Methane Emissions from the Oil and Gas Sector

The report assesses worldwide methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, estimating 2010 emissions at 1,554 MMTCO2e. It argues that methane is a critical target for short-term climate mitigation due to its 20-year global warming potential (GWP) being 72 times that of carbon dioxide. The document details over 80 abatement technologies, such as vapor recovery units and infrared leak imaging cameras, while analyzing barriers including government price controls, lack of industry knowledge, and the complexities of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

• Methane has a significantly higher impact on global warming over a short-term horizon than carbon dioxide, with a 20-year global warming potential (GWP) of 72 times that of CO2, compared to a 100-year GWP of 25 times.
• Total worldwide methane emissions from the oil and gas industry were estimated at 1,554 MMTCO2e for the year 2010, with the top 20 emitting countries accounting for 83% of these emissions.
• In the United States, the adoption of hydraulic fracturing for tight gas formations has significantly increased methane emission estimates, raising the 2010 estimate by approximately 300% to 300 MMTCO2e.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (2013). Methane Emissions from the Oil and Gas Sector. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/21093826/CATF_Pub_BarriersOpportunitiesOilGasSector.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Methane Emissions from the Oil and Gas Sector. 2013. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/21093826/CATF_Pub_BarriersOpportunitiesOilGasSector.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Methane Emissions from the Oil and Gas Sector |date=March 2013 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/21093826/CATF_Pub_BarriersOpportunitiesOilGasSector.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforce2013methane, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Methane Emissions from the Oil and Gas Sector}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2013}, month = mar, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/21093826/CATF_Pub_BarriersOpportunitiesOilGasSector.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }