Contribution of oil and natural gas production to renewed increase in atmospheric methane (2007–2014): top–down estimate from ethane and methane  column observations

Hausmann, Petra; Sussmann, Ralf; Smale, Dan

doi:10.5194/acp-16-3227-2016

Articles | Volume 16, issue 5

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-3227-2016

© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Special issue:

Twenty-five years of operations of the Network for the Detection...

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-3227-2016

© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Articles | Volume 16, issue 5

Research article

|

11 Mar 2016

Research article |

| 11 Mar 2016

Contribution of oil and natural gas production to renewed increase in atmospheric methane (2007–2014): top–down estimate from ethane and methane column observations

Petra Hausmann, Ralf Sussmann, and Dan Smale

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Mar 2021	61	26	3	90
Apr 2021	52	24	1	77
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Jul 2021	33	35	1	69
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Dec 2021	52	27	2	81
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Feb 2022	37	20	5	62
Mar 2022	37	27	2	66
Apr 2022	47	15	7	69
May 2022	48	13	2	63
Jun 2022	28	17	5	50
Jul 2022	33	19	1	53
Aug 2022	49	23	2	74
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Oct 2022	18	5	2	25
Nov 2022	28	13	4	45
Dec 2022	32	8	6	46
Jan 2023	29	13	0	42
Feb 2023	33	17	0	50
Mar 2023	46	25	2	73
Apr 2023	35	18	1	54
May 2023	58	20	1	79
Jun 2023	74	16	3	93
Jul 2023	81	10	3	94
Aug 2023	68	26	3	97
Sep 2023	69	11	2	82
Oct 2023	82	30	4	116
Nov 2023	48	9	0	57
Dec 2023	103	29	5	137
Jan 2024	76	18	1	95
Feb 2024	76	17	0	93
Mar 2024	88	32	3	123
Apr 2024	74	19	7	100
May 2024	62	21	3	86
Jun 2024	101	13	4	118
Jul 2024	40	15	5	60
Aug 2024	69	9	7	85
Sep 2024	46	18	1	65
Oct 2024	70	22	1	93
Nov 2024	48	12	6	66
Dec 2024	56	21	0	77
Jan 2025	35	14	5	54
Feb 2025	55	11	4	70
Mar 2025	50	14	4	68
Apr 2025	51	19	1	71
May 2025	60	8	0	68
Jun 2025	73	19	2	94
Jul 2025	44	22	3	69
Aug 2025	66	24	4	94
Sep 2025	85	30	3	118
Oct 2025	33	56	0	89
Nov 2025	50	33	5	88

Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 21 Dec 2015)

Month	HTML	PDF	XML	Total
Dec 2015	130	224	3	357
Jan 2016	244	191	8	443
Feb 2016	121	40	4	165
Mar 2016	547	283	6	836
Apr 2016	144	65	4	213
May 2016	64	41	1	106
Jun 2016	54	34	1	89
Jul 2016	47	19	3	69
Aug 2016	35	15	0	50
Sep 2016	63	19	3	85
Oct 2016	56	18	1	75
Nov 2016	22	8	0	30
Dec 2016	29	15	1	45
Jan 2017	49	26	1	76
Feb 2017	30	12	0	42
Mar 2017	54	34	3	91
Apr 2017	48	32	2	82
May 2017	63	32	1	96
Jun 2017	68	24	1	93
Jul 2017	59	26	2	87
Aug 2017	27	15	3	45
Sep 2017	31	20	2	53
Oct 2017	21	23	2	46
Nov 2017	35	27	2	64
Dec 2017	28	27	1	56
Jan 2018	54	25	1	80
Feb 2018	84	25	0	109
Mar 2018	32	37	2	71
Apr 2018	46	33	3	82
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Jun 2018	39	15	1	55
Jul 2018	29	17	3	49
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Jan 2019	26	20	2	48
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Nov 2020	33	13	1	47
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Jan 2021	35	21	0	56
Feb 2021	40	20	0	60
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Apr 2021	52	24	1	77
May 2021	52	18	4	74
Jun 2021	28	21	1	50
Jul 2021	33	35	1	69
Aug 2021	41	25	5	71
Sep 2021	53	23	0	76
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Nov 2021	58	55	6	119
Dec 2021	52	27	2	81
Jan 2022	39	24	2	65
Feb 2022	37	20	5	62
Mar 2022	37	27	2	66
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Jun 2022	28	17	5	50
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Dec 2022	32	8	6	46
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Feb 2023	33	17	0	50
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Jun 2023	74	16	3	93
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Aug 2023	68	26	3	97
Sep 2023	69	11	2	82
Oct 2023	82	30	4	116
Nov 2023	48	9	0	57
Dec 2023	103	29	5	137
Jan 2024	76	18	1	95
Feb 2024	76	17	0	93
Mar 2024	88	32	3	123
Apr 2024	74	19	7	100
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Jun 2024	101	13	4	118
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Aug 2024	69	9	7	85
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Oct 2024	70	22	1	93
Nov 2024	48	12	6	66
Dec 2024	56	21	0	77
Jan 2025	35	14	5	54
Feb 2025	55	11	4	70
Mar 2025	50	14	4	68
Apr 2025	51	19	1	71
May 2025	60	8	0	68
Jun 2025	73	19	2	94
Jul 2025	44	22	3	69
Aug 2025	66	24	4	94
Sep 2025	85	30	3	118
Oct 2025	33	56	0	89
Nov 2025	50	33	5	88

Latest update: 27 Nov 2025

Short summary

After a period of stagnation, atmospheric methane started to rise again in 2007. The main drivers are assumed to be increased wetland emissions and fossil fuel production. Here, we quantify the oil and natural gas emission contribution. Our estimate is inferred from ground-based column observations of methane and ethane. We find a significant oil-gas contribution of at least 39% (18%, 73%) in three emission scenarios, calling for emission reduction strategies in growing oil and gas industries.