Methane's 20-year global warming potential is about 84 times that of CO₂
Methane emissions face digital disruption
A range of available tools and scalable technologies is helping drive the hydrocarbons industry towards a low methane future
Operators may have woken up to the potential of automation to reshape business efficiencies and cut costs throughout the past pandemic year. But the next digital frontier will be harnessing technologies to confront emissions and pivot the oil and gas sector towards net zero. A methane mitigation strategy will be at the top of the agenda for many on the path to greater digital maturity and portfolio decarbonisation. “Methane emissions are particularly important because it is a more potent greenhouse gas than CO2,” says Samantha Gross, director of energy security & climate initiative at US thinktank Brookings Institution. “Its 20-year global warming potential is about 84 times that of CO2,
Also in this section
1 April 2026
Golden Pass’s startup offers QatarEnergy a timely boost but may also force a difficult choice between honouring disrupted contracts and capitalising on soaring spot LNG prices
1 April 2026
It is not a case of if or when, but the length and magnitude of economic damage from elevated oil prices
1 April 2026
The US-Iran conflict demonstrates the need for diversification in several senses of the word. It also exposes the limits of Washington applying pressure on major oil and gas producers it considers geopolitical adversaries
31 March 2026
Disappointing results in its bidding round are a reality check for Libya, and global exploration generally
