Private Satellites Pinpoint Methane Emissions from Oil, Gas, and Coal Facilities Worldwide

Methane is the second-largest human-caused contributor to global warming, routinely overshadowed by carbon dioxide but with nearly 30 times the short-term warming potential. A lot of these carbon emissions are generated from highly visible sources in the energy industry, like flare stacks, coal vents, and open-pit mines. And now, with the aid of a satellite constellation owned by GHGSat, researchers have mapped methane emissions from thousands of oil, gas, and coal facilities worldwide. That type of facility-level detail shows exactly where greenhouse gases are being pumped into the atmosphere — and that can help in crafting focused climate-mitigation strategies, empowering governments and businesses to better focus their efforts at reducing emissions.

Satellite Data Reveals Top Global Methane Emitters and Facility-Level Emission Patterns

According to a report published in Science on December 11, 2025, GHGSat's Dylan Jervis mentioned that the satellites provided the world's first global gridded estimate of methane emissions at the facility scale. The study of 3,114 sites found that Turkmenistan, the U.S., Russia, Mexico, and Kazakhstan topped oil and gas emissions, while China and Russia led coal methane.

Methane emissions varied by sector. Coal sites put out detectable methane just less than 50% of the time, while oil and gas installations were even more intermittent, discharging measurable plumes only about 16% of the time.

Expanded Satellite Constellation Enables Precise Monitoring of Methane Emissions

This intermittent mode makes the detection of oil and gas fugitive emissions particularly difficult. The 14-satellite constellation of one startup, GHGSat, would allow more frequent and accurate monitoring of emissions, giving policymakers as well as energy companies useful feedback.

The study emphasizes the necessity to combine high-resolution satellite observations with traditional emission inventories. Between bottom-up and top-down technologies, satellites such as GHGSat close the cowboy's gap in monitoring methane leaks and curbing climate change.