Turkmenistan has begun plugging super-emitter methane leaks at ageing oil and gas sites, repairing corroded pipes, faulty wells and failing flares to stop eight major leaks, the UN’s Methane Alert and Response System shows. Mars sent Turkmenistan 192 satellite-detected methane plume alerts over the last year; the country accounted for three of the six worst leaks detected in the past six months and nine of the top 50. Turkmenistan responded to about 20 percent of Mars alerts with on-the-ground information and potential fixes, a higher engagement level than countries including the United States, which received 138 alerts but reported no responses or fixes in the last year. The worst single leak detected globally was in Mexico’s offshore industry at 37 tonnes of methane per hour, equivalent to emissions from more than 7 million SUVs; Mexico responded to all 23 Mars alerts it received but had not completed a fix. Meghan Demeter, programme manager for Mars at the UN Environment Programme, said the Turkmenistan cases are proof that satellite data can be rapidly translated into mitigation action and that the country’s response rate is growing month by month. While UN officials called the eight repairs an encouraging first step, they stressed many more sources in Turkmenistan remain to be addressed.
