bp, TotalEnergies & Chevron: Cutting Methane to Decarbonise

The climate impact of methane operates on a different timescale to carbon dioxide.

CO₂ persists for centuries while methane remains in the atmosphere for approximately ten years.

The shorter lifespan does not diminish the threat.

Understanding this temporal difference is crucial for climate strategy, as methane's rapid atmospheric turnover means reductions deliver measurable climate benefits within years rather than decades.

This makes methane mitigation one of the most effective near-term climate interventions available to policymakers and industry.

Three sectors drive emissions

Methane carries a Global Warming Potential more than 80 times higher than CO₂ over a 20-year period.

According to climate data, the gas accounts for roughly 30% of global temperature increases since the Industrial Revolution. The environmental stakes make methane reduction a priority for climate action.

Addressing methane emissions complements long-term decarbonisation efforts by providing immediate temperature relief while societies transition away from fossil fuels.

Methane emissions originate from agriculture, energy and waste. Agricultural sources include enteric fermentation in livestock and flooded rice paddies.

The energy sector contributes through fugitive emissions from oil and gas infrastructure and venting from coal mines.

Each sector presents distinct sustainability challenges requiring tailored mitigation approaches that balance economic development with environmental protection.

Waste generates methane through decomposing organic matter in landfills and wastewater systems.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the fossil fuel sector produces nearly one third of methane emissions from human activity. Record production of oil, gas and coal combined with inconsistent mitigation efforts maintains global emissions above 120 million tonnes annually.

This volume represents a significant climate liability that undermines progress towards international temperature targets.

The IEA's May 2025 Global Methane Tracker expanded its scope to include abandoned wells and mines. These sources contributed around eight million tonnes to the 2024 total.

Bioenergy production and consumption add another 20 million tonnes, largely from incomplete combustion of traditional biomass used for cooking and heating in developing economies.

The inclusion of legacy infrastructure highlights the long-term environmental responsibility extending beyond active operations.

Fastest path to climate relief

Methane reduction offers the quickest route to slowing global warming.

According to the IEA, fossil fuel supply presents the greatest potential for immediate reductions. Solutions to lower these emissions to near zero exist and could be deployed at little or negative cost.

Beyond climate benefits, methane capture delivers air quality improvements and recovers valuable energy resources that would otherwise be wasted.

Around 5% of global oil and gas production currently meets a near-zero emissions standard. This represents nearly three million barrels of oil and 130 billion cubic metres of natural gas per day.

Implementation remains the primary challenge despite widespread target-setting for 2030. Scaling proven technologies across the industry would deliver substantial environmental gains whilst strengthening energy security.

The Global Methane Pledge now includes more than 150 countries committed to a 30% reduction by 2030. MethaneSAT tracks super-emitters from orbit in near-real-time.

Oil companies implement mandatory Leak Detection and Repair protocols whilst farmers trial seaweed-based feed additives to reduce bovine emissions. These diverse initiatives demonstrate that methane mitigation spans multiple sectors and requires coordinated action across government, industry and research institutions.

Industry demonstrates rapid progress

The Oil and Gas Climate Initiative brings together 11 major producers including Aramco, Equinor, Shell and TotalEnergies. Members achieved their collective 2025 upstream methane intensity target of well below 0.20% by 2021.

By 2024, aggregate upstream operated methane intensity dropped to 0.12%. These results demonstrate that ambitious methane reduction targets are technically achievable and economically viable when companies prioritise operational excellence.

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This represents a 14% decrease year on year and a 62% decrease compared with 2017. The reduction in intensity translated into a 63% decrease in absolute upstream methane emissions since 2017. Total emissions for OGCI members stood at 0.73 million tonnes in 2024.

The sustained progress over multiple years indicates that methane management has become embedded in operational practices rather than remaining a one-time initiative.

Their methodology measures methane emissions as a percentage of total gas marketed. The approach now serves as an industry standard and underpins the Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter's near-zero ambitions for 2030. Addressing these leaks represents an immediate and cost-effective opportunity to protect the environment whilst demonstrating industry leadership on climate action.

bp eliminates routine flaring

Since acquiring assets in the Permian Basin, bpx has implemented technology to reduce emissions. The company redesigned acquired well site facilities into hydra sites, a centralised infrastructure model. Hydra sites eliminate storage tanks, flares and onsite compression at new well sites.

“In the Permian, our bpx team has achieved its accelerated goal of zero routine flaring by 2025 and significantly reduced emissions through next-gen hydra sites – an innovation that’s reshaping how we design and operate," says Murray Auchincloss, CEO of bp.

"It’s a powerful step towards our aim to reach net zero operations by 2050 or sooner.”

For legacy well sites, bpx upgraded equipment by replacing gas-driven pneumatics with air systems. This eliminates intermittent methane emissions.

The company expanded vapour recovery to capture gas that would otherwise be lost.

Flaring has been reduced by 99% and bpx eliminated routine flaring. The company maintains a strict standard where no new bpx well is brought online unless it connects to a gas pipeline from startup.

TotalEnergies shares detection technology

TotalEnergies developed AUSEA, a drone-based methane emissions detection and measurement system. The company is sharing the technology with companies on three continents to accelerate action towards near-zero emissions by 2030.

TotalEnergies signed cooperation agreements with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, India's Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Oil India Ltd, Petrobras in Brazil, SOCAR in Azerbaijan and Sonangol in Angola.

The agreements allow them to use AUSEA to understand and reduce methane emissions at their operations.

Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman & CEO of TotalEnergies, says: "Cutting methane emissions from operations is a priority as technologies are available. The first step is to measure emissions, asset by asset."

"By making our AUSEA technology available to our partners, TotalEnergies is taking a concrete step to encourage the whole industry, including national companies, to aim for zero methane emissions."

The AUSEA gas analyser was developed by TotalEnergies and its research and development partners. The dual sensor can pinpoint the presence and source of methane and CO₂ emissions.

Chevron retrofits Colorado facilities

Chevron reduced its methane intensity by more than 50% from 2016 to 2024. The company uses facility design, operating practices and technology to manage methane intensity.

In 2024, Chevron completed its largest methane emissions reduction project in Colorado. The company carried out more than 250 facility retrofits to reduce methane emissions. The facilities were converted to operate pneumatic devices with nitrogen instead of field natural gas, which keeps methane in the pipe.

The project started as a pilot to trial technology on three facilities and scaled up quickly. The same technology is being considered for a pilot in the Permian Basin.

Mike Wirth, Chairman & CEO of Chevron, says: "Chevron remains focused on lowering the carbon intensity of our operations through energy efficiency, methane management and flaring reduction."

"Our Colorado facility retrofits exemplify these efforts. We collaborate with organisations like OGCI to advance understanding and share best practices across the industry."

Since 2016, Chevron has trialled more than 20 methane detection technologies and incorporates solutions into its methane detection campaign.

Combining operational data with detection information enhances the company's understanding of methane emissions.