Global energy sector methane emissions estimated by using facility-level satellite observations

Science, vol. 390, pp. 1151–1155

Abstract

Methane emissions from energy sector facilities (oil, gas, and coal) represent a substantial contribution to greenhouse gas emissions with substantial mitigation potential. We estimated global 2023 methane emissions from energy sector point sources using the high spatial resolution GHGSat satellite constellation. GHGSat detected 8.30 [Formula: see text] 0.24 million tonnes per year of methane emissions from 3114 emission sites. Detected oil and gas- and coal-emitting sites were found to be emitting 16 and 48% of the time, respectively, above GHGSat's detection limit without obvious continental variation. Compared with the Global Fuel Exploitation Inventory (GFEIv3) estimate, GHGSat's estimate comprises 12% of GFEIv3's total emissions, or 24% over GHGsat-observed locations, with good spatial correlation at the country scale but only weak spatial correlation at 0.2°-×-0.2° grid cell scale.

Authors 11

1. Dylan Jervis

   GHGSat (Canada)

   Affiliation as printed

   GHGSat Inc, Montreal, QC, Canada

2. Marianne Girard

   GHGSat (Canada)

   Affiliation as printed

   GHGSat Inc, Montreal, QC, Canada

3. Jean-Philippe W. MacLean

   GHGSat (Canada)

   Affiliation as printed

   GHGSat Inc, Montreal, QC, Canada

4. David B. Marshall

   GHGSat (Canada)

   Affiliation as printed

   GHGSat Inc, Montreal, QC, Canada

5. Jason McKeever

   GHGSat (Canada)

   Affiliation as printed

   GHGSat Inc, Montreal, QC, Canada

6. Mathias Strupler

   GHGSat (Canada)

   Affiliation as printed

   GHGSat Inc, Montreal, QC, Canada

7. Antoine Ramier

   GHGSat (Canada)

   Affiliation as printed

   GHGSat Inc, Montreal, QC, Canada

8. Ewan R. M. Tarrant

   GHGSat (Canada)

   Affiliation as printed

   GHGSat Inc, Montreal, QC, Canada

9. Joannes D. Maasakkers Aachen SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research

   Space Research Organisation Netherlands

   Affiliation as printed

   SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Leiden, Netherlands

10. Ilse Aben Aachen SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research

    Space Research Organisation Netherlands

    Affiliation as printed

    SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Leiden, Netherlands

11. Tia R. Scarpelli
    Affiliation as printed

    Carbon Mapper, Pasadena, CA, USA