The Oil and Gas Sector Needs to Tackle Its Methane Problem. Here’s How to Track It.

The OCI+ tool provides data on the methane intensity of global oil and gas resources, highlighting that the sector is responsible for an estimated one-third of global methane emissions. The tool aims to help policymakers, investors, and civil society prioritize the highest-emitting assets for mitigation. The document emphasizes that over half of industry methane emissions can be profitably reduced and notes the role of satellite monitoring in identifying super-emitters. Additionally, the OCI+ includes an environmental justice feature to map the risks posed by gas flaring to nearby communities, specifically utilizing 2022 US flaring data.

• The oil and gas sector is a primary target for methane reduction, accounting for approximately one-third of global methane emissions, with methane contributing to more than 50% of the industry's total emissions.
• Significant portions of methane emissions in the oil and gas industry can be reduced profitably, and the use of certification protocols like MiQ can enable markets for gas with leakage rates under 0.2%.
• Methane leakage rates in the US vary significantly, with some studies showing ranges from under 1% to over 9%, while others report leakage of 25% or more; leakage as low as 0.2% can result in net GHG emissions equivalent to coal.
• The OCI+ tool incorporates a Flaring EJ Risk Map using 2022 US flaring data to visualize environmental justice risks to communities located near gas flares in upstream oil production.
• New satellite programs, including MethaneSAT and Carbon Mapper, are expected to provide routine and open reporting on methane super-emitters following instrument launches in 2024.

APA

RMI (2024). The Oil and Gas Sector Needs to Tackle Its Methane Problem. Here’s How to Track It. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2023/03/oci_plus_methane.pdf

Chicago

RMI. The Oil and Gas Sector Needs to Tackle Its Methane Problem. Here’s How to Track It. 2024. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2023/03/oci_plus_methane.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=The Oil and Gas Sector Needs to Tackle Its Methane Problem. Here’s How to Track It. |date=September 2024 |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2023/03/oci_plus_methane.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2024oil, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{The Oil and Gas Sector Needs to Tackle Its Methane Problem. Here’s How to Track It.}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2024}, month = sep, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2023/03/oci_plus_methane.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }