{"id":50381775,"date":"2023-10-12T12:06:27","date_gmt":"2023-10-12T11:06:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dialogochino.net\/?p=381775"},"modified":"2023-11-09T13:57:32","modified_gmt":"2023-11-09T13:57:32","slug":"381775-inadequate-methane-emissions-data-undermines-oil-and-gas-reports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/climate\/381775-inadequate-methane-emissions-data-undermines-oil-and-gas-reports\/","title":{"rendered":"Inadequate methane emissions data undermines oil and gas reports"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">Despite ever-growing awareness that greenhouse gas emissions are causing climate change, emissions still hit an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iea.org\/reports\/co2-emissions-in-2022\">all-time high<\/a> in 2022. Carbon dioxide emissions have historically received the most attention, but to limit medium-term global warming, a rapid and sustained reduction in <a href=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/climate-energy\/55059-cutting-methane-emissions-quick-difference-climate\/\">methane pollution<\/a> will also be key.&nbsp;However, establishing a reliable, global overview of the fossil fuel industry\u2019s methane emissions is an ongoing problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that methane emissions are responsible for around <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iea.org\/reports\/global-methane-tracker-2023\">30%<\/a> of the steady rise in global average temperatures since the industrial revolution. Atmospheric methane is more powerful in trapping heat than carbon dioxide \u2013 at least <a href=\"https:\/\/climate.mit.edu\/ask-mit\/why-do-we-compare-methane-carbon-dioxide-over-100-year-timeframe-are-we-underrating\">80 times<\/a> more potent across 20 years \u2013 but it dissipates much more quickly. Given the urgency of the climate crisis and the near-term greenhouse gas reduction targets of the Paris Agreement, methane emissions are a pressing concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Methane leaks \u2013 the escape of the gas from fossil fuel pipelines, drilling and production sites \u2013 is also a significant problem. \u201cVery small methane leakage rates from gas systems rival coal\u2019s greenhouse gas emissions,\u201d says Deborah Gordon, a senior principal of the Rocky Mountain Institute\u2019s Climate Intelligence program, who was part of a team behind a <a href=\"https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.1088\/1748-9326\/ace3db\">2023 study<\/a> on methane leakages in gas and coal systems. Their research found that even a mere 0.2% methane leakage rate from a gas system can give it the same life-cycle emissions, and net climate impact over 20 years,\u00a0as mined coal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"wp-block-cd-related-news alignright block--related-news loading\" data-post-id=\"50056490\"><div class=\"block--related-news__image\"><\/div><div class=\"block--related-news__content\"><span class=\"block--related-news__heading\">Recommended<\/span><span class=\"block--related-news__title\"><\/span><\/div><\/a>\n\n\n\n<p>Methane is typically a wasted by-product in sectors including <a href=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/agriculture\/56490-can-south-america-reduce-livestock-methane-emissions\/\">agriculture<\/a>, but a valuable commodity elsewhere: the gas industry prizes methane, which constitutes <a href=\"https:\/\/climatecommunication.yale.edu\/publications\/should-it-be-called-natural-gas-or-methane\">up to <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/climatecommunication.yale.edu\/publications\/should-it-be-called-natural-gas-or-methane\">90%<\/a> of what it sells as \u201cnatural gas\u201d. The fossil fuel industry is responsible for about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ccacoalition.org\/resources\/global-methane-assessment-full-report\">35%<\/a> of all human-caused methane emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last year, Shell was the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/280705\/leading-oil-companies-worldwide-based-on-daily-oil-production\/#:~:text=Saudi%20Aramco%20is%20the%20world's,13.6%20million%20barrels%20per%20day.\">world\u2019s seventh-largest <\/a>oil producer by volume and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.investopedia.com\/articles\/personal-finance\/010715\/worlds-top-10-oil-companies.asp\">fifth-largest<\/a> oil company by revenue. Its operations spread across 70 countries and include the exploration, production and marketing of gas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shell <a href=\"https:\/\/reports.shell.com\/energy-transition-progress-report\/2022\">reported<\/a> a decrease in total methane emissions from its operations by 27% in 2022, down to 40,000 tonnes, compared with 55,000 tonnes in 2021. The company also claims to have met its target of keeping the intensity of its methane emissions below 0.2%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-accordion block--accordion\"><span class=\"block--accordion__title\">What is methane intensity?