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Environment & Climate

Turkmenistan begins plugging major methane leaks following international pressure

United Nations satellite data reveals the nation has repaired eight super-emitter leaks from its oil and gas infrastructure, marking an initial step toward curbing its massive greenhouse gas emissions.

Updated Aug 31, 2026 · 07:19 UTC1 reports

The short version

  • Turkmenistan has repaired eight methane leaks by fixing corroded pipelines, faulty wells, and failing flares following satellite alerts from the United Nations.
  • The remediation efforts began after a 2023 investigation revealed Turkmenistan was the world's worst country for methane "super-emitter" leaks, prompting the nation to join the global methane pledge in December 2023.
  • Despite the progress, the country has responded to only about 20% of the 192 methane alerts it received over the past year, leaving many major emission sources unresolved.

Key facts

  • According to data from the UN Methane Alert and Response System (Mars), Turkmenistan has plugged eight methane leaks by repairing faulty wells, corroded pipelines, and failing flares.[The Guardian]
  • Turkmenistan was sent 192 Mars alerts of methane plumes in the past year and responded to approximately 20% of them with on-the-ground details or plans to fix them.[The Guardian]
  • The country hosted three of the six worst global leaks detected by Mars in the last six months, and nine of the top 50.[The Guardian]
  • Kazakhstan has also repaired eight methane leaks after receiving 38 Mars alerts over the past year.[The Guardian]
  • The United States, which received 138 alerts, and other major nations including Iran, Russia, and China did not respond to any Mars alerts or fix any leaks under the program over the past year.[The Guardian]
  • Mars alerts have led to a total of 43 methane leaks being sealed globally to date.[The Guardian]

What remains uncertain

  • While the UN has documented these eight mitigation actions, it remains uncertain when or if Turkmenistan will address its remaining active methane sources, given its low overall response rate.[The Guardian]

Sources