Google and EDF Partner to Track Methane Leaks with Space Tech

02/15/2024 2 Minutes Read

Google and the Environmental Defence Fund (EDF) on February 14, 2024, announced a new partnership to track methane emissions from oil and gas operations. This collaboration leverages space technology to detect and expose leaks, holding companies accountable and ultimately aiding in climate change mitigation efforts.

MethaneSAT and Google Tech

The centrepiece is the launch of MethaneSAT, a new satellite specifically designed to detect methane emissions with high precision. Scheduled for launch in March 2024, this satellite will provide unprecedented global coverage and sensitivity for identifying leaks. Google provides its cloud computing resources and data analysis and visualization expertise to process and analyze MethaneSAT’s data. This includes creating a dynamic methane map accessible to the public later this year. The collected data will be available to various stakeholders, including researchers, regulators, and the public.

This transparency aims to pressure companies to address leaks and improve practices. By overlaying MethaneSAT data with Google’s oil and gas infrastructure map, the project aims to identify specific equipment types most prone to leaks, aiding in targeted mitigation efforts.

Yael Maguire, Vice President and General Manager, GeoDeveloper & Sustainability, Google said, “EDF’s new satellite, MethaneSAT, will map, measure and track methane with unprecedented precision, offering a comprehensive view of methane emissions. Launching in early March on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, MethaneSAT will orbit the Earth 15 times a day at an altitude of over 350 miles. It will measure methane levels in the top oil and gas regions in the world for regular analysis.”

He also added, “In addition to detecting emissions, we’re taking it a step further and creating a global map of oil and gas infrastructure, with the goal of understanding which components contribute most to emissions.

Just like how we use AI to detect sidewalks, street signs and road names in satellite imagery to display helpful information in Google Maps, we’ll also use AI to identify oil and gas infrastructure, like oil storage containers, in our imagery. Then, we’ll combine it with EDF’s information about oil and gas infrastructure to locate where the emissions are coming from.”