Global Methane Conversation
Methane Technical Section Q&A: Prove It or Lose It: How Rigorous Methane Programs Will Define Global Oil and Gas Market Access
JPT article – April 06, 2026
Methane management is shifting from a voluntary credibility exercise to a commercial and regulatory requirement. As the EU Methane Regulation introduces phased import obligations tied to measurement, reporting, verification, and methane intensity, operators face growing pressure to produce emissions data that can withstand external scrutiny.
In this interview, Jessica Shumlich and Thomas Fox discuss what separates a defensible methane program from a superficial one: clear governance, fit-for-purpose measurement, traceable data architecture, disciplined reconciliation between top-down and bottom-up estimates, and preparation for independent verification. They also examine how methane programs can evolve beyond reporting to support operational decisions, capital allocation, and market positioning.
The central message is straightforward: In a more demanding global market, methane performance claims will matter less than the ability to prove them.
Methane Technical Section Q&A: From Pilots to Policy—How Operators Are Scaling Emission Measurement
JPT article – March 09, 2026
This article is the 2nd in a Q&A series from the SPE Methane Emissions Management Technical Section (MEMTS), discusses Aramco’s efforts at quantifying and reducing its methane emissions across its value chain. In this article, Ensan Elayoubi, MTS Membership Chair, interviews two Aramco experts on methane emissions management: Ioannis Alexiou, Environmental Consultant and Dmytriy Orel, a Lead Environmental Scientist. Both individuals are directly involved in the company’s methane detection and reduction efforts.
MEMTS Technical Section Q&A: Data, Models, and Trust—The Next Frontier in Methane Emissions Quantification
JPT article – December 18, 2025
This article is the first in a Q&A series from the SPE Methane Emissions Management Technical Section (MEMTS) on methane intelligence and how oil and gas teams translate emissions data into credible decisions and measurable reductions. In this article, Babatunde Anifowose, SPE, chair of MEMTS, talks with Peter Roos, founder and chief innovation officer at Bridger Photonics, and Mike Thorpe, chief scientist at Bridger, about how data, models, and mindsets are reshaping methane emission quantification. As the first piece in a series on methane intelligence, the conversation explores detection sensitivity, uncertainty, and the challenge of scaling from individual plumes to basin-wide inventories, as well as how policy frameworks, market expectations, and operator/technology partnerships can build (or erode) trust and enable “good-enough” data to drive real emissions reductions.
Global Methane Emissions Management: Current Challenges and SPE's Impact
JPT article – June 2, 2025
Drawing on insights from the 2024 MEMTS Forum in Banff and contributions from a global group of specialists, this JPT feature explores why methane reduction is fundamentally a change-management and culture challenge, not just a technology problem. It walks through the shifting regulatory landscape and economic realities across regions, highlighting gaps between routine and non-routine emissions, access to monitoring technologies, and the strain on smaller operators. The article then examines how better inventories, measurement strategies, and standardized methods can rebuild trust in reported data, and maps out the role SPE—and MEMTS in particular—can play in convening stakeholders, sharing good practice, and turning high-level pledges into measurable, durable methane reductions.