Environment & Climate
Satellite study identifies major US oil and gas methane super-emitters
A Louisiana gas facility ranks as the largest US methane emitter in a new satellite-based study, The Guardian reports.
The short version
- A UCLA study using Tanager-1 satellite data detected 1,097 methane plumes across major US oil and gas basins between January 2025 and June 2026.[The Guardian]
- An Energy Transfer gas processing plant near Shreveport, Louisiana, was identified as potentially the nation's largest single methane source.[The Guardian]
- Energy Transfer was linked to four of the top 15 emission sites and 75 plumes overall.[The Guardian]
- Researchers were able to attribute operators to only about one-third of the detected methane plumes using public data.[The Guardian]
Key facts
- An Energy Transfer facility near Shreveport, Louisiana, emitted methane at an average rate of 1.56 tonnes per hour between January 2025 and June 2026, ranking as the potential top US emitter.[The Guardian]
- Energy Transfer was associated with four of the 15 highlighted super-emitter sites and 75 total methane plumes across the study period.[The Guardian]
- Satellite data compiled by Carbon Mapper detected 1,097 methane plumes across the Permian, Appalachian, and Haynesville-Bossier basins.[The Guardian]
- Boardwalk Pipeline Partners stated that it has decreased emissions in recent years at its gas storage facility near Shreveport.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- Researchers could only assign specific responsible operators to approximately one-third of the detected methane plumes using publicly available records.[The Guardian]
- Actual US oil and gas methane emissions are estimated to exceed official EPA figures by approximately 64%.[The Guardian]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.
- US ‘super-emitters’ of planet heating methane identified by satellite analysisThe Guardian - Environment