Advances in satellite technology are now transforming the landscape of methane detection and accountability. Pioneering initiatives like the Environmental Defense Fund’s (EDF) MethaneSAT and private operators such as GHGSat are at the forefront of this shift, leveraging cutting-edge technology to deliver unparalleled precision, transparency and real-time data access. These innovations are empowering regulators, environmental advocates and investors to pinpoint and address methane emissions with a level of accuracy that was previously unattainable.

So, why now? Until recently, there was little impetus to measure or curb methane emissions, with regulatory frameworks, market forces and societal demands largely absent. Companies and nations relied on generic emission factors and engineering estimates rather than direct measurements, resulting in a limited understanding of the true scale of the problem. Today, a confluence of technological breakthroughs and growing accountability is changing that dynamic.

Launched in March after six years of development, MethaneSAT addresses critical gaps in the methane-sensing satellite ecosystem. Equipped with a wide field of view, exceptional precision and fine spatial resolution, MethaneSAT can detect and measure even trace amounts of excess methane – down to as little as three parts per billion. It complements the capabilities of existing technologies like GHGSat and the EU’s TROPOMI, the Tropospheric monitoring instrument aboard the Copernicus Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite.

MethaneSAT’s primary objective is to quantify methane emissions from the majority of the world’s oil and gas production regions, delivering the robust data needed to drive substantial emissions reductions. MethaneSAT’s capabilities include a 200-km (124-mile) viewing path in which each sensor pixel captures a 100 metre by 400 metre block. It orbits the Earth approximately 15 times daily, with each orbit taking 95 minutes.

This large viewing path allows it to capture potential emitters ranging from vast oil and gas basins, prominent sub-basins and individual fields to even large facilities spanning multiple square kilometres. For instance, MethaneSAT can map an area as extensive as the Permian Basin – one of the world’s largest oil and gas production regions – in just four target acquisitions. This capability bridges a critical gap by capturing emissions too dispersed for point-source satellites and too diffuse for instruments like TROPOMI to detect.

Dr Ritesh Gautam, Lead Scientist for MethaneSAT, says: ‘The ability to quantify total methane emissions over wide areas with high precision and high resolution makes it an effective, complementary and globally accessible tool to track changes in emissions in order to meet global methane mitigation goals.’

The satellite can measure emissions from over 80% of global oil and gas production using just 150 targets in its viewing path and achieves 90% coverage with around 300 targets. With its orbital track, the satellite revisits targets every 3–4 days for consistent monitoring.

Once spectrometer readings are transmitted back to Earth, the cloud-based MethaneSAT data platform automatically calculates emissions. The data platform is expected to provide data at full capacity in early 2025.

The platform will visualise this information through detailed heat maps of methane emissions across oil and gas fields, accessible to the public free of charge.

’MethaneSAT’s advanced sensing capabilities will enable high-resolution data accessible to everyone,’ says Steven Hamburg, Chief Scientist, EDF. By making this data openly available, the platform empowers users worldwide to identify emission hotspots, track variations and hold emitters accountable, fostering greater transparency and driving meaningful climate action.

What has MethaneSAT found? 
In mid-November, EDF posted some of the first data from the satellite. They suggest that emissions in North America and Central Asian production basins are significantly higher than currently reported in existing inventories built on engineering estimates, according to EDF. Total oil and gas methane emissions observed range from roughly 50 t/h in the Uinta to 280 t/h in the Permian, and up to 420 t/h in the South Caspian Basin.

It adds that, based on gross gas production, the loss rate (or emissions intensity) of 1.8–2.9% observed in the Permian Basin in these preliminary measurements is at least nine times higher than the 2030 target loss rate of 0.2% promised under the industry’s public commitments.

Subtracting non-oil and gas sources, methane emissions observed in the Permian are still three- to five times greater than estimates by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in its 2020 gridded inventory – in line with the data from an aircraft version of MethaneSAT collected in 2023 – while those observed in the South Caspian are over 10 times higher than reported in the independent global 2022 EDGAR emissions database.

