Methane emissions in Turkmenistan set an anti-record - The Guardian

Only two Turkmenneft fields in Turkmenistan will release more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in 2022 than the UK. This was reported by The Guardian based on new satellite images.

In 2022, 2.6 million tons of methane leaked into the Caspian Sea from the western mineral deposit of Turkmenistan, and 1.8 million tons from the eastern mine. The combined emissions from the two mines amounted to 366 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, more than the annual emissions of the UK, which ranks 17th in the world.

Experts call these numbers "shocking" and note that emissions from Turkmenistan have been increasing since 2007. This acceleration poses a major threat to keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius and could lead to "catastrophic climate tipping points".

Recently, invisible methane emissions have been increasing instead of flared gas. However, modern technologies make it possible to detect such environmental pollution.

Unburned gas emissions are more harmful to the atmosphere than incineration. Methane consumes 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide.

According to experts, the solution to the problem can be to eliminate the leaks in the mines. It's cheap and pays for itself over time because the collected gas can be sold. According to the publication, the infrastructure of Turkmenistan's oil and gas industry is in a "very bad" condition.