Estimates of Methane Emissions by Segment in the United States
EPA estimates methane emissions from the oil and natural gas industry in its annual Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks. Charts summarizing the 2022 methane emissions by oil and gas industry segment are presented below.
Overview
Methane emission estimates aggregated by the major oil and natural gas segments in the United States are presented in the chart below.
| Segment | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Gas Production | 41 |
| Oil Production | 18 |
| Processing | 7 |
| Transmission and Storage | 18 |
| Distribution | 7 |
| Post-Meter | 6 |
| Abandoned Wells | 4 |
Values may not sum to 100 due to rounding.
Production
The Production segment (including exploration, offshore production, and gathering and boosting) accounts for 60% of the total methane emissions from the oil and natural gas industry. The chart below shows the distribution of the top emission sources in this segment.
| Emission Source | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Pneumatic Controllers | 33 |
| Gas Engines | 15 |
| Compressors | 11 |
| Equipment Leaks | 9 |
| Tanks | 8 |
| Produced Water | 5 |
| Pneumatic Pumps | 4 |
| Other | 15 |
Values may not sum to 100 due to rounding.
Processing
The Processing segment accounts for 6% of the total methane emissions from the oil and natural gas industry. The chart below shows the distribution of the top emission sources in this segment.
| Emission Source | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Gas Engines | 65 |
| Reciprocating Compressors | 9 |
| Blowdowns | 9 |
| Flares | 5 |
| Centrifugal Compressors | 6 |
| Other | 6 |
Values may not sum to 100 due to rounding.
Transmission
The Transmission and Storage segment accounts for 19% of the total methane emissions from the oil and natural gas industry. The chart below shows the distribution of the top emission sources in this segment.
| Emission Source | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Reciprocating Compressors | 30 |
| Gas Engines | 15 |
| Station Venting | 12 |
| Station Fugitives | 11 |
| Centrifugal Compressors | 10 |
| Pipeline Venting | 9 |
| Metering and Regulating (M&R) Stations | 7 |
| Other | 6 |
Values may not sum to 100 due to rounding.
Distribution
The Distribution segment accounts for 6% of the total methane emissions from the oil and natural gas industry. The chart below shows the distribution of the top emission sources in this segment.
| Emission Source | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Commercial Meters | 24 |
| Residential Meters | 16 |
| Mishaps (Dig-ins) | 13 |
| Mains - Protected Steel | 8 |
| Metering and Regulating (M&R) Stations | 8 |
| Mains - Unprotected steel | 7 |
| Services - Unprotected steel | 6 |
| Other | 18 |
Values may not sum to 100 due to rounding.