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Cases / Oil, gas and coal operations · Turkmenistan · 2017–2026

Methane super-emitters in Turkmenistan's oil and gas fields

Nature's voice · report
Over my western oil and gas fields on the Caspian coast, a 2022 peer-reviewed study found 29 emitters releasing more than 1,800 kg/h of methane in 2017–2020; 24 of them were inactive flares venting gas.
Did nature suffer? Yes. Harm is on record. Disputed
Recorded
  • Satellites detected 944 methane plumes over my western fields between January 2017 and November 2020; the largest hyperspectral plumes reached 19,600 ± 8,000 kg/h. Environmental Science & Technology (Irakulis-Loitxate, Guanter, Maasakkers, Zavala-Araiza, Aben)
  • Kayrros estimated that about 5 million tons of methane left my onshore oil and gas fields in 2021. Kayrros
  • According to the Guardian and Kayrros, 2.6 million tons of methane leaked from my western field and 1.8 million tons from my eastern field in 2022. Grist
  • The IEA put methane from my energy facilities at 5.5 million tonnes in 2024, the fifth highest globally. The Chemical Engineer
  • Of the 25 most intense oil and gas methane plumes worldwide in 2025, 15 rose from my Balkan region, according to UCLA; the plumes near Esenguly averaged 10.5 t/hr and reached 18 t/hr in December. The Chemical Engineer
What the record lacks: 7 none on record · 3 not disclosed · 2 self-reported only · 5 disputed · 2 unclear See the gaps
Accounts of the harm differ
Direction of Turkmenistan's methane emissions (the figures cover different periods and metrics)
  • Government and regulators Turkmen consulate in Frankfurt: Methane emissions fell 11% by the end of 2024; no measurement method is stated. Consulate General of Turkmenistan, Frankfurt
  • Company or project Türkmengaz: Total methane emissions in Turkmenistan down 10% since 2020 while production rose, citing Kayrros. Nebitgaz (oilgas.gov.tm)
  • International bodies IEA: Super-emitter emissions across Turkmenistan rose by more than 15% a year on average in 2020–2023. The Times of Central Asia
  • Researchers UCLA: 15 of the 25 most intense oil and gas methane plumes worldwide in 2025 were in the Balkan region, including the top two. The Chemical Engineer

Satellite studies between 2022 and 2026 recorded repeated large methane plumes over Turkmenistan's oil and gas fields. Turkmenistan joined the Global Methane Pledge in December 2023, and in August 2026 UNEP confirmed 8 stopped leaks.

5.5 MtMethane from Turkmen energy facilities, 2024 (IEA)
IEA Global Methane Tracker 2025, via The Chemical Engineer: fifth highest globally; intensity 1.03 kg/GJ, second only to Venezuela at 1.14.

Status As of September 2026: UNEP confirmed 8 stopped leaks; no enforcement action or court case is on record.

What?
Satellite studies recorded repeated large methane plumes over Turkmenistan's oil and gas fields between 2017 and 2025, mostly on the Caspian coast. Turkmenistan joined the Global Methane Pledge in December 2023, and UNEP confirmed 8 stopped leaks by August 2026. Environmental Science & Technology (Irakulis-Loitxate, Guanter, Maasakkers, Zavala-Araiza, Aben)
Where?
The Balkan province on the Caspian coast (Goturdepe, Barsa-Gelmez, Gogerendag, Korpeje, Gamyshlja Gunorta, Keymir and Akpatlavuk fields); the Esenguly district; and the Galkynysh / Dauletabad area in Mary and Lebap provinces. Environmental Science & Technology (Irakulis-Loitxate, Guanter, Maasakkers, Zavala-Araiza, Aben)
When?
Study period 2017–2020; Kayrros estimates for 2021 and 2022; IEA data for 2020–2024; UCLA analysis of 2025 plumes reported in March 2026; Global Methane Pledge on 1 December 2023; UNEP confirmation of stopped leaks on 31 August 2026. Environmental Science & Technology (Irakulis-Loitxate, Guanter, Maasakkers, Zavala-Araiza, Aben)
Who?
Gained
  • ADNOC — Signed a memorandum with Türkmengaz in January 2024 to explore cooperation on methane reduction, and a separate memorandum on Galkynysh phase III; no amounts were given Nebitgaz (oilgas.gov.tm)
  • Dragon Oil — Operator in Turkmenistan; its chief executive said in October 2023 that it used 70% of the gas it produced and aimed for zero flaring by 2027 Nebitgaz (oilgas.gov.tm), reporting a company statement
Lost
  • Turkmenistan — About 7% of annual gas production lost to venting, flaring or leakage, according to a US official in 2023; no currency value given E&E News
Harmed
Why?
The 2022 study's authors attributed the emissions mainly to venting of gas from oil fields. UCLA's Cara Horowitz said the most intense 2025 plumes were likely due to poor maintenance and that operators who 'did good housekeeping' could solve an important part of the problem. The Chemical Engineer
How?
Emissions were detected with Sentinel-2, TROPOMI/Sentinel-5P, PRISMA, ZY1 AHSI and Landsat 5/8 (2022 study), and with Carbon Mapper, Planet Labs' Tanager-1 and NASA's EMIT (UCLA 2025 analysis). UNEP's MARS programme sends alerts to governments, and Türkmengaz has repaired some leaks after alerts. Environmental Science & Technology (Irakulis-Loitxate, Guanter, Maasakkers, Zavala-Araiza, Aben)
6 of 6 questions answered from the record

What happened

The record, in order.

A peer-reviewed study in Environmental Science & Technology (1 February 2022; Irakulis-Loitxate, Guanter, Maasakkers, Zavala-Araiza and Aben) analysed satellite data over the South Caspian Basin in western Turkmenistan. It found 29 emitters with emission rates above 1,800 kg/h active in 2017–2020, 24 of them inactive flares venting gas, and 944 Sentinel-2 plumes between January 2017 and November 2020. The emitting fields were managed by 'two large state companies', which the paper does not name; pipelines were controlled by Türkmengaz, and no emissions were found from the five foreign operators in the area. The authors wrote that the emissions were 'mainly due to the venting of gas from oil fields' and read the more frequent emitters as conflicting with Turkmenistan's Rules for the Development of Hydrocarbon Fields, which ban continuous gas flaring and venting.

The analytics company Kayrros estimated in January 2022 that Turkmen onshore oil and gas released about 5 million tons of methane in 2021, which it equated to 423 million tons of CO2e (GWP20). In a Guardian article of 9 May 2023, republished by Grist and relying on Kayrros data, the western field on the Caspian coast leaked 2.6 million tons of methane in 2022 and the eastern field 1.8 million tons; the article equated the combined amount to 366 million tons of CO2, 'more than the UK's annual emissions'. Satellites detected 840 super-emitting events since early 2019, the most of any nation, and at North Bugdayly such events nearly doubled to almost 60 between 2021 and 2022. Kayrros said most of the leaking facilities belonged to Turkmenoil (Türkmennebit).

The IEA Global Methane Tracker 2025 put methane from Turkmen energy facilities at 5.5 million tonnes in 2024, the fifth highest globally, with an emissions intensity of 1.03 kg/GJ. The 2026 edition placed Turkmenistan and Venezuela highest for upstream methane intensity among major producers and reported that super-emitter emissions across Turkmenistan rose by more than 15% a year on average in 2020–2023. A UCLA analysis of 2025 data, reported on 17–20 March 2026, found that 15 of the 25 most intense oil and gas methane plumes worldwide were in the Balkan region, including the top two; plumes near Esenguly averaged 10.5 t/hr in 2025 and reached 18 t/hr in December. UCLA said all 15 sites were almost certainly operated by Türkmengaz or Türkmennebit; Eni said it operated none of them. In a separate item, the outlet Turkmen.news reported, citing anonymous sources, that up to 90,000 m³ of gas in 24 hours was emitted 'pretty much every month' at the Petronas onshore terminal flare at Kiyanly (15 November 2021); inspectors from the Caspian Ecological Control Center and Türkmengaz began an inspection after the article appeared.

