The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a partnership with Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), a Mexican state-owned oil and gas company, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane, as reported by Reuters on November 15. The EPA will support PEMEX to identify major sources of methane emissions across its operations and implement methane reduction technologies and practices, including flare gas capture and regular leak detection. Through technical collaboration with the EPA, PEMEX plans to release a greenhouse gas mitigation plan by the first half of 2023. This collaboration aligns with Mexico’s commitment to the Global Methane Pledge, which aims to reduce 30% of anthropogenic methane emissions from its 2020 levels by 2030.  

Methane is the second largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and global warming after carbon dioxide. It is mainly emitted from oil and gas production and leakage, agriculture practice, and wetlands. Anthropogenic methane emissions contribute approximately 60% of annual methane emissions. Mexico is the ninth largest methane emitter in the world and is reported to have a very high methane leak rate from oil and gas operations compared with other countries. PEMEX, the largest oil company in Mexico, committed to reducing methane leakage by fixing its flaring problem in 2016, but abandoned the plan in 2022 after finding it less lucrative.

Sources:

https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/mexicos-pemex-work-with-epa-bring-down-methane-emissions-2022-11-12/

https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-and-pemex-announce-collaboration-reduce-methane-emissions

https://www.gob.mx/sre/prensa/mexico-joins-the-global-methane-pledge-at-cop26?idiom=en

https://www.state.gov/u-s-eu-joint-press-release-on-the-global-methane-pledge-energy-pathway/

https://www.iea.org/reports/methane-tracker-2021/methane-and-climate-change

https://www.worlddata.info/greenhouse-gas-by-country.php

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexican-methane-leak-rate-alarming-climate-change-report-says-2021-07-28/

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/mexicos-pemex-had-plan-fix-its-flaring-problem-abandoned-it-2022-11-07/