UN Issues Warning to Chevron Over Massive Methane Plumes at Gorgon LNG Plant

Massive plumes of methane have been detected emerging from Chevron's Gorgon liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant on Barrow Island, off Western Australia's Pilbara coast. The persistent clouds were picked up by five consecutive passes of a satellite since November last year.

The most recent detection, in late August, recorded an average emission rate of about 7.8 tonnes of methane an hour. This is equivalent to almost 51 petrol-powered cars driven for one year, or burning more than 110,000 kilograms of coal.

UN Warning

The repeated detections, the latest far exceeding a "super emitter" event under US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) guidelines, prompted a United Nations (UN) warning to Chevron. According to the UN, methane is responsible for about 25 per cent of global warming and is a greenhouse gas 80 times more harmful than carbon dioxide.

"We are engaging with the UNEP, and we are seeking further clarity on their data,"

a Chevron spokesperson said.

Investigation and Response

Chevron confirmed it had received the alert and was working with the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) to address it. However, a UNEP spokesperson said it had not received formal feedback from Chevron or the Australian government.

State regulators are investigating the matter. The WA government said it was unclear of its role in managing the potential leak.

"The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation is aware of these reports and is investigating them to understand what compliance or regulatory measures may be required,"

a spokesperson said.

Environmental Concerns

Conservation Council WA slammed the lack of action. The high-volume methane release adds to an already troubled environmental record at Gorgon.

"What I would hope is that our levels of government are communicating with each other and checking where the responsibility is,"

executive director Matthew Roberts said.

Louis Goddard, head of research at British climate investigative firm Data Desk, said greenhouse gas levels around the facility were "unusual" and consistent, suggesting an operational issue.

"What we're seeing here is a wasting of gas that they've gone to great lengths to extract in the first place,"

he said.

Conclusion

The observations of Chevron's Gorgon project ranged from about 1 to 8 tonnes of methane an hour. University of Western Australia chemical engineering program chair Bruce Norris said closer measurements were needed.