The next methane surge

The briefing warns that 63 oil and gas fields in development could emit 2,300 kilotonnes of methane annually by 2030, a volume comparable to current fossil fuel production emissions in Europe. It highlights a critical gap where high-emitting projects in countries exporting to the EU will reach peak capacity before EU methane regulations take full effect in 2027 and 2030. The report notes significant data transparency failures among top operators and argues that continued investment in new infrastructure undermines the Global Methane Pledge and overall climate mitigation efforts.

• Sixty-three oil and gas fields currently in development are projected to emit 2,300 kilotonnes (kt) of methane annually before 2030, which is equivalent to the total methane emissions from current fossil fuel production in Europe.
• A small number of projects drive the majority of potential emissions; just ten fields in Guyana, Libya, Russia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Uganda account for more than half of the total potential emissions (1,196 kt).
• Several high-emitting fields in countries that export to the European Union—specifically Marjan Expansion, Bahr Es Salam, Yellowtail, and Uaru—will reach production design capacity before 2027, the year they must comply with EU monitoring and repair standards.
• There is a significant lack of transparency from the three largest operators with fields in development: Saudi Aramco, Gazprom, and ExxonMobil have not submitted data to the United Nations Oil and Gas Methane Program 2.0 (OGMP 2.0), and Saudi Aramco and Gazprom have no public intention to do so.
• New developments threaten the goals of the Global Methane Pledge (GMP) to reduce emissions by 30% by 2030. For Guyana, potential emissions from new fields represent 150% of its 2024 countrywide emissions (165 kt), and for Saudi Arabia, they represent 15% of 2024 emissions (2,863 kt).
• The oil and gas industry continues to expand methane-emitting infrastructure despite falling demand. Between March 2024 and February 2025, 304 kt of potential emissions were added from projects moving from 'in development' to 'operating', while only 139 kt were associated with cancelled projects.

APA

Global Energy Monitor (2025). The next methane surge. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM-methane-brief-June-2025_3.pdf

Chicago

Global Energy Monitor. The next methane surge. 2025. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM-methane-brief-June-2025_3.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Energy Monitor |title=The next methane surge |date=June 2025 |url=https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM-methane-brief-June-2025_3.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalenergymonitor2025next, author = {{Global Energy Monitor}}, title = {{The next methane surge}}, institution = {Global Energy Monitor}, year = {2025}, month = jun, url = {https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM-methane-brief-June-2025_3.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }