The quantification of methane emissions and assessment of emissions data for the largest natural gas supply chains

Methane emitted from natural gas supply chains are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, but there is uncertainty on the magnitude of emissions, how they vary, and which key factors influence emissions. This study estimates the variation in emissions across the major natural gas supply chains, alongside an estimate of uncertainty which helps identify the areas at the greatest emissions `risk'. Based on the data, we estimate that 26.4 Mt CH4 (14.5-48.2 Mt CH4) was emitted by these supply chains in 2017. The risk assessment identified a significant proportion of countries to be at high risk of high emissions. However, there is a large dependency on Tier 1 emission factors, inferring a high degree of uncertainty and a risk of inaccurate emission accounting. When emissions are recalculated omitting Tier 1 data, emissions reduce by 47% to 3.8-fold, downstream and upstream respectively, across regions. More efforts in collecting robust and transparent primary data should be made, particularly in Non-Annex 1 countries, to improve our understanding of methane emissions.

Automated summary

Methane emissions from natural gas supply chains are a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. This study estimates emissions variation and uncertainty, highlighting countries at risk of high emissions. The study also shows a high dependency on Tier 1 emission factors, indicating uncertainty and potential inaccuracies in emission accounting.