EcoWatch
Facebook 558k Twitter 222k Instagram 52k Subscribe Subscribe
  • Climate
  • Energy
  • Conservation
  • Food + Agriculture
  • Renewables
  • Oceans
  • Policy
  • Insights + Opinion
  • Go Solar Today
      • Top Companies By State
        • California Solar Companies
        • Texas Solar Companies
        • New York Solar Companies
        • Florida Solar Companies
        • See All States
      • Top Incentives By State
        • California Solar Incentives
        • Texas Solar Incentives
        • New York Solar Incentives
        • Florida Solar Incentives
        • See All States
      • Solar Panel Costs By State
        • Solar Panel Costs in California
        • Solar Panel Costs in Texas
        • Solar Panel Costs in New York
        • Solar Panel Costs in Florida
        • See All States
      • Value of Solar by State
        • Is Solar Worth It In California?
        • Is Solar Worth It in Texas?
        • Is Solar Worth It New York?
        • Is Solar Worth It In Florida?
        • See All States
      • Company Reviews
        • Tesla Solar Review
        • Sunrun Solar Review
        • SunPower Solar Review
        • Vivint Solar Review
        • See All Companies
      • Common Solar Questions
        • Can You Get Free Solar Panels?
        • Does Solar Increase Home Value?
        • What’re The Best Solar Batteries?
        • Can You Finance Solar?
        • Where To Buy Solar Panels?
        • Payback On Solar Panels?
      • Solar Resources
        • Interactive Solar Calculator
        • Federal Solar Tax Credit
        • Best Solar Panels For Most Homes
        • Tesla Solar Roof Review
        • Cheapest Solar Panels
      • Companies Compared
        • SunPower vs Tesla Solar
        • SunRun vs Tesla Solar
        • SunRun vs SunPower
        • SunPower vs Momentum Solar
        • SunPower vs ADT Solar
EcoWatch
  • Climate
  • Energy
  • Conservation
  • Food + Agriculture
  • Renewables
  • Oceans
  • Policy
  • Insights + Opinion
  • Go Solar Today
    • Go Solar Today
    • Top Companies By State
      • California Solar Companies
      • Texas Solar Companies
      • New York Solar Companies
      • Florida Solar Companies
      • See All States
    • Top Incentives By State
      • California Solar Incentives
      • Texas Solar Incentives
      • New York Solar Incentives
      • Florida Solar Incentives
      • See All States
    • Solar Panel Costs By State
      • Solar Panel Costs in California
      • Solar Panel Costs in Texas
      • Solar Panel Costs in New York
      • Solar Panel Costs in Florida
      • See All States
    • Value of Solar by State
      • Is Solar Worth It In California?
      • Is Solar Worth It in Texas?
      • Is Solar Worth It New York?
      • Is Solar Worth It In Florida?
      • See All States
    • Company Reviews
      • Tesla Solar Review
      • Sunrun Solar Review
      • SunPower Solar Review
      • Vivint Solar Review
      • See All Companies
    • Common Solar Questions
      • Can You Get Free Solar Panels?
      • Does Solar Increase Home Value?
      • What’re The Best Solar Batteries?
      • Can You Finance Solar?
      • Where To Buy Solar Panels?
      • Payback On Solar Panels?
    • Solar Resources
      • Interactive Solar Calculator
      • Federal Solar Tax Credit
      • Best Solar Panels For Most Homes
      • Tesla Solar Roof Review
      • Cheapest Solar Panels
    • Companies Compared
      • SunPower vs Tesla Solar
      • SunRun vs Tesla Solar
      • SunRun vs SunPower
      • SunPower vs Momentum Solar
      • SunPower vs ADT Solar

The best of EcoWatch right in your inbox. Sign up for our email newsletter!

    • About EcoWatch
    • Contact EcoWatch
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Learn About Solar Energy
    Facebook 558k Twitter 222k Instagram 52k
    EcoWatch
    • About EcoWatch
    • Contact EcoWatch
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Learn About Solar Energy
    Facebook 558k Twitter 222k Instagram 52k
    Home Energy

    Actual Methane Emissions From Offshore Oil Likely Much Higher Than Estimates, Research Finds

    By: Paige Bennett
    Published: February 8, 2023
    Edited by Chris McDermott
    Facebook icon Twitter icon Pinterest icon Email icon
    An offshore oil drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico
    An offshore oil drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico. Tom Pennington / Getty Images
    Why you can trust us

    Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

    Facebook icon Twitter icon Pinterest icon Email icon

    More and more studies are finding that reported estimates for methane emissions from offshore oil operations are likely far under the true amount of emissions. 

    Multiple flights over the course of 2021 detected methane gas plumes via infrared technology, with researchers noting more than 150 oil platforms near Louisiana alone leak methane more frequently than previously thought. Most of the emissions are from tanks and vent booms, and the methane loss rate from offshore oil platforms was around 23% to 66%, as reported by Reuters.

    Another study from 2020 measured methane emissions of individual offshore oil facilities and regions of facilities in the Gulf of Mexico in January 2018, comparing their emission count to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Greenhouse Gas Inventory. The count was higher for emissions inventories in shallower waters compared to the official counts reported to the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory.