Turkmenistan's president announced on 1 December 2023 at COP28 that the country was joining the Global Methane Pledge. Türkmengaz joined UNEP's Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) in March 2024, and a draft Roadmap and Comprehensive Plan of Measures was presented on 1 October 2024 with partners named as the UNFCCC, UN agencies, the World Bank, the ADB and the Islamic Development Bank. Türkmengaz said in April 2025 that monitoring from June 2024 to February 2025 'recorded zero emissions in several production departments', and a Turkmen consulate item said methane emissions 'fell 11% by the end of 2024'. UNEP said Turkmenistan received 192 MARS alerts in the last year and responded to about 20% of them; it held 3 of the 6 worst leaks detected by MARS in the last six months and 9 of the top 50. UNEP confirmed 8 stopped leaks: the first in November 2024, two at Dauletabad in February 2026 and the latest in March 2026 in Lebap province.

On money, a US official said in June 2023 that the United States had offered technical assistance and public and private investment to detect and fix large leaks, without an amount, and put the share of annual Turkmen gas production lost to venting, flaring or leakage at about 7%. Türkmengaz and ADNOC signed a memorandum on 4–5 January 2024 to explore cooperation on reducing methane emissions, with a separate memorandum covering Galkynysh phase III; no amounts were given. Dragon Oil's chief executive said at a conference on 25–27 October 2023 that the company aimed for zero gas flaring in Turkmenistan by 2027. According to the Times of Central Asia, EU methane import rules apply to gas contracts signed or renewed after 4 August 2024 from 1 January 2027, and a UCLA researcher described Turkmenistan as seeking to enter the European gas market; most Turkmen gas goes to China and the Trans-Caspian pipeline is unbuilt.

  1. 2017Start of the study period for western oil and gas fields (2017–2020): 29 emitters above 1,800 kg/h
  2. 2021COP26: then deputy cabinet chair Serdar Berdimuhamedov says Turkmenistan is reducing emissions with 'special attention' to methane; Kiyanly terminal flare reported (15 Nov)
  3. 2022Kayrros estimate of about 5 Mt of methane for 2021 (28 Jan); peer-reviewed study published (1 Feb)
  4. 2023Guardian/Kayrros article (9 May); US–Turkmenistan talks reported (June); Dragon Oil zero-flaring target (Oct); Global Methane Pledge joined at COP28 (1 Dec)
  5. 2024Türkmengaz–ADNOC memorandum (5–6 Jan); MARS participation starts (March); draft Roadmap presented (1 Oct); first leak repair confirmed (Nov)
  6. 2025Türkmengaz statement at TEIF, Kuala Lumpur (23–24 Apr); Esenguly plumes average 10.5 t/hr
  7. 2026UCLA analysis of 2025 plumes (17 Mar); UNEP confirms 8 stopped leaks (31 Aug)

What was said

Claims, in the words of those who made them.

“Today, from this high rostrum, Turkmenistan officially declares it is joining the Global Methane Pledge”

President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, COP28 (via Interfax, citing the state news agency) · 1 December 2023 · Interfax

“This is a breakthrough in terms of having real documented mitigation action.”

Meghan Demeter, MARS programme manager, UNEP · August 2026 · Irish Examiner

“But it is not yet a breakthrough in the overall magnitude of emissions.”

Meghan Demeter, MARS programme manager, UNEP · August 2026 · Irish Examiner

“Currently, we use 70 percent of the gas we produce, but in three years we hope to reach 100 percent”

“recorded zero emissions in several production departments”

Myrad Archayev, deputy chairman, Türkmengaz, on monitoring from June 2024 to February 2025 · 23–24 April 2025 · Nebitgaz (oilgas.gov.tm)

“It's just a waste of money for the country; it's a disaster from a climate perspective.”

Kayrros's founder, Antoine Rostand · June 2023 · E&E News

“This points to the risks of penalizing flaring without effective measures to control venting.”

Where accounts differ

Each party's account, side by side, with its source. The record does not settle these points; it shows them.

Direction of Turkmenistan's methane emissions (the figures cover different periods and metrics)
Government and regulators
Turkmen consulate in Frankfurt

Methane emissions fell 11% by the end of 2024; no measurement method is stated.

Consulate General of Turkmenistan, Frankfurt
Company or project
Türkmengaz

Total methane emissions in Turkmenistan down 10% since 2020 while production rose, citing Kayrros.

Nebitgaz (oilgas.gov.tm)
International bodies
IEA

Super-emitter emissions across Turkmenistan rose by more than 15% a year on average in 2020–2023.

The Times of Central Asia
Researchers
UCLA

15 of the 25 most intense oil and gas methane plumes worldwide in 2025 were in the Balkan region, including the top two.

The Chemical Engineer
Share of MARS alerts that Turkmenistan answered
Press and investigations
Guardian (via Irish Examiner), citing UNEP

About 20% of 192 alerts in the last year.

Irish Examiner
Press and investigations
The Chemical Engineer

21% for 2025.

The Chemical Engineer
Who operates the leaking facilities
Researchers
Irakulis-Loitxate et al. (2022)

The emitting fields are managed by two large state companies, not named; no emissions were found from the five foreign operators in the area.

Environmental Science & Technology (Irakulis-Loitxate, Guanter, Maasakkers, Zavala-Araiza, Aben)
Company or project
Kayrros

Most of the leaking facilities belong to Turkmenoil (Türkmennebit).

Grist
Researchers
UCLA

All 15 sites behind the most intense 2025 plumes were almost certainly operated by Türkmengaz or Türkmennebit.

The Chemical Engineer
Company or project
Eni

It operated none of the 15 sites.

The Chemical Engineer
Company or project
Türkmengaz and Türkmennebit

Did not respond to The Chemical Engineer in March 2026.

The Chemical Engineer
Government and regulators
Turkmen foreign ministry and embassy in the UK

Did not respond to the Guardian in 2023.

Grist

How it looked

What was shown, beside what was recorded.

Shown

Recorded

  • 29 emitters above 1,800 kg/h active in 2017–2020, 24 of them inactive flares venting gas; 944 Sentinel-2 plumes between January 2017 and November 2020
  • About 5 million tons of methane from onshore oil and gas in 2021 (Kayrros); 2.6 million tons (west) and 1.8 million tons (east) in 2022 (Guardian/Kayrros)
  • 5.5 Mt of methane from energy facilities in 2024, fifth highest globally; intensity 1.03 kg/GJ (IEA, via The Chemical Engineer)
  • Super-emitter emissions up more than 15% a year on average in 2020–2023 (IEA Global Methane Tracker 2026, via the Times of Central Asia)
  • 15 of the 25 most intense oil and gas methane plumes worldwide in 2025 were in the Balkan region (UCLA)
  • 192 MARS alerts in the last year; about 20% answered; 8 stopped leaks confirmed (UNEP, 2026)
  • The draft Roadmap gives no budget, baseline or quantitative target
  • The US offer of technical assistance and investment carried no disclosed amount

Who gained

Money that reached nature, beside money that stayed elsewhere.

Reached nature or the ground

Not published
No figure published.

Gained elsewhere

Not totalled
Currency: · Window: . All figures cover the same period. * Estimate built from cited figures.

Responses on record

  • turkmenistan-gov (1 December 2023; 2025): President Serdar Berdimuhamedov announced at COP28 that Turkmenistan was joining the Global Methane Pledge; a consulate item said methane emissions fell 11% by the end of 2024. · Interfax
  • turkmengaz (23–24 April 2025): Deputy chairman Myrad Archayev said monitoring recorded zero emissions in several production departments between June 2024 and February 2025, and described natural gas as 'a low-carbon fuel that can replace more polluting energy sources such as coal and oil'. · Nebitgaz (oilgas.gov.tm)
  • turkmengaz (2023–2026): Did not respond to the Guardian in 2023 and August 2026, or to The Chemical Engineer in March 2026. · Irish Examiner
  • turkmennebit (2023–2026): Did not respond to the Guardian in 2023 or to The Chemical Engineer in March 2026. · The Chemical Engineer
  • dragon-oil (October 2023): The company aimed for zero gas flaring in Turkmenistan by 2027 and used 70% of the gas it produced in October 2023. · Nebitgaz (oilgas.gov.tm), reporting a company statement
  • adnoc (January 2024): Signed a memorandum with Türkmengaz to explore cooperation on reducing methane emissions; a separate memorandum covers Galkynysh phase III. · Nebitgaz (oilgas.gov.tm)
  • eni (March 2026): Said it operated none of the 15 sites behind the most intense 2025 plumes. · The Chemical Engineer
  • petronas (December 2021): No comment appears in the Turkmen.news item on the Kiyanly terminal flare. · Turkmen.news

In court and with insurers

Every proceeding and every insurer decision on record.

Lawsuits and rulings

No court case on record. No court has ruled on this case.

Insurers

No insurer decision on record.

