Mixed messages: New oil and gas extraction areas raise the stakes for methane abatement

A briefing by Global Energy Monitor (GEM) analyzing the potential methane emissions from 74 proposed oil and gas extraction projects scheduled to reach peak production by 2030. The report highlights a conflict between new fossil fuel expansion and global methane reduction commitments, noting significant discrepancies between company-reported emissions and GEM's estimates for projects under development.

• Seventy-four proposed oil and gas extraction projects scheduled to reach peak production by 2030 have the potential to emit 2.4 million metric tonnes of methane annually. This volume is nearly equivalent to the emissions from the entire fossil fuel production sector in Europe.
• A small number of projects are responsible for a disproportionate share of potential emissions. Twelve fields account for half of the total potential emissions, with over 30% originating from just six fields located in Saudi Arabia and Guyana.
• There are significant discrepancies between the company-wide emissions reported to the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 (OGMP 2.0) and the potential emissions from their projects under development. For every company reporting to OGMP 2.0 in 2023, GEM's estimates for their developing projects were higher than the reported company-wide figures, with some estimates being up to thirteen times larger.
• New oil and gas projects pose a risk to the Global Methane Pledge (GMP), which aims to reduce global methane emissions by 30% by 2030. Most projects under development are located in countries or operated by companies that have signed the GMP. In some cases, new fields could drastically increase a country's emissions; for example, potential emissions from new fields in Guyana represent 287% of its 2023 oil and gas production emissions.
• European Union regulations on methane monitoring, disclosure, and abatement for imported oil and gas are expected to affect many of the fields under development, as every field examined either imports to or is located within an EU member state. However, 52 fields in importer countries will reach peak production before 2027, the year when importers must meet the same standards as EU fields.
• The Jafurah field in Saudi Arabia is the highest-ranking source of potential emissions and is likely the largest shale gas development outside the United States, with a reported need for over $110 billion to begin operations in 2020.

APA

Global Energy Monitor (2024). Mixed messages: New oil and gas extraction areas raise the stakes for methane abatement. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM_GMET-Oil-Gas-Extraction-Briefing_11.pdf

Chicago

Global Energy Monitor. Mixed messages: New oil and gas extraction areas raise the stakes for methane abatement. 2024. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM_GMET-Oil-Gas-Extraction-Briefing_11.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Energy Monitor |title=Mixed messages: New oil and gas extraction areas raise the stakes for methane abatement |date=April 2024 |url=https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM_GMET-Oil-Gas-Extraction-Briefing_11.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalenergymonitor2024mixed, author = {{Global Energy Monitor}}, title = {{Mixed messages: New oil and gas extraction areas raise the stakes for methane abatement}}, institution = {Global Energy Monitor}, year = {2024}, month = apr, url = {https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM_GMET-Oil-Gas-Extraction-Briefing_11.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }