The Global Methane Initiative (GMI) Oil & Gas Subcommittee Meeting held a hybrid meeting (in-person and virtual attendees) in Geneva, Switzerland, on 27 March 2025. The meeting was held in conjunction with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) 12th Session of the Group of Experts on Gas. Mr. James Diamond of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and Co-Chair of the GMI Oil & Gas Subcommittee led the meeting and was joined by representatives from 20 countries, including Algeria, Austria, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Republic of Korea, Russia, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States. 

The purpose of the meeting was to provide participants with updates on the activities of the Subcommittee, including the identified priorities of the 2025-2030 Oil & Gas Subcommittee Action Plan, hear from Partner Countries and Strategic Partners about their recent methane mitigation work, and review new GMI tools and resources.

Resources:

• Presentation
• Summary

The U.S. government provided key leadership to reduce barriers to the recovery and use of methane as a valuable energy source. The 2024 Accomplishments Report summarizes the contributions of the U.S. government in promoting methane capture and use projects and reducing emissions of methane internationally. Sector-specific activity highlights are also featured.

Through a collaboration with the government of Uzbekistan and a privately owned gas distribution company in Uzbekistan, Climate Compass, LLC designed and conducted a leak detection program that, in only 3 months, repaired over 55,000 individual methane leaks from gas facilities across the country. This initiative is expected to save nearly 400 million cubic meters of natural gas per year, preventing almost 8 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent from entering the atmosphere.

Fact sheet that describes how GMI provides cost-free technical, policy, and programmatic methane mitigation support to Partner Countries.

Fact sheet that describes how GMI provides methane action in key industry sectors.

Alberta was among the first jurisdictions globally to enact flaring emissions requirements. It was also the first government in Canada to set a methane reduction target for the oil and gas sector, committing to reducing these emissions by 45% from 2014 levels by 2025. In 2022, Alberta achieved its goal of reducing methane emissions from the conventional oil and gas sector by 45%, three years ahead of its 2025 target year. Methane reduction action continues to be prioritized, and Alberta intends to further reduce methane emissions in support of carbon neutral economy by 2050.

Partners

• Government of Alberta
• Alberta Energy Regulator

Italgas has been using the Picarro solution to detect and quantify large leaks on the distribution grid. Localizing and repairing these few large leaks has allowed Italgas to drastically reduce their emissions compared to the baseline and put them well on track to reach the aggressive reduction target of 83% fewer methane emissions by 2025. Picarro clients using direct emission measurements have achieved the highest OGMP 2.0 reporting levels (Gold Standard).

 

Partners

• Picarro
• Italgas

In 2019, Trinidad and Tobago joined the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Support Programme, through which a measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) pilot project was developed. The project began in 2021 with three goals: strengthen capacity to prepare Biennial Transparency Reports, integrate climate change into the national planning and decision-making process, and establish and formalize the necessary institutional arrangements for implementing climate transparency activities.

Partners

• Global Methane Initiative (GMI)
• United Nations

The Southwest Oil & Gas Field has adopted a series of mitigation measures on fugitive emissions, venting methane emissions, and flaring. The project captured and reused a total of 490 million cubic meters of scattered gas and vented gas, 24 flaring torches were extinguished, and a total of 7,000 tons of methane emissions were reduced. Additionally, the project deployed methane leakage laser head monitoring equipment, gas cloud imaging equipment, pipeline infrasonic leakage monitoring systems, and inspection robots. These deployments led to a decrease in the methane leakage rate from 0.35% to less than 0.02%.

Partners

• PetroChina Southwest Oil & Gasfield Company

The Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) started this program to help oil and gas companies reduce methane emissions from their operations. The campaign successfully demonstrated the enormous potential that satellite technology offers, alongside direct engagement and knowledge sharing with local operators, to make significant and cost-effective methane emissions reductions.

Partners

• GHGSat
• Oil and Gas Climate Initiative
• Carbon Limits