What nature saw

Outcomes measured on the ground, and nature's note.

Nature's report opens this page. Below: further outcomes measured on the ground.

Methane, 2024
5.5 Mt
Turkmen energy facilities; fifth highest globally (IEA, via The Chemical Engineer)
Emitters above 1,800 kg/h
29
Active in 2017–2020 on the west coast (peer-reviewed study, 2022)
Share of gas lost
about 7%
Venting, flaring or leakage, as a share of annual production (US official, 2023)
Leaks stopped
8
Confirmed by UNEP against 192 MARS alerts in the last year (2026)

What we don't know

Undisclosed, unproven, untried: recorded as data.

Nature

  • Disputed Direction of Turkmenistan's methane emissions (the figures cover different periods and metrics)

Court

Figures

  • Self-reported only Reported reduction pct: Turkmen consulate item; method not stated. Self-reported.

Accounts

  • Disputed Share of MARS alerts that Turkmenistan answered
  • Disputed Who operates the leaking facilities
  • None on record Türkmengaz and Türkmennebit: Did not respond to The Chemical Engineer in March 2026.
  • None on record Turkmen foreign ministry and embassy in the UK: Did not respond to the Guardian in 2023.

Record

  • Not disclosed Not disclosed: the amount of any US funding for methane work in Turkmenistan; a US official said it was unclear how much the United States would spend.
  • Not disclosed Not disclosed: a budget, baseline or numeric target in the draft Roadmap presented on 1 October 2024.
  • Not disclosed Not disclosed: how the Turkmen consulate item measured the 11% reduction by the end of 2024.
  • Self-reported only Self-reported only: Türkmengaz's finding of zero emissions in several production departments (June 2024 to February 2025), and its statement that total emissions fell 10% since 2020, citing Kayrros.
  • Disputed Disputed: the direction of Turkmenistan's methane emissions. The Turkmen figures (−11% by end-2024; −10% since 2020) and the satellite figures (IEA: super-emitter emissions up more than 15% a year in 2020–2023; UCLA: first place for 2025 plumes) cover different periods and metrics and are not directly comparable.
  • Disputed Disputed: UNEP's response rate to MARS alerts. About 20% (Guardian, August 2026) and 21% for 2025 (The Chemical Engineer, May 2026); the scope of each figure may differ.
  • None on record None on record: an enforcement action, fine or court case in Turkmenistan over the emissions, including under the Rules for the Development of Hydrocarbon Fields.
  • None on record None on record: insurance cover or insurance claims linked to the emissions.
  • None on record None on record: a USAID or UNDP methane project budget for Turkmenistan.
  • Unclear None on record: a methane-specific spending disclosure by CNPC or Petronas for Turkmen operations.
  • None on record None on record: a Petronas comment in the Turkmen.news item on the Kiyanly terminal flare.
  • Unclear Unclear: whether the methane commission that Turkmenistan said in June 2023 it would create was formally established, and its membership.

Did the harm stop?

Partly. UNEP confirmed 8 stopped leaks between November 2024 and March 2026; UNEP's MARS programme manager said in August 2026 that the action was 'not yet a breakthrough in the overall magnitude of emissions'.

Who paid?

The atmosphere, in the form of methane emissions. A US official put the share of annual Turkmen gas production lost to venting, flaring or leakage at about 7%; no currency value and no payment for the emissions is on record.

Sources

Voices on record: ✓ Company or project✓ Government and regulators— Courts✓ Press and investigations— Communities and civil society✓ Researchers

Company or project

  1. Dragon Oil will switch to zero gas flaring in Turkmenistan by 2027
    Nebitgaz (oilgas.gov.tm), reporting a company statement · 2023-11-02
  2. Closing the "Gates of Hell"
    Kayrros · 2022-01-28

Government and regulators

  1. Implementation of the Program for Reducing Methane Emissions into the Environment in Turkmenistan
    Consulate General of Turkmenistan, Frankfurt · 25 April (year not given)

Researchers

  1. Satellites Detect Abatable Super-Emissions in One of the World's Largest Methane Hotspot Regions
    Environmental Science & Technology (Irakulis-Loitxate, Guanter, Maasakkers, Zavala-Araiza, Aben) · 2022-02-01

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Law and courts

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A private dispute process in which an appointed arbitrator, instead of a court, decides the case.
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