<\/span><div class=\"block--accordion__content\"><div class=\"block--accordion__content__inner\">\n<p>Methane intensity figures are designed to track the methane pollution levels of oil and gas producers. The figure is calculated by monitoring the methane emitted by any gas that is sold, then expressing those emissions as a percentage of the company\u2019s total sold.&nbsp;This relatively new metric was standardised by a coalition of major oil and gas companies (including Shell) called the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI). In 2018, the OGCI announced that its member companies all aimed to reduce their methane intensity to 0.25% by 2025.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the way fossil fuel giants like Shell calculate their methane emissions is being questioned. According to Dominic Watson, a methane expert at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), \u201cmethane emissions from oil and gas are consistently underestimated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Watson says there is virtually no direct measurement happening at oil and gas extraction sites or infrastructure. Instead, oil and gas producers rely on \u201cfactors-based\u201d calculations, made using off-the-shelf accounting software. Furthermore, Watson says these companies have generally been self-reporting their methane emissions and independently setting pollution targets for decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2018Almost everywhere we go, we find methane\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Methane has the potential to escape across the oil and gas value chain \u2013 emissions which are also said to have been significantly underreported, even in jurisdictions where regulators are supposedly paying attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"wp-block-cd-related-news alignright block--related-news loading\" data-post-id=\"50055087\"><div class=\"block--related-news__image\"><\/div><div class=\"block--related-news__content\"><span class=\"block--related-news__heading\">Recommended<\/span><span class=\"block--related-news__title\"><\/span><\/div><\/a>\n\n\n\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/science.aar7204?adobe_mc=MCMID%3D57988853033126240431610478921349895345%7CMCORGID%3D242B6472541199F70A4C98A6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1694358029\">2018 study<\/a> of US oil and gas facilities found that rates of methane pollution were over 60% worse than the government\u2019s own estimates.&nbsp;Covering almost 30% of US gas production, researchers used ground-based measurements validated against aircraft observations to discover that over 2.3% of all methane produced was simply venting into the atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following this, the Clean Air Task Force (CATF) conducted a two-year study of 430 oil and gas sites across 15 European countries. Published in early 2023, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.catf.us\/resource\/it-happens-here-too-methane-pollution-europes-oil-gas-network\">study<\/a> identifies 881 sources of emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAlmost everywhere we go, we find methane\u201d, says Theophile Humann-Guilleminot, a thermographer who collected evidence for the CATF study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Shell\u2019s role in methane emissions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Shell first announced its intention to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shell.com\/energy-and-innovation\/natural-gas\/methane-emissions\/_jcr_content\/root\/main\/section\/simple\/simple\/call_to_action\/links\/item0.stream\/1650269656266\/53beef2f8ba2e90560c074f56552e2acfe30582b\/shell-methane-case-study.pdf\">curtail<\/a> methane emissions in 2018, with the company vowing to reduce the intensity of these emissions to below 0.2% by 2025, by using advanced methane detection equipment, repairing leaks and replacing dated equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A week later, the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ogci.com\/news\/oil-and-gas-climate-initiative-sets-first-collective-methane-target-for-member-companies\">announced<\/a> the same target for its members at that time: BP, Chevron, China National Petroleum Corporation, Eni, Equinor, ExxonMobil, Occidental, Pemex, Petrobras, Repsol, Saudi Aramco, Shell and Total.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These targets also led to oil and gas sector initiatives such as the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 (OGMP), whose governing body includes the European Commission, EDF, CATF and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). OGMP aims to establish a global, comprehensive, measurement-based methane emissions reporting framework. Over <a href=\"https:\/\/ogmpartnership.com\/our-member-companies\/\">100<\/a> companies have signed up since 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-article-image aligncenter block--article-image block--article-image--article\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--article-image__column\"><div class=\"hide-expand block--article-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/A-filling-station-in-Argentina_Jersey-Graham_Alamy_MHKW03.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/A-filling-station-in-Argentina_Jersey-Graham_Alamy_MHKW03-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/A-filling-station-in-Argentina_Jersey-Graham_Alamy_MHKW03-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/A-filling-station-in-Argentina_Jersey-Graham_Alamy_MHKW03.jpg 2560w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 1024px) 1024px, 2560px\" alt=\"A staff filling gas at a station\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--article-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--article-image__caption\">Shell Argentina, which operates in the country\u2019s Vaca Muerta gas field, claims that it has reduced its methane intensity by 72% since 2019, but a former energy secretary says that the oil companies in the area could be underreporting their emissions (Image: Jersey Graham \/ Alamy)<\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/A-filling-station-in-Argentina_Jersey-Graham_Alamy_MHKW03.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"625 KB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"1707\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"2560\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/ogmpartnership.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/IMEO-2022-Report.pdf\">OGMP\u2019s 2022 report<\/a>, Shell\u2019s efforts during 2021 earned it the initiative\u2019s highest rating.&nbsp;However, this rating merely indicates that Shell is on a path towards providing more robust, accurate reporting of its methane emissions data in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Manfredi Caltagirone, head of the UNEP\u2019s International Methane Emissions Observatory, Shell\u2019s reported data relies predominantly on \u201cemissions factors\u201d. These are representative values that attempt to relate the quantity of a pollutant released into the atmosphere to another unit of activity or process. Caltagirone describes Shell\u2019s reported <a href=\"https:\/\/reports.shell.com\/energy-transition-progress-report\/2022\/_assets\/downloads\/shell-energy-transition-progress-report-2022.pdf\">27%<\/a> reduction in methane emissions in 2022 as \u201cnot entirely credible yet\u201d, but concedes that the company is \u201cstarting to get some measurements at the bottom-up level\u201d, which will lead to greater accuracy in reporting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reporting is not the only obstacle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If the gas industry is to curtail methane emissions, operators need to both understand where leaks are happening, and end the deliberate \u201cventing\u201d of methane. Leaks are caused by malfunctioning valves, compressors and storage tanks, while storage tanks are designed to purposely vent methane if they become too pressurised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The IEA asserts that more than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iea.org\/energy-system\/fossil-fuels\/methane-abatement#:~:text=We%20estimate%20that%20around%2070,programmes%20and%20upgrading%20leaky%20equipment.\">70%<\/a> of methane emissions from the fossil fuels sector can be abated using existing technology. Furthermore, it has calculated that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iea.org\/reports\/global-methane-tracker-2023\/overview\">approximately 40%<\/a> of those emissions generated during oil and gas operations can be avoided at no net cost, due to the value of the saved gas.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Di\u00e1logo Chino speaks to Tania Meixus Fernandez, a senior adviser at OGMP: \u201cIn the end, the only way to reduce emissions is just checking that they are there. You need to go out with technology and check where your emissions are. And then, based on this, you develop your mediation strategy. But without going out there, just sitting in front of a laptop, you will not do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-pull-quote block--pull-quote\"><div class=\"block--pull-quote__wrapper\"><blockquote class=\"block--pull-quote__quote\">In the end, the only way to reduce emissions is just checking that they are there<\/blockquote><cite class=\"block--pull-quote__cite\">Tania Meixus Fernandez, senior adviser at OGMP<\/cite><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Management structures for the oil and gas sector are another obstacle: there is dramatic variation in emissions mitigation efforts between assets operated by fossil fuel majors and those that they merely own. According to \u200b\u200bJames Turrito, a CATF campaigns director, oil and gas majors have \u201csignificant equity\u201d placed in non-operated assets, which they do not report on or make methane abatement commitments for publicly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Non-operated assets are usually run via complex business structures, such as joint venture companies: each has its own board, which is <a href=\"https:\/\/business.edf.org\/insights\/joint-action-catalyzing-methane-emission-reduction-at-oil-and-gas-joint-ventures\/\">not accountable<\/a> to shareholders, while many are jointly operated by national oil companies (NOCs). \u201cTo date, we have not seen as many NOCs attempt to really tackle the methane issue. There are reasons for this and barriers that go beyond simply being bad actors,\u201d says Turrito.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gas extraction and methane leaks in Vaca Muerta<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In June, Shell spokesperson Sebasti\u00e1n S\u00e1nchez addressed a methane workshop convened by Argentina\u2019s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. He <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lyBjQlhzjOU&amp;t=13870s&amp;ab_channel=MinisteriodeAmbienteyDesarrolloSostenible\">said<\/a> that Shell Argentina, which has interests in the country\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/climate-energy\/361054-vaca-muerta-argentina-climate-cash-jobs-justice\/\">Vaca Muerta gas field<\/a>, had reduced its methane intensity there by 72% since 2019. S\u00e1nchez attributed this reduction to the elimination of routine flaring and better monitoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Located in central Argentina\u2019s Neuqu\u00e9n Basin, the vast Vaca Muerta formation contains some of the largest unconventional gas deposits in the world. Similar in size to Belgium, it is currently the world\u2019s fourth-largest unconventional oil reserve and the second-largest shale gas reserve. Hundreds of wells are operated across Vaca Muerta, divided into blocks that are owned and operated by state oil company YPF and\/or one of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rionegro.com.ar\/energia\/radiografia-de-vaca-muerta-cuales-son-las-petroleras-que-apuestan-al-shale-2813061\/\">approximately 12<\/a> international companies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shell manages an area of 769 km2 in Vaca Muerta, operating <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shell.com\/energy-and-innovation\/shale-oil-and-gas\/shale-oil-and-gas-locations\/argentina\">four blocks<\/a> (Sierras Blancas, Cruz de Lorena, Coir\u00f3n Amargo Suroeste and Bajada de A\u00f1elo). It is also a shareholder in a further three blocks. Meanwhile, the company <a href=\"https:\/\/econojournal.com.ar\/2023\/02\/con-una-construccion-en-tiempo-record-shell-inauguro-un-oleoducto-clave-en-vaca-muerta\/\">inaugurated<\/a> a 105-kilometre pipeline in partnership with Pan American Energy and Pluspetrol this year, to transport oil from Vaca Muerta to the neighbouring province of R\u00edo Negro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Argentine government aims to increase its gas exports, and signed a memorandum of understanding on <a href=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/trade-investment\/378411-eu-looks-for-closer-ties-and-clean-energy-in-latin-america\/\">energy cooperation with the European Union<\/a> in June. In the document, both parties <a href=\"https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/commission\/presscorner\/detail\/en\/IP_23_3859\">agree<\/a> to&nbsp;reducing methane leakages&nbsp;in the fossil gas supply chain&nbsp;\u201cto the maximum level technically feasible\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fossil fuels now account for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iea.org\/countries\/argentina\">over 80%<\/a> of Argentina\u2019s energy mix, but the country does not yet regulate its energy sector\u2019s methane emissions \u2013 a bill <a href=\"https:\/\/econojournal.com.ar\/2020\/07\/proponen-regular-las-emisiones-de-metano-en-la-industria-petrolera\/\">proposing<\/a> such regulation stalled in congress during 2020. However, during the methane workshop in June, Argentina\u2019s energy secretary Flavia Royon <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lyBjQlhzjOU&amp;ab_channel=MinisteriodeAmbienteyDesarrolloSostenible\">said<\/a> the state is currently working with provincial governments on a \u201cnational framework\u201d in this field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"wp-block-cd-related-news alignright block--related-news loading\" data-post-id=\"50370438\"><div class=\"block--related-news__image\"><\/div><div class=\"block--related-news__content\"><span class=\"block--related-news__heading\">Recommended<\/span><span class=\"block--related-news__title\"><\/span><\/div><\/a>\n\n\n\n<p>In contrast to S\u00e1nchez\u2019s claims concerning Shell Argentina\u2019s methane abatement record, the country\u2019s former energy secretary Gerardo Rabinovich says Vaca Muerta companies are likely underreporting these emissions. \u201cThe areas they work in are very large and inspectors don\u2019t visit them very often. If there\u2019s a leak, it will take a long time to be fixed,\u201d Rabinovich tells Di\u00e1logo Chino. \u201cThere\u2019s a growing pressure on companies to be better in tracking emissions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2018 and 2023, a team from EarthWorks, a US environmental organisation, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/7cc27c24-90f5-11e8-9609-3d3b945e78cf\">visited Vaca Muerta<\/a> to track methane leaks. Using infrared cameras, they were able to establish that at least <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/7cc27c24-90f5-11e8-9609-3d3b945e78cf\">5%<\/a> of the gas produced in Vaca Muerta is leaked and wasted, often intentionally if pressure needs to be released.