Fig 1: Methane concentrations in the Permian Basin on 11 September 2024 
Photo: MethaneSAT

Are new regulations driving satellite measurement of emissions?  
Accurate methane data is also essential for managing future costs and avoiding regulatory penalties. The Methane Emissions Reduction Program, introduced under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), directs the EPA to impose a fee on oil and gas methane emissions starting at $900/t in 2024 and rising to $1,500/t by 2026. The law also mandates updates to the EPA’s reporting methodologies to incorporate direct measurement, which will significantly impact methane reporting for US oil and gas companies. MethaneSAT can play a key role in helping companies comply with these evolving requirements and mitigate associated financial risks.

Satellite data will be instrumental for international institutions shaping methane emissions policies. In August 2024, the first-ever EU regulation on methane emissions reduction in the energy sector (EU/2024/1787) entered into force. Proposed by the European Commission in December 2021 as part of the ‘Fit for 55’ package, the legislation establishes robust rules for monitoring, reporting and verification, along with a comprehensive framework for leak detection and repair. Access to timely, accurate emissions data from sources like MethaneSAT will be critical for ensuring these policies are both precise and impactful, driving meaningful progress in methane reduction efforts.

In addition, the United Nations Environment Programme’s International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) is harnessing data from Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP) member reports, MethaneSAT and other independent measurement-based sources to drive global methane management. By aggregating and analysing these datasets, IMEO seeks to pinpoint reporting gaps and improve the accuracy and reliability of methane emissions data worldwide. MethaneSAT’s advanced capabilities play a pivotal role in this effort, highlighting the indispensable value of precise, actionable data in supporting international climate initiatives and accelerating progress toward methane reduction goals.

Also, investors are increasingly focused on the financial, regulatory and reputational risks tied to methane emissions from oil and gas companies. These concerns form part of a larger assessment of operational competitiveness and energy transition risks. Despite extensive research, firms often struggle with the accuracy and reliability of available emissions data, complicating their decision-making processes.

Adding to this landscape, a growing number of investment firms are adopting climate and net zero commitments. The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), a global coalition of over 550 financial institutions aims to accelerate the decarbonisation of the global economy. These commitments signal a clear demand for better emissions data and reporting standards.

Investors are increasingly focused on the financial, regulatory and reputational risks tied to methane emissions from oil and gas companies.

Investor pressure for transparency is mounting. In a recent comment letter to the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), investors managing $4tn in assets urged the board to strengthen oil and gas disclosure requirements, specifically calling for companies to report their participation in the OGMP and their reporting levels. Similarly, the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC), whose members collectively manage $60tn in assets, has incorporated OGMP Gold Standard requirements into its Net Zero Standard for Oil and Gas, urging companies to align with these benchmarks.

The financial sector is increasingly driving the push for robust, standardised methane emissions reporting to mitigate risks, meet climate commitments and support the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Satellites are playing an increasingly vital role in identifying methane sources as global focus on methane reduction intensifies. At the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, held last year, significant strides were made toward curbing methane emissions. The outcome text from the first Global Stocktake emphasised the critical need to achieve substantial methane reductions by 2030. Key developments included the launch of the Oil and Gas Decarbonisation Charter (ODGC), the expansion of the Global Methane Pledge (GMP) to a total of 156 nations, and the mobilisation of new funding to accelerate efforts in reducing methane and other non-CO₂ greenhouse gases.

Riley Duren, CEO of Carbon Mapper told SpaceNews in January: ‘Methane is increasingly being targeted for near-term action, both because it has a very high global warming potential compared to other gases and because of opportunities for rapid, targeted and cost-effective emission reduction strategies that can complement other important climate stabilisation programmes like reducing carbon dioxide emissions.’

• Further reading: ‘EU aims to regulate methane emissions in Europe and global supply chains’. A new European Union regulation aims to reduce energy sector methane emissions in Europe and in its global supply chains, obliging the oil, gas and coal industry to properly measure, monitor, report, verify and reduce methane emissions.
• Annual methane emissions from fossil fuel operations rose to over 120mn tonnes in 2022; to date they are estimated to account for around 30% of global warming since the Industrial Revolution. But the International Energy Agency estimates that 80% of the options to reduce the industry’s emissions could be implemented at no net cost. Julien Perez, Vice President of Strategy & Policy at the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI), discusses this preventable problem.