Why in news?
Recent satellite data processed by Carbon Mapper and analysed by the Stop Methane Project have revealed that 15 of the world’s top 25 methane emission sites in 2025 were in Turkmenistan’s oil and gas fields. These “super‑emitter” sites release plumes of methane at rates as high as 10 tonnes per hour. The findings underline the urgency of cutting methane emissions to curb near‑term global warming.
Background
Methane (CH4) is the second most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide but traps much more heat in the short term. It is colourless, odourless and highly flammable, and is the primary component of natural gas. Methane comes from both natural sources such as wetlands and termites and human activities including livestock digestion, rice cultivation, landfills, coal mining, and oil and gas extraction. Its atmospheric concentration is about 2.5 times higher than before the Industrial Revolution, and methane is responsible for roughly 30 percent of the rise in global temperatures.
Key facts
- Super‑emitters: Analysis of satellite images identified more than 4,400 methane plumes across 2,489 oil and gas sites worldwide in 2025. The top 25 sites, mostly in Turkmenistan, Iran, Venezuela, Texas and Pakistan, emitted between 3.7 and 10.5 tonnes of methane per hour. A plume of 5 tonnes per hour has a warming impact comparable to one million cars or a 500 megawatt coal‑fired power plant.
- Global impact: Although methane remains in the atmosphere for only about 12 years, it is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide on a per‑tonne basis over a 100‑year period and 86 times more potent over 20 years. Cutting methane provides an immediate opportunity to slow warming.
- Sources and sectors: The largest anthropogenic sources are agriculture (livestock and rice paddies), energy (oil, gas and coal) and waste (landfills and wastewater). The energy sector alone emitted more than 80 million tonnes of methane in 2024.
- Mitigation potential: The International Energy Agency estimates that more than 70 percent of methane emissions from oil and gas operations can be cut using existing technologies such as leak detection and repair, capture of associated gas and flaring reduction.
- Urban “super‑emitters”: Apart from oil and gas fields, landfills can release massive plumes when organic waste decomposes without oxygen. Delhi’s Ghazipur landfill, for instance, has recorded emission bursts exceeding 400 tonnes per hour.
Significance
- Climate urgency: Reducing methane is one of the quickest ways to limit near‑term warming. It buys time while the world undertakes longer‑term transitions to low‑carbon energy systems.
- Policy response: Many countries are joining the Global Methane Pledge to reduce emissions by at least 30 percent by 2030. Regulations on oil and gas leaks, improvements in waste management and changes in agricultural practices are central to this effort.
- Public awareness: Understanding the sources and impacts of methane helps citizens and policymakers support actions such as reducing food waste, capturing landfill gas and advocating for stricter emissions standards.
Conclusion
Methane may be invisible, but its warming power is immense. Identifying and curbing super‑emitters, improving waste management and adopting cleaner technologies offer practical, immediate steps to slow climate change and protect human health.
Source: Down To Earth
