atmospheric lifetime (approximately 12 years). “This means that reductions in methane emissions can deliver measurable climate benefits within a single generation,” points out Matteo Campanelli, project manager at Automa, which develops technology for detecting and reducing methane emissions.
Methane is 80 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide
“Reductions in methane emissions can deliver measurable climate benefits within a single generation.”
Matteo Campanelli, project manager, Automa
