Massive methane leak in Kazakhstan raises environmental concerns

Kazakhstan oil well leak releases a massive 127,000 tonnes of methane, raising serious environmental concerns

One of the most significant methane leaks ever recorded occurred at a remote oil and gas well in Kazakhstan, releasing an estimated 127,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas.

The leak began on June 9, 2023, due to a blowout during drilling and was not under control until Dec. 25, 2023.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over 20 years after its emission. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency equates the leak’s impact to over 717,000 petrol cars driven for a year.

This incident has raised alarms, with Manfredi Caltagirone of the U.N.’s International Methane Emissions Observatory stating, “The magnitude and the duration of the leak is frankly unusual… it is extremely big.”

The leak’s detection was complicated due to methane being invisible to the human eye. However, satellite technology, utilized by French geo-analytics firm Kayrros and verified by other international institutions, identified the leak through methane’s unique spectral signature. This analysis revealed high methane concentrations on 115 separate occasions.

The company owning the well, Buzachi Neft, contests the substantiality of the leak, claiming the well contained negligible gas amounts. They believe any leaked methane burned off, leaving only water vapor visible from space.

An independent investigation by the company challenges the satellite findings, suggesting possible confusion between methane and other atmospheric gases.

Source: Newsroom