Combining Aerial and Ground Surveys to Quantify Oil and Gas Sector Methane Emissions in Colombia

Curbing methane emissions is a crucial aspect of achieving emissions reduction targets across the world. This is particularly important in Colombia, where it is estimated that 24% of anthropogenic methane emissions originate from the energy sector (IEA, 2023). However, the mitigation potential remains hampered by a lack of understanding of emission sources in the field and limited access to accurate official inventories.  The objective of this study is to develop a comprehensive inventory of methane emissions within the oil and gas industry in Colombia. The implemented framework consists of a hybrid inventory that integrates top-down, source-resolved aerial measurements with bottom-up measurements following the published methodology of Johnson et al., Comms. Earth & Environ, 2023. This approach not only facilitates a detailed attribution of emission sources but also quantifies the measurement and sample size uncertainties, employing the detection probability of the airborne sensor, Monte Carlo analysis, and bootstrap analysis.  For this study, around 3,400 facilities were included in the top-down campaign, complemented by a select sample of facilities in a parallel bottom-up campaign. The total facility sample covers six different production regions across five departments, including a wide range of oil and gas facilities and production types. This presentation will discuss the initial results of the field campaigns and progress towards the completion of a first-ever measurement-based methane inventory for Colombia that is intended to be used to support verified reporting under the International Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP 2.0).