A gas platform in the Gulf of Thailand has received a new warning from United Nations International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) about methane emissions detected over ten years ago, testing global commitments to reduce this greenhouse gas.
The platform, managed by a joint venture involving state-backed energy firms Malaysia’s Petroliam Nasional Bhd. and Thailand’s PTT Exploration and Production Pcl, has been observed emitting methane at least 60 times via satellite since 2013.
In May, the owners were urged again to take action on this issue.
The Petronas-PTTEP joint venture, situated in the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Development Area, is closely monitored as a benchmark for the industry’s commitment to accelerate efforts in reducing emissions.
“Given the scale and persistence of these emissions, swift action is needed to address them,” Manfredi Caltagirone, head of the United Nations’s IMEO, said in a statement.
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Both companies are among approximately 50 oil and gas producers who pledged at the COP28 climate talks in December to nearly eliminate methane emissions by 2030 and cease routine natural gas flaring.
Satellite observations over the past decade revealed that the site had an average emissions rate of 4,650 kilograms per hour, even during periods when no methane was detected, according to IMEO data.
This rate is significantly higher than average emissions observed in other major oil and gas-producing regions, although those studies often covered multiple platforms and used different survey methods, such as aerial surveys.
IMEO recently raised concerns about methane emissions at the Gulf of Thailand operation on May 14, following similar alerts in April and November of the previous year, the organization confirmed this week.
