5 Facts to Know About Reducing Methane from Oil and Gas

This fact sheet by RMI outlines the critical role of methane in global warming, specifically focusing on the oil and gas sector's contribution. It highlights the high warming potential of methane, the cost-effectiveness of leak repairs, and the increasing role of aerial detection technologies in monitoring emissions.

• Methane is a potent climate pollutant with significantly higher near-term warming power than carbon dioxide. Over a 20-year period, one ton of methane is equivalent to over 80 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. According to the IPCC, methane emissions have contributed 0.5°C to the Earth's total current temperature rise of 1.1°C.
• The oil and gas sector is the second-largest human-caused source of methane emissions globally, following agriculture, and accounts for an estimated 23 percent of global sources. In the United States, oil and gas are a major source of methane, whereas in China, coal is a primary source.
• Low levels of methane leakage can negate the climate benefits of natural gas over coal. Leakage rates as low as 0.2 percent can make gas comparable to coal's net greenhouse gas emissions in terms of near-term warming. Empirical studies have recorded leakage rates ranging from 0.6 percent up to 66 percent, with the highest figures found at offshore platforms in the US Gulf of Mexico.
• Reducing methane leaks is cost-effective because leaked gas represents lost product. Many leaks from well heads, pumps, tanks, pipelines, compressors, and flares can be fixed using existing technical improvements. However, adoption is slow, and the Permian Basin in Texas is noted for having an outsized amount of leakage.
• The use of aerial detection, particularly satellites, is expanding to improve the transparency and mitigation of methane releases. This data is used by operators for equipment repair, investors for financial decisions, regulators for enforcing standards and fees, and civil society for increasing transparency.

APA

RMI (2023). 5 Facts to Know About Reducing Methane from Oil and Gas. https://rmi.org/resources/5-facts-to-know-about-reducing-methane-from-oil-and-gas/

Chicago

RMI. 5 Facts to Know About Reducing Methane from Oil and Gas. 2023. https://rmi.org/resources/5-facts-to-know-about-reducing-methane-from-oil-and-gas/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=5 Facts to Know About Reducing Methane from Oil and Gas |date=20 November 2023 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/5-facts-to-know-about-reducing-methane-from-oil-and-gas/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2023facts, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{5 Facts to Know About Reducing Methane from Oil and Gas}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2023}, month = nov, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/5-facts-to-know-about-reducing-methane-from-oil-and-gas/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }