U.S. Methane Emissions Steady Despite Increased Oil and Gas Production
Methane emissions from the U.S. oil and gas sector have remained stable between 2019 and 2024, despite an increase in production, according to new research from Johns Hopkins University. The study, published in Communications Earth & Environment, indicates that emissions ranged from approximately 9.3 to 10.4 teragrams (Tg) per year during this period.
The research highlights a decline in methane emissions intensity—emissions per unit of oil and gas produced—by about 11% over the same timeframe. This reduction is attributed to improved infrastructure, better leak control, and the growing commercial value of captured methane.
Despite the introduction of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which included methane fees and allocated over $1 billion for technical support, the study found no clear evidence that these federal measures significantly altered the emissions trajectory. Researchers described this as a mixed outcome: while emissions did not increase with production, the substantial impact of federal policy remains unverified.
An independent study published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics corroborates these findings, using high-resolution satellite data to confirm that national methane emissions remained flat, with oil and gas emissions declining at a rate of -1.1 ± 0.9% per year. This contributed to a drop in methane intensity from approximately 2.3% to 1.9%.