Methane research continues to expand across measurement technologies, inventories, and mitigation strategies. In this edition, we highlight six recent studies examining lidar quantification error, continuous monitoring, abandoned wells, the economics of methane mitigation, and new satellite-derived basin and national emissions estimates.
Collectively, these studies reinforce two key themes: measurement uncertainty is still an active areas of research, and access to reliable methane data can significantly influence operational outcomes.
Gas Mapping Lidar Error Quantification
In this study, a model for gas mapping LiDAR quantification error for methane measurement is summarized, based upon controlled release testing data. This model describes both systematic bias and random uncertainty. The researchers find that bias is affected mainly by signal to noise ratio (SNR), and uncertainty is controlled by both SNR and wind speed. The authors additionally describe physical principles which can reduce systematic inventory bias by up to 17.5%.
Dudiak, C. D., Goodwin, D. B., Altamura, D., Donahue, C. P., & Thorpe, M. (2025). Quantification Error Model for Aerial LiDAR Methane Emission Rate Estimates.
Reduction in Methane Emissions due to Continuous Monitoring Data.
A laser-based continuous monitoring technology was deployed across 46 oil and gas sites for a ten-month period, with operators given access to real time fugitive alerts and methane emissions data. This study reports that, over the time that operators had access to this real-time data, emissions reduced. However, when the data access was cut-off, emissions climbed by >%60. The authors also found that well sites emit disproportionately more than production facilities. They conclude that operator access to continuous monitoring data correlates to reduced methane emissions.
Global Estimate for Abandoned Well Emissions
A comprehensive global methane emissions inventory from abandoned oil and gas wells is extrapolated from a sample of ~420k records. For an estimated 4.5 million abandoned oil and gas wells across 127 countries, the authors estimate 0.4 million tonnes of methane emissions in 2022. Noting that over 90% of abandoned well emissions come from unplugged wells, the authors recommend plugging abandoned wells, and prioritized high emitting wells tied to major oil and gas producers.
Quantified Benefits of Global Methane Action.
The avoided social costs of achieving the global methane pledge are estimated at more than $1 trillion in avoided market damages annually in 2050. The authors also estimate that the cost of abatement to avoid these damages is less than 1/6 this cost. Noting that significant methane can also be abated at net immediate profit, this work estimates the accumulated social cost of 1 tonne of emitted methane to be more than $7000 by 2050. Although the social benefits are found to be more pronounced for low and middle-income countries, the authors suggest global cooperation is not necessarily required since major economies stand to benefit from methane abatement on their own.
MethaneSAT Quantification of Emissions in 6 Major Basins
Satellite data from 2024-2025 is used to quantify methane emissions in basins in USA, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Iran and Iraq. The researchers found methane intensity can vary by more than 10x, depending on whether a production normalized or energy normalized metric is used: Production normalized gas-loss rates are found to exceed 10% in 2 regions characterized by legacy infrastructure (San Joaquin and Zagros Foldbelt). The authors also note a consistent underestimation of bottom-up inventories as compared to the satellite derived estimates presented here.
Global Satellite Quantification of Methane Emissions
Multiple satellite datasets, including TROPOMI and GHGSat, are combined and analyzed to quantify 2023 methane emissions for 161 countries. Global oil and gas methane emissions are found to be 32% higher than UNFCCC reporting. Oil and gas methane emission intensities are found to vary by more than 100 times between different countries. Of the countries analyzed here, the authors report that only Qatar, Norway, Pakistan, Israel, and Myanmar have intensities below the 0.2% OGCI target.
