Turkmenistan plugs methane leaks after UN
Turkmenistan has started fixing major methane leaks from its oil and gas infrastructure following UN satellite alerts, with eight leaks sealed so far.
Turkmenistan has begun repairing major methane leaks from its oil and gas facilities, according to the latest UN data. The UN's Methane Alert and Response System (Mars) has hailed the action as a breakthrough, noting eight leaks have been stopped by fixing corroded pipes, faulty wells, and failing flares.
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, trapping 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide and causing 25% of current global heating. Stopping leaks is considered a quick and cheap climate action, with some experts calling it an emergency brake due to methane's rapid breakdown in the atmosphere compared to CO2.
UN Alerts and Global Response
The UN Mars system sent 192 alerts about methane plumes to Turkmenistan in the last year. The country hosted three of the six worst leaks detected globally in the past six months and nine of the top 50. Turkmenistan responded to about 20% of these alerts with on-the-ground information and plans for fixes.
Other nations showed varied responses. The United States received 138 alerts, the second-highest number, but responded to none and fixed no leaks in the last year. Iran, Russia, and China also failed to respond to any alerts. In contrast, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina maintained 100% response rates to Mars alerts.
| Country | Mars Alerts (Last Year) | Response Rate | Leaks Fixed (Last Year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkmenistan | 192 | ~20% | 8 |
| United States | 138 | 0% | 0 |
| Mexico | 23 | 100% | 0 (fixes pending) |
| Kazakhstan | 38 | Not specified | 8 |
A Shift in Turkmenistan
Repairing leaks marks a shift for the secretive and authoritarian state. Sources in the capital, Ashgabat, told the Guardian that previous international scrutiny was the critical step in prompting the government to engage with foreign partners like the UN and the EU. In December 2023, Turkmenistan joined the global methane pledge.
The first repair occurred in November 2024 on a faulty well, with the most recent fix on a corroded pipeline in March. Meghan Demeter, programme manager of Mars, called it a breakthrough in terms of having real documented mitigation action. She cautioned, however, that it is not yet a breakthrough in the overall magnitude of emissions.
The Scale of the Problem and Progress
A super-emitter leak, releasing tonnes of methane per hour from a single source, heats the planet more than a million SUVs or an entire coal-fired power station. In 2023, the Guardian revealed Turkmenistan had the world's most super-emitting methane leaks. Its two main fossil fuel fields alone caused more global heating in 2022 than the UK's entire carbon emissions, a situation experts called mind-boggling.
Globally, Mars alerts have led to 43 leaks being sealed. Kazakhstan, another former Soviet republic with ageing infrastructure, has also stopped eight leaks. One major leak in Algeria, stemming from a faulty flare that had run for nearly 40 years, has now been fixed. Flares burn unwanted methane into less potent CO2.
Dan Grossman of the Environmental Defense Fund stated that stemming these emissions is the quickest and most cost-effective method to reduce climate pollution available today. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for all countries to respond to 80% of alerts.
The Mars system uses AI to analyze data from over a dozen satellites, with potential leaks verified by analysts before notification. Demeter noted the UN is scaling up support, including technical aid and working on funding requests for direct mitigation. The system only records a leak as successfully fixed after satellite data confirms the emissions have ended.
