Using satellite data, experts reported the largest methane leak from a well, releasing 131,000 tons over 205 days.
An international team of scientists led by Luis Guanter, a professor at the Polytechnic University of Valencia and head of the LARS group at the Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering, documented the largest methane leak in history, as reported by SciTechDaily on July 19. The leak occurred at the Karaturun Vostochny field in Kazakhstan.
Burning well at the Karaturun Vostochny field, Kazakhstan, 2023. (Photo: Mangistau Regional Administration)
In a new study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters, the team of scientists quantified and tracked the development of this massive methane emission by combining data from various satellites, including TROPOMI, GHGSat, PRISMA, EnMAP, EMIT, and multispectral radiometers from Landsat and Sentinel-2.
The leak caused a fire reaching 10 meters high and a crater 15 meters wide, surpassing previous events at Aliso Canyon in 2015, Ohio in 2018, and Louisiana in 2019.
The leak at the Karaturun Vostochny field began on June 9, 2023, when an explosion occurred during exploratory drilling. An earlier estimate indicated that the event released about 127,000 tons of methane. However, in the new study, scientists concluded that the well emitted approximately 131,000 tons of methane into the atmosphere over 205 days. Thousands of tons of water were pumped in to seal the well. Ultimately, the gas flow was halted on December 25, 2023, using drilling mud, according to Luis Guanter, a researcher at the Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering.
In their research, the team developed new data processing methods. These optimization techniques included deploying custom-designed filters to detect gas flows and implementing quantitative methane models for hyperspectral devices. Advanced satellite technology played a crucial role in detecting and quantifying methane emissions, especially in remote and hard-to-observe areas.
The research team emphasized the need for continuous and accurate monitoring worldwide to mitigate the environmental impact of industrial activities such as oil and gas extraction. “Natural gas is an important energy source, but it also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for one-third of global warming due to containing over 90% methane. The difference from CO2 is that methane has a much greater short-term impact. Therefore, we need to act at the source and reduce emissions,” they concluded.
