Data from MethaneSAT, the Environmental Defense Fund’s methane-detecting satellite, shows that major oil and gas operations are underreporting methane emissions in official inventories.

MethaneSAT observed emissions from 45 oil and gas producing regions, representing half of the world’s onshore oil and gas production. The newly published data includes measurements taken between May 2024 and June 2025.

According to MethaneSAT’s data, methane emissions were 50 percent higher on average compared to official estimates, like those recorded in the U.S. EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory.