Offshore oil and gas platforms emit more methane than previously thought. This conclusion was made by scientists from the University of Michigan, whose study was published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.
Methane can be emitted not only by industrial enterprises, but also by the agricultural and resource-extracting sectors. In a new work, researchers focused on emissions from oil and gas offshore platforms that are installed at sea. In particular, scientists investigated methane emissions during their operation.
Offshore production accounts for about a third of the world's oil and gas, and these plants both discharge methane into the ocean and release it into the atmosphere.
In a new study, scientists conducted an analysis of the emissions of several offshore platforms from the air, and also compared the information obtained with existing emission data.
The work showed that the largest amount of emissions is in objects located in shallow water. However, platforms located at great depths release much more methane into the atmosphere than previously thought.