Google [GOOG:US] has announced a partnership with the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to join a satellite program known as MethaneSAT, which will track sources of climate-warming emissions from oil and gas operations, as reported by Reuters on February 15. The satellite will be launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket next month, as one of several satellites being deployed to detect emissions of methane from space. Google will provide the computing capabilities needed to process the data collected by the satellite and draw up a map of oil and gas infrastructure by using artificial intelligence to identify components like oil tanks. In addition, MethaneSAT’s data on emissions will then be overlayed with the Google map to help understand which types of oil and gas equipment pose the highest risk of leaks.

Google will offer the emission data through its geospatial analysis platform Google Earth Engine later this year. The platform is free to researchers, nonprofits, and the news media. Such information is considered valuable for energy companies, researchers, and the public sector to anticipate and mitigate methane emissions. Orbiting Earth 15 times each day, MethaneSAT will survey methane levels over the world’s major oil- and gas-producing regions, addressing data gaps that traditional methods may overlook. The move to map global methane emissions came as governments’ increased focus on this potent greenhouse gas. In 2021, More than 100 countries led by the US and Europe signed up to a global commitment to reduce the methane emissions by 30% by 2030 from 2020 levels.

Sources:

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/google-share-oil-gas-methane-leaks-spotted-space-2024-02-14/

https://www.ft.com/content/2d0fe376-5088-45ac-b5b8-bf7182c16197

https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/14/24071100/google-methane-satellite-ai-map-climate-change