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shell Argentina did not respond to Di\u00e1logo Chino\u2019s request for comment on its methane emissions in Vaca Muerta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-rise-of-satellite-data\">The rise of satellite data<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the realm of methane emissions detection, an increasing number of tools are becoming available. These include handheld devices, airborne technology and better methane-monitoring satellites.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2021, the satellite data provider Geofinancial Analytics used its <a href=\"https:\/\/geofinancial.com\/specifications\">MethaneScan<\/a> tool to monitor airborne methane concentrations in North America, Europe and Brazil to track fossil fuel companies. The study compared MethaneScan\u2019s findings to self-reported methane emissions data provided by oil and gas producers, concluding that such data was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/emissions-methane\/analysis-benchmark-of-big-oil-on-methane-emissions-shows-significant-gap-between-reality-and-reporting-idUSMTZSPDEH8EU9J79K\">underreporting<\/a> the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the IEA, satellites detected <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iea.org\/reports\/global-methane-tracker-2023\/overview\">3 million tonnes<\/a> of methane from \u201cvery large\u201d leak events at oil and gas operations during 2022. Such events were detected in 20 different countries; examples include a 17-day methane \u201cultra-emission event\u201d in Mexico, caused by a malfunctioning gas flare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2022, a BBC investigation used World Bank flare-tracking satellite data to&nbsp; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-62917498\">identi<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-62917498\">fy<\/a> millions of tonnes of undeclared methane emissions from gas flaring in oil fields. The energy majors BP, Eni, ExxonMobil, Chevron and Shell were all implicated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iea.org\/news\/methane-emissions-from-the-energy-sector-are-70-higher-than-official-figures\">IEA stated<\/a> in 2022, satellite coverage is far from comprehensive: equatorial and offshore regions are not yet tracked, nor are, for example, Russia\u2019s main oil and gas-producing areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are plans to launch a series of cutting-edge satellites with significantly enhanced resolutions in the coming years: the Environmental Defense Fund will launch <a href=\"https:\/\/www.methanesat.org\/\">MethaneSat<\/a> in early 2024, which it claims will be the most advanced methane-tracking satellite in space; Carbon Mapper, a US-based NGO, says it will deploy a complete satellite <a href=\"https:\/\/carbonmapper.org\/carbon-mapper-launches-satellite-program-to-pinpoint-methane-and-co2-super-emitters\/\">\u201cconstellation\u201d<\/a> by 2025 to boost tracking efforts; and Kayrros, a data analytics company, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.satelliteevolution.com\/post\/kayrros-to-supply-unep-international-methane-emissions-observatory-with-global-detection-capacity\">has signed a deal<\/a> to provide global leak data to UNEP, so it can apply pressure on super-emitting polluters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHistorically, there has been limited transparency to track companies&#8217; methane performance,\u201d says Caltagirone. \u201cBut the means to measure, report and verify emissions, including via next-generation methane-detecting satellites, is rapidly evolving.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This story was produced with the support of Clean Energy Wire (CLEW) grants for cross-border journalism on company climate claims.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Companies such as Shell have led efforts to curb methane pollution in the fossil fuel sector, but analysts are not convinced by the industry\u2019s reporting<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1072,"featured_media":50381802,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[761],"tags":[547,18142,50029971],"hashtags":[],"country":[],"class_list":["post-50381775","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climate","tag-fossil-fuels","tag-methane","tag-oil"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v26.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Inadequate methane emissions data undermines oil and gas reports | Dialogue Earth<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Companies such as Shell have led efforts to curb methane pollution in the fossil fuel sector, but analysts are not convinced by the industry\u2019s reporting\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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