Global Methane Super-Emitters — Satellite Study Exposes 4,400 Plumes from Oil and Gas Sites

🗞️ Why in News A satellite-based study by UCLA’s Stop Methane Project, using Carbon Mapper data, identified over 4,400 methane plumes across nearly 2,500 oil and gas facilities worldwide, with Turkmenistan hosting 15 of the 25 highest-emitting sites.

Key Findings of the Study

The UCLA Stop Methane Project, using satellite data from Carbon Mapper, conducted the most comprehensive global survey of methane super-emitters from the oil and gas sector.

Scale of Impact

A single leak of 5 tonnes/hour has a warming impact comparable to:

• A major coal-fired power plant, or
• ~1 million vehicles on the road

Why Methane Matters

Methane (CH4) is the second most significant greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide, but is far more potent per molecule.

Why the 20-year vs 100-year Distinction Matters

Methane breaks down much faster than CO2, so its warming effect is concentrated in the near term. Reducing methane emissions is the fastest lever to slow global warming in the next two decades — making it a high-priority climate action.

Sources of Global Methane Emissions

The current study focused on fossil fuel sources, which are considered the most technically avoidable through leak detection and repair.

Root Causes of Super-Emissions

1. Equipment leaks — faulty valves, connectors, compressors
2. Flaring inefficiencies — incomplete combustion during gas flaring releases unburned methane
3. Venting — deliberate release of methane during maintenance or pressure relief
4. Poor infrastructure maintenance — aging pipelines and facilities in countries like Turkmenistan and Venezuela
5. Lack of regulation — many countries have no mandatory leak detection and repair (LDAR) programmes

Global Methane Pledge

The Global Methane Pledge was launched at COP26 in Glasgow (November 2021), led by the United States and the European Union.

Key Details

• Target: Reduce global methane emissions by 30% below 2020 levels by 2030
• Signatories: 159 countries (as of 2025)
• Notable non-signatories: China, Russia, India
• India’s position: India did not sign the pledge at COP26 citing concerns about its large agricultural sector and livestock economy. However, India has taken domestic steps on methane capture from coal mines and landfills.

India Context

Methane Hotspots in India

• Ghazipur landfill (Delhi): recorded extreme methane events exceeding 400 tonnes per hour — among the highest non-fossil-fuel methane point sources globally
• Coal mine methane: India’s coal mines release significant methane; Coal India Ltd has pilot projects for Coal Mine Methane (CMM) capture
• Rice paddies: India is the world’s second-largest rice producer; paddy fields emit methane from anaerobic decomposition
• Livestock: India has the world’s largest cattle population (~192.9 million as per 20th Livestock Census, 2019); enteric fermentation is a major methane source

India’s Domestic Actions

• National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) — includes methane mitigation under multiple missions
• Swachh Bharat Mission — addresses landfill methane through waste segregation and biomethanation
• System of Rice Intensification (SRI) — alternate wetting and drying reduces methane from paddies by up to 50%
• Gobardhan Scheme — biogas from cattle dung, converting methane into energy

Satellite Monitoring Technology

Carbon Mapper

• A public-private partnership using satellite-based remote sensing to detect and quantify methane point sources
• Uses imaging spectrometers on satellites to identify methane plumes from space
• Data is made publicly available to enable accountability

Other Satellite Programmes

• TROPOMI (ESA) — Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument on Sentinel-5P
• MethaneSAT (Environmental Defense Fund) — launched 2024, dedicated methane-monitoring satellite
• GHGSat (Canada) — commercial high-resolution methane monitoring

UPSC Relevance

Prelims: Methane GWP (28x/86x CO2), Global Methane Pledge (COP26, Glasgow 2021, 30% by 2030), Carbon Mapper, methane atmospheric lifespan (~12 years), methane sources (agriculture 40%, fossil fuels 35%). Mains GS3: Role of methane in climate change; satellite-based environmental monitoring; India’s methane mitigation — SRI, Gobardhan, CMM capture; India’s non-participation in Global Methane Pledge. Mains GS2: International environmental governance; COP process and voluntary pledges vs binding commitments.

📌 Facts Corner — Knowledgepedia

Methane — Core Data:

• GWP-100: 28x CO2; GWP-20: 86x CO2
• Atmospheric lifespan: ~12 years
• Share of global warming: ~30% since Industrial Revolution
• Second most significant GHG after CO2

Study Findings:

• UCLA Stop Methane Project + Carbon Mapper
• 4,400+ plumes across ~2,500 oil and gas facilities
• Turkmenistan: 15 of top 25 sites; others: Iran, Venezuela, Texas, Sindh
• Super-emitter range: 3.7-10.5 tonnes/hour

Global Methane Pledge:

• COP26, Glasgow, November 2021
• Led by: USA and EU
• Target: 30% reduction below 2020 levels by 2030
• 150+ signatories; India, China, Russia did not sign

India’s Methane Context:

• Ghazipur landfill: >400 tonnes/hour recorded
• World’s largest cattle population: ~300 million
• 2nd largest rice producer; SRI reduces paddy methane by ~50%
• Gobardhan Scheme: biogas from cattle dung
• CMM capture pilots by Coal India Ltd

Satellite Monitoring:

• Carbon Mapper: public-private, imaging spectrometers
• MethaneSAT: launched 2024 by EDF
• TROPOMI: ESA Sentinel-5P instrument
• GHGSat: Canadian commercial system

Other Relevant Facts:

• NAPCC: 8 national missions; methane addressed under multiple missions
• Swachh Bharat: waste segregation + biomethanation for landfill methane
• Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD): rice paddy technique to cut CH4

Sources: GKToday, Carbon Mapper, UNFCCC