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

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 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 (10-42 tons h^-1) at a gas compressor station in Central Asia, together with additional sources (4-30 tons h^-1) 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 141 ± 34 kilotons of methane to the atmosphere from February 2018 through January 2019, more than the well-documented Aliso Canyon blowout. This work demonstrates the capability of satellite instruments to locate and quantify individual methane sources. It suggests that anomalous point source emissions from oil/gas fields may be much larger than previously inferred from US observations.