A satellite finds massive methane leaks from gas pipelines

NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO • February 3, 2022

There's new evidence, collected from orbiting satellites, that oil and gas companies are routinely venting huge amounts of methane into the air. Methane is the main ingredient in natural gas, the fuel. It's also a powerful greenhouse gas, second only to carbon dioxide in its warming impact. Researchers found that some releases resulted from accidents. More often, though, they were deliberate. Gas companies simply vented gas from pipelines or other equipment before carrying out repairs or maintenance operations.