The methane reckoning: Collaborating for efficient measurement and monitoring

For years, climate action has focused squarely on carbon dioxide. From net zero roadmaps to emissions trading schemes, CO₂ has been the headline pollutant. Yet this focus risks missing a faster, more immediate threat: methane. NZTC’s Cynthia Bassey outlines why methane deserves urgent attention, the technologies poised to transform how we measure it, and how collaborative action can fast-track real-world impact.

Methane is the second-largest contributor to global warming and has a far greater short-term impact than CO₂. Over a 20-year period, it is nearly 80 times more potent at warming when compared to carbon dioxide. It has accounted for roughly 30 percent of the global temperature rise since the Industrial Revolution. The science is unambiguous; cutting methane is one of the most effective ways to slow warming in the near term.

Unlike CO₂, which can persist in the atmosphere for centuries, methane breaks down in around 12 years. This short lifespan means action now can deliver rapid results. It offers a critical window to make progress on the slower challenge of long-term carbon reduction.

Methane emissions are prevalent across oil and gas, as well as agriculture, waste and other industrial sectors. Encouragingly, the regulatory landscape is responding. In 2024, the EU introduced its first methane regulation, covering mandatory leak detection, repair and reporting across the energy sector.

The UK is following suit, but recent scrutiny has highlighted gaps in its approach. A 2025 report by the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee raised concerns about fragmented regulation and limited enforcement, noting that the current framework relies too much on voluntary action. The report called for a more coordinated strategy, including a national methane action plan, clearer regulatory responsibilities and stronger incentives to support the deployment of measurement and monitoring technologies.

Without clear data, targeted action is impossible. This remains one of the most persistent barriers to effective reduction.

The blind spots: measurement and monitoring challenges

Methane emissions from oil and gas facilities are often intermittent, variable and diffuse, making continuous measurement technically complex. For offshore installations, harsh environmental conditions and limited access complicate the deployment of advanced sensors and monitoring systems.

Currently, much of the methane emissions data provided to regulators is self-reported by operators, based on periodic surveys, estimates or emission factors rather than direct measurement. This approach risks underreporting or inaccuracies and limits the ability of regulators to validate and enforce emission limits.

Emerging technologies such as satellite monitoring, drones equipped with methane sensors and fixed continuous monitoring systems hold promise, but these are not yet widely adopted or mandated across the UK sector.

To close this gap, the UK will need to invest in the development and deployment of advanced measurement technologies, stipulate continuous monitoring where feasible and enhance transparency to ensure reliable methane reporting and quicker mitigations.

Field-proven innovations

In the last 18 months, the Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC) has been increasingly active in this space, supporting and profiling effective technologies that could transform methane emissions measurement and monitoring.

In partnership with the North Sea Transition Authority, and with support from Offshore Energies UK and the Technology Leadership Board, we have published two roadmaps that serve as technological blueprints, profiling practical and adoptable solutions for operators to track, report and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, including methane.

The Emissions Reduction Technology Roadmap highlights over 50 adoptable technologies aimed at advancing decarbonisation efforts across the upstream oil and gas sector.

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The Emissions Measurement and Monitoring Technology Roadmap identifies over 45 solutions for measuring and monitoring emissions from power generation, flaring and venting.

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One of these solutions come from Flylogix, a company supported by NZTC for nearly a decade. They have pioneered a novel technique using unmanned aircraft to conduct emissions assessments more cost-effectively and with a lower environmental footprint, controlled entirely from shore. To date, Flylogix has flown over 50,000 km, recording more than 2.5 million methane concentration readings.

Another innovation is Accord ESL’s Combustor, a Compact Hydrocarbon Allocation Reference Model known as CHARM. This process simulation software integrates with existing infrastructure to provide live flaring data, offering real-time visibility into methane released during combustion. Having collaborated on several projects with NZTC, the company’s Combustor is now operational across all TotalEnergies UK assets.

Accord’s solution has also revealed a critical gap in current regulation. EU legislation requires 99% destruction efficiency for flares, assuming this is the most effective way to cut emissions. Yet data from CHARM shows that focusing solely on combustion efficiency can overlook real-world emissions intensity – in some cases producing more methane at 99% efficiency than a setup optimised to minimise emissions. These findings highlight the need for regulation that reflects operational realities and supports data-driven decisions.

If governments align regulation with proven, real-world solutions, operators will be able to achieve deeper emissions cuts more quickly, helping to unlock commercial investment. Until then, the pace and scale of adoption will remain constrained, holding back the broader impact these innovations could deliver.

A united approach to accelerating methane mitigation

Innovators across the energy sector often face years of delays before their technologies achieve real-world impact – a challenge especially evident in areas like well decommissioning and carbon capture and storage. NZTC recognises that these complex, industry-wide issues can’t be solved in isolation. That’s why it is prioritising collaboration through joint innovation programmes that bring together operators, regulators and, crucially, the developers driving new ideas. By creating neutral ground for industry players to tackle shared challenges, NZTC is helping fast-tracking progress in a range of critical areas.

A standout is our Subsurface Safety Valves for carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS)  initiative. Supported by ten global operators, this programme has successfully tested and certified three suppliers’ valves to operate reliably at temperatures as low as –65 degrees Celsius. This achievement is a vital step forward for expanding offshore carbon storage safely and effectively.

Building on this success, NZTC is now extending its collaborative approach to methane measurement. We are developing a programme designed to enable cost-effective field trials of emerging and existing methane measurement technologies. This initiative will give operators direct access to our technology portfolio while fostering shared learning and influencing policymakers and regulators.

Ultimately, the aim is to establish a consistent methane measurement framework that minimises uncertainty across all levels, ensures accuracy and reliability through repeatable results, and standardises deployment processes to drive industry-wide adoption.

Methane’s outsized impact on climate means cutting emissions today can deliver immediate and lasting benefits. Success depends on urgent, coordinated action across industry, regulators and innovators to improve measurement, share knowledge and rapidly scale proven technologies.

That is where NZTC is aiming to make a real difference. By driving collaborative programmes that span the energy value chain, from developing new sensor technologies and real-world trials to engaging directly with regulators, we are helping establish the consistent standards and frameworks that operators and policymakers need.

Our hands-on support for innovators like Flylogix and Accord ESL shows how pooling expertise, sharing risk and validating solutions at scale can accelerate adoption across the sector.

By investing in these partnerships and pilots today, we can give operators the tools to measure twice and act once, creating a lasting blueprint for emissions reduction that benefits the industry and society alike.