Satellite Discovery of Anomalously Large Methane Point Sources From Oil/Gas Production

D. J. Varon; J. McKeever; D. Jervis; J. D. Maasakkers; S. Pandey; S. Houweling; I. Aben; T. Scarpelli; D. J. Jacob

doi:10.1029/2019GL083798

Satellite Discovery of Anomalously Large Methane Point Sources From Oil/Gas Production

D. J. Varon^*, J. McKeever, D. Jervis, J. D. Maasakkers, S. Pandey, S. Houweling, I. Aben, T. Scarpelli, D. J. Jacob

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Rapid identification of anomalous methane sources in oil/gas fields could enable corrective action to fight climate change. The GHGSat-D satellite instrument measuring atmospheric methane with 50-meter spatial resolution was launched in 2016 to demonstrate space-based monitoring of methane point sources. Here we report the GHGSat-D discovery of an anomalously large, persistent methane source (10–43 metric tons per hour, detected in over 50% of observations) at a gas compressor station in Central Asia, together with additional sources (4–32 metric tons per hour) nearby. The TROPOMI satellite instrument confirms the magnitude of these large emissions going back to at least November 2017. We estimate that these sources released 142 ± 34 metric kilotons of methane to the atmosphere from February 2018 through January 2019, comparable to the 4-month total emission from the well-documented Aliso Canyon blowout.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	13507-13516
Number of pages	10
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	46
Issue number	22
Early online date	25 Oct 2019
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL083798
Publication status	Published - 28 Nov 2019

Funding

We thank O. B. A. Durak and J. J. Sloan for their roles in developing the GHGSat retrievals algorithm and measurement concept. We thank C. Herzog, M. Arias, and K. Wisniewski for technical assistance and preparation of the GHGSat‐D methane data. We thank the team that realized the TROPOMI instrument and its data products, consisting of the partnership between Airbus Defense and Space, KNMI, SRON, and TNO, commissioned by NSO and ESA. Sentinel‐5 Precursor is part of the EU Copernicus program, and Copernicus (modified) Sentinel data 2017–2019 have been used. D. J. J. was supported by the Carbon Monitoring System of the NASA Earth Science Division. S. P. is funded through the GALES project (15597) by the Dutch Technology Foundation STW, which is part of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), and is partly funded by Ministry of Economic Affairs. Part of this work was carried out on the Dutch national e‐infrastructure with the support of SURF Cooperative.

Funders	Funder number
SURF Cooperative
Earth Sciences Division	15597
European Commission
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Stichting voor de Technische Wetenschappen
Ministry of Economic Affairs
Koninklijk Nederlands Meteorologisch Instituut
Airbus Defense and Space

Keywords

Emissions
GHGSat
Methane
Oil/gas
Plumes
Satellite

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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abstract = "Rapid identification of anomalous methane sources in oil/gas fields could enable corrective action to fight climate change. The GHGSat-D satellite instrument measuring atmospheric methane with 50-meter spatial resolution was launched in 2016 to demonstrate space-based monitoring of methane point sources. Here we report the GHGSat-D discovery of an anomalously large, persistent methane source (10–43 metric tons per hour, detected in over 50% of observations) at a gas compressor station in Central Asia, together with additional sources (4–32 metric tons per hour) nearby. The TROPOMI satellite instrument confirms the magnitude of these large emissions going back to at least November 2017. We estimate that these sources released 142 ± 34 metric kilotons of methane to the atmosphere from February 2018 through January 2019, comparable to the 4-month total emission from the well-documented Aliso Canyon blowout.",

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author = "Varon, {D. J.} and J. McKeever and D. Jervis and Maasakkers, {J. D.} and S. Pandey and S. Houweling and I. Aben and T. Scarpelli and Jacob, {D. J.}",

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AU - Varon, D. J.

AU - McKeever, J.

AU - Jervis, D.

AU - Maasakkers, J. D.

AU - Pandey, S.

AU - Houweling, S.

AU - Aben, I.

AU - Scarpelli, T.

AU - Jacob, D. J.

PY - 2019/11/28

Y1 - 2019/11/28

N2 - Rapid identification of anomalous methane sources in oil/gas fields could enable corrective action to fight climate change. The GHGSat-D satellite instrument measuring atmospheric methane with 50-meter spatial resolution was launched in 2016 to demonstrate space-based monitoring of methane point sources. Here we report the GHGSat-D discovery of an anomalously large, persistent methane source (10–43 metric tons per hour, detected in over 50% of observations) at a gas compressor station in Central Asia, together with additional sources (4–32 metric tons per hour) nearby. The TROPOMI satellite instrument confirms the magnitude of these large emissions going back to at least November 2017. We estimate that these sources released 142 ± 34 metric kilotons of methane to the atmosphere from February 2018 through January 2019, comparable to the 4-month total emission from the well-documented Aliso Canyon blowout.

AB - Rapid identification of anomalous methane sources in oil/gas fields could enable corrective action to fight climate change. The GHGSat-D satellite instrument measuring atmospheric methane with 50-meter spatial resolution was launched in 2016 to demonstrate space-based monitoring of methane point sources. Here we report the GHGSat-D discovery of an anomalously large, persistent methane source (10–43 metric tons per hour, detected in over 50% of observations) at a gas compressor station in Central Asia, together with additional sources (4–32 metric tons per hour) nearby. The TROPOMI satellite instrument confirms the magnitude of these large emissions going back to at least November 2017. We estimate that these sources released 142 ± 34 metric kilotons of methane to the atmosphere from February 2018 through January 2019, comparable to the 4-month total emission from the well-documented Aliso Canyon blowout.

KW - Emissions

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KW - Methane

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KW - Plumes

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Satellite Discovery of Anomalously Large Methane Point Sources From Oil/Gas Production

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

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