    More From EcoWatch
    • Is Solar Worth It in Louisiana? (2023 Homeowner’s Guide)
    • How to Conserve Energy
    • A Brief History of Solar Energy

    As reported by DeSmog, oversight and accountability isn’t where it needs to be for many offshore oil facilities, so emissions often go underreported. The U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has even announced a need to improve inspection procedures for offshore oil platforms, following a confidential complaint, and plans to implement new training procedures for inspectors this spring.

    Technology is also evolving to better detect methane gas leaks or intentional releases of emissions for offshore oil platforms, whose owners have previously argued that they produce far less emissions than onshore oil operations. Researchers have been able to detect and record more methane emissions for offshore oil platforms compared to reported emissions in recent years.

    Emissions aren’t just underestimated for the oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. One study published in December 2022 by researchers at Princeton University and Colorado State University found a probable underestimate of methane for UK oil and gas activities, with emissions being as many as five times higher than what is reported. The researchers expect similar inaccuracies of reported emissions for other countries.

    “Methane emissions from offshore facilities are currently largely uncertain, and because sources on facilities only emit for a short time period, using direct survey methods such as satellite or drones will probably only capture about 25% of the actual emissions,” Stuart Riddick, lead author and research scientist at Colorado State University, said in a statement. “To generate representative baseline emissions across the sector, we need to work with industry to develop practical, effective, and collaborative measurement strategies.”

    Methane is the second most abundant greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide, making up about 20% of total greenhouse gas emissions globally. But this gas is about 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

    “No one really knows how bad of a problem it is and something needs to be done,” Chris Eaton, a senior attorney for Earthjustice, told DeSmog. “Getting some methane regulations on the books is crucial and it should be done soon.”

    Subscribe to get exclusive updates in our daily newsletter!

      By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, and to receive electronic communications from EcoWatch Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content.

      Paige Bennett

      Based in Los Angeles, Paige is a writer who is passionate about sustainability. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Ohio University and holds a certificate in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. She also specialized in sustainable agriculture while pursuing her undergraduate degree.
      Facebook icon Twitter icon Pinterest icon Email icon

      Read More

      NOAA: 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season Predicted to Be Above Normal With 13 to 19 Named Storms
      The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s outlook
      By Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
      States Can Take Meaningful Climate Action, Even Without Federal Support: Study
      State action to reduce carbon emissions and address climate change
      By Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
      More Than 1 in 4 Cars Sold Globally in 2025 Expected to Be EVs: IEA Report
      According to the Global EV Outlook 2025 report from the
      By Paige Bennett

      Subscribe to get exclusive updates in our daily newsletter!

        By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, and to receive electronic communications from EcoWatch Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content.

        Latest Articles

        • Pollination ‘Magic’ Happens at Night Too, First-of-Its-Kind Study Finds
          by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
          May 23, 2025
        • Humpback Whales Give Birth During Epic Migrations and Continue Traveling: Study
          by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
          May 23, 2025
        • Plants Produce More Nectar in Response to the Sound of Buzzing Bees: Study
          by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
          May 23, 2025
        • NOAA: 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season Predicted to Be Above Normal With 13 to 19 Named Storms
          by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
          May 22, 2025
        • IEA Warns of Potential Shortages of Copper as Demand Increases For Renewables
          by Paige Bennett
          May 22, 2025
        • States Can Take Meaningful Climate Action, Even Without Federal Support: Study
          by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
          May 22, 2025
        • Cultural Values on Indigenous Lands Help Forests Thrive at Nearly Twice the Rate of Protected Areas: Study
          by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
          May 21, 2025
        • Removal of Invasive Bullfrogs Leads to Increase of Native Pond Turtles in Yosemite, Study Finds
          by Paige Bennett
          May 21, 2025
        EcoWatch

        The best of EcoWatch right in your inbox. Sign up for our email newsletter!

          • Climate Climate
          • Animals Animals
          • Health + Wellness Health + Wellness
          • Insights + Opinion Insights + Opinion
          • Adventure Adventure
          • Oceans Oceans
          • Business Business
          • Solar Solar
          • About EcoWatch
          • Contact EcoWatch
          • EcoWatch Reviews
          • Terms of Use
          • Privacy Policy
          • Learn About Solar Energy
          • Learn About Deregulated Energy
          • EcoWatch UK
          Follow Us
          Facebook 558k
          Twitter 222k
          Instagram 52k
          Subscribe Subscribe

          Experts for a healthier planet and life.

          Mentioned by:
          Learn more
          • Privacy Policy
          • Terms of Use
          • Cookie Preferences
          • Do Not Sell My Information
          © 2025 EcoWatch. All Rights Reserved.

          Advertiser Disclosure

          Our editorial team is committed to creating independent and objective content focused on helping our readers make informed decisions. To help support these efforts we receive compensation from companies that advertise with us.

          The compensation we receive from these companies may impact how and where products appear on this site. This compensation does not influence the recommendations or advice our editorial team provides within our content. We do not include all companies, products or offers that may be available.