How many emissions are in a standard barrel of oil and gas? It’s complicated but quantifiable.

This RMI fact sheet explains why emissions from oil and gas cannot be standardized using uniform carbon content figures, highlighting how emissions vary by asset, location, age, and resource type. It advocates for the use of life-cycle emissions data to target reductions across the supply chain.

• Historically, oil and gas emissions were calculated using uniform carbon content figures, with a barrel of oil reported at 434 kg carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) and an equivalent barrel of gas at 315 kg of CO2e. However, RMI argues these resources are too diverse in makeup and processing requirements for such simple standardization.
• In the United States, methane emissions intensities for oil and gas vary by more than 10-fold, ranging from under 1 kilogram to over 8 kilograms of methane per barrel oil equivalent, according to RMI’s Oil Climate Index plus gas (OCI+) tool.
• Emissions intensities differ significantly by resource type: extra-heavy oils have the highest average intensities (combining CO2 and methane), while gases exhibit the widest range of emissions intensities, which increase when methane leaks.
• Aging assets, specifically 'marginal wells' producing less than 630 gallons a day, contribute disproportionately to emissions and environmental risks. In the United States, approximately 75 percent of producing wells are marginal, yet they account for less than 5 percent of total oil and gas production.
• RMI's 'Know Your Oil and Gas' report provides life-cycle emissions intensity estimates for more than 70 percent of global oil and natural gas supplies to help stakeholders reduce emissions, waste, and costs.

APA

RMI (2025). How many emissions are in a standard barrel of oil and gas? It’s complicated but quantifiable. https://rmi.org/resources/how-many-emissions-are-in-a-standard-barrel-of-oil-and-gas-its-complicated-but-quantifiable/

Chicago

RMI. How many emissions are in a standard barrel of oil and gas? It’s complicated but quantifiable. 2025. https://rmi.org/resources/how-many-emissions-are-in-a-standard-barrel-of-oil-and-gas-its-complicated-but-quantifiable/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=How many emissions are in a standard barrel of oil and gas? It’s complicated but quantifiable. |date=22 December 2025 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/how-many-emissions-are-in-a-standard-barrel-of-oil-and-gas-its-complicated-but-quantifiable/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2025how, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{How many emissions are in a standard barrel of oil and gas? It’s complicated but quantifiable.}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2025}, month = dec, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/how-many-emissions-are-in-a-standard-barrel-of-oil-and-gas-its-complicated-but-quantifiable/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }