Oil & Gas Sector

The GMI Oil & Gas Subcommittee focuses on identifying and deploying practical and cost-effective methane mitigation technologies and practices. The Subcommittee’s objective is to reduce or eliminate emissions from oil and natural gas systems by encouraging collaboration between Partner Countries, Subcommittee members, and Project Network members. Through engagement, the Subcommittee aims to build capacity, develop strategies and markets, and remove technical and nontechnical barriers to methane mitigation project development. Ultimately, this support can increase environmental quality, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen the economy from additional methane brought to market.

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Recent Resources

For a complete list of available oil & gas resources, including technical documents, presentations, and tools, please visit the resources page.

View all Oil & Gas resources

Methane Mitigation Technologies Platform (2023)

U.S. EPA recently updated its Methane Mitigation Technologies Platform, a useful resource that provides information on key methane emissions sources in the oil and gas industry, as well as measurement methodologies, technologies, and common industry practices to reduce methane. This platform reflects experiences and lessons learned from the U.S. EPA’s Oil & Gas Voluntary Methane Programs and may be useful to other countries and companies looking to reduce methane emissions in the oil & gas sector.

A Technical, Economic and Environmental Analysis of Beneficial Use of Stranded Associated Gas in Kazakhstan (2023)

GMI, with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), worked with a partner in Kazakhstan to obtain data on associated gas availability and content to assess the opportunity to mitigate methane and reduce flaring at the Mangystau oilfield in southwest Kazakhstan. The prefeasibility study investigated the potential to monetize the stranded associated gas in the Mangystau oilfield by utilizing modular, small-scale processing technologies to produce marketable liquid hydrocarbon commodities such as methanol, syn-diesel, oil, or others. The report includes the results of the prefeasibility assessment of the range of practical mitigation options and recommendations for an optimum solution.

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Identifying and Evaluating Opportunities for Greenhouse Gas Mitigation & Operational Efficiency Improvement at Oil and Gas Facilities (2020)

This document presents introductory guidance on a pragmatic, integrated approach to identifying, evaluating, and advancing cost-effective, high-impact opportunities to manage greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy use at oil and natural gas facilities. The focus is primarily on key sources of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP). The primary audience for this document includes company managers, facility operators, and relevant service providers outside of North America (particularly where other regulatory guidance for GHG reductions and energy management may not be available).

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Best Practice Guidance for Effective Methane Management in the Oil and Gas Sector: Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) and Mitigation (2019)

This document is intended to be a resource for facility owners, operators and government policymakers. The purpose of this document is to provide information about cost-effective measures for detecting and mitigating methane emissions along the full oil and gas value chain at the company- and national-level. Guidance for developing and implementing practices for monitoring, reporting and verifying (MRV) methane emissions is also provided.

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Upcoming Events

Biogas

Methane Observations for Large Emission Event Detection and Monitoring

19–21 November 2024, Virtual

While carbon dioxide (CO2) is the primary greenhouse gas emitted through human activities, methane is estimated around 80 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere on a 20-year timescale. Methane is an attractive target for mitigation activities because it has a relatively short decadal-scale lifetime in the atmosphere (as compared with the century-scale carbon dioxide lifetime), it can be utilized as an energy source or combusted (converted to CO2) in order to reduce its global warming potential, and the safety issues associated with high concentrations of this flammable gas. Many activities can lead to the release of large concentrations of methane during the course of normal industrial operations or as accidental releases, these are often referred to as super emitter events, which can be identified from modern satellites.

This introductory two-part training will begin with an introduction to the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center and provide participants with an overview of how methane observations from the Earth surface Mineral dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission can be used to identify and monitor areas of high methane enhancement. This course will also demonstrate how to navigate the U.S. Greenhouse Gas center portal to access data products as well as highlight tools for visualizing methane observations.

By the end of this training attendees will be able to:
  1. Identify the goals and objectives of the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center
  2. Define the roles of methane and large emission events in climate change
  3. Identify the sensors used to measure methane
  4. Recognize the strengths and limitations of satellite observations used to measure methane for large emission event tracking
  5. Navigate the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center Portal and the EMIT Open Data Portal to access and visualize data for large emission event tracking
Audience
Federal, state, and local government agency representatives, United Nations agencies with policy mandates related to GHG emission measurement, monitoring and mitigation (e.g., UNEP), entities whose operations produce methane (i.e. oil and gas sector, landfills, livestock, etc.), as well as non-public sector entities with roles/responsibilities in providing GHG data, solutions and services.

University students, early career researchers, and the media may also be interested.

Course Format
Two, 90-minute parts on 19 November and 21 November 2024
Each part includes a 30-min Q&A session

View Details

Biogas

Methane Observations for Large Emission Event Detection and Monitoring

7–9 January 2025, Virtual

This event will be conducted in Spanish.

While carbon dioxide (CO2) is the primary greenhouse gas emitted through human activities, methane is estimated around 80 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere on a 20-year timescale. Methane is an attractive target for mitigation activities because it has a relatively short decadal-scale lifetime in the atmosphere (as compared with the century-scale carbon dioxide lifetime), it can be utilized as an energy source or combusted (converted to CO2) in order to reduce its global warming potential, and the safety issues associated with high concentrations of this flammable gas. Many activities can lead to the release of large concentrations of methane during the course of normal industrial operations or as accidental releases, these are often referred to as super emitter events, which can be identified from modern satellites.

This introductory two-part training will begin with an introduction to the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center and provide participants with an overview of how methane observations from the Earth surface Mineral dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission can be used to identify and monitor areas of high methane enhancement. This course will also demonstrate how to navigate the U.S. Greenhouse Gas center portal to access data products as well as highlight tools for visualizing methane observations.

By the end of this training attendees will be able to:
  1. Identify the goals and objectives of the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center
  2. Define the roles of methane and large emission events in climate change
  3. Identify the sensors used to measure methane
  4. Recognize the strengths and limitations of satellite observations used to measure methane for large emission event tracking
  5. Navigate the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center Portal and the EMIT Open Data Portal to access and visualize data for large emission event tracking
Audience
Federal, state, and local government agency representatives, United Nations agencies with policy mandates related to GHG emission measurement, monitoring and mitigation (e.g., UNEP), entities whose operations produce methane (i.e. oil and gas sector, landfills, livestock, etc.), as well as non-public sector entities with roles/responsibilities in providing GHG data, solutions and services.

University students, early career researchers, and the media may also be interested.

Course Format
Two, 90-minute parts on 7 January and 9 January 2025
Each part includes a 30-min Q&A session

View Details

Oil and Gas

Methane Mitigation Europe Summit

25–27 February 2025, Novotel Amsterdam City, Netherlands

The recent landmark EU 2024/1787 regulation has set the clock ticking! Operators now have a clear timeline to implement new processes, scale resources, and adopt innovative technologies to stay compliant. With the first key deadline set for May 2025, there has never been a more critical time to connect with your industry peers and navigate these challenges together.

Seize the opportunity to join the first European multi-stakeholder gathering after the regulatory announcement. This unique opportunity to come face-to-face with your oil and gas peers and openly discuss your challenges and successes will leave you feeling re-energised and ready to tackle the approaching deadlines head on.

Confirmed speakers include:

  • Cristina Lopez, Methane Emissions and Renewable Gases Process Research Engineer, GRTgaz
  • Murès Zarea, President, GERG
  • Rebecca Allison, COO, Net Zero Technology Centre
  • Isabella Stocker, Methane Advisor, bp
  • Rosalía Vázquez, Energy Transition & Climate Change Sr Advisor, Repsol
  • Ludovic Donnat, Environmental Modeling Research Engineer, TotalEnergies

As a partner of the event, we’re happy to be able to provide you with 20% off your pass.* Use code GMI20 when registering online.

View the website here
View the full speaker line-up

*Reduced rate for operators

View Details

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Oil & Gas Subcommittee

Subcommittee Co-chairs

James Diamond, Chair
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)
Canada

Subcommittee Members

Representatives from 22 countries participate in the Oil & Gas Subcommittee.

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Project Network

Hundreds of Project Network members support methane abatement projects in the oil & gas sector.

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Oil & Gas Subcommittee Subcommittee Statement of Purpose
Oil & Gas Subcommittee Statement of Purpose

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Global Methane Initiative (GMI)
Leading methane action since 2004