A measurement-based upstream oil and gas methane inventory for Alberta, Canada reveals higher emissions and different sources than official estimates

This study focuses on creating a robust, source-resolved methane inventory for conventional upstream oil and gas production in Alberta, Canada, leveraging high-sensitivity LiDAR-based methane detection. Derived inventory is directly compared with top-down estimates from parallel aerial mass-balance surveys and a provincial inventory derived from recent satellite measurements in western Canada. The study also contrasts its findings with federal methane inventories, highlighting key emission sources and their implications for regulatory development. Finally the work emphasizes the potential for achieving independently verified low methane intensities through monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems like the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP 2.0).