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
3 March 2026
The killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei in US–Israeli strikes marks the most serious escalation in the region in decades and a bigger potential threat to the oil market than the start of the Russia-Ukraine crisis
2 March 2026
A potential blockade of the Strait of Hormuz following the escalating US-Iran conflict risks disrupting Qatari LNG exports that underpin global gas markets, exposing Asia and other markets to sharp price spikes, cargo shortages and renewed reliance on dirtier fuels
2 March 2026
The South Asian consumer’s next move could tighten the Middle East oil market overnight
2 March 2026
Canadian independent’s evolving portfolio in Trinidad and Tobago gives it access to the Atlantic LNG market and a close-up view of developments in neighbouring Venezuela
