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Satellite imagery of the alert triggering methane emissions, captured in August. (Supplied: Carbon Mapper)<\/p>\n
The repeated detections, the latest far exceeding a “super emitter” event under US EPA guidelines, prompted a United Nations (UN) warning to Chevron.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Chevron confirmed it had received the alert and was working with the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) to address it.<\/p>\n
However, a UNEP spokesperson told the ABC it had not received formal feedback from Chevron or the Australian government, and would update its publicly available data<\/a> when it had.<\/p>\n Chevron was similarly notified about methane emissions at Gorgon in July last year.<\/p>\n In a statement, Chevron said satellite monitoring came with “a wide range of uncertainty”.<\/p>\n “We are engaging with the UNEP, and we are seeking further clarity on their data,” a company spokesperson said.<\/p>\n Non-profit Carbon Mapper operates the satellite as part of UNEP’s International Methane Emissions Observatory, of which Australia is listed as a key donor.<\/p>\n The satellites monitor emissions from around the world, with the website showing Chevron’s Gorgon project as the highest emitter of methane in WA.<\/p>\n State regulators investigating<\/p>\n Chevron is required to log its emissions through the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme, with the numbers published annually.<\/p>\n But ABC enquiries to the National Environmental Protection Agency were referred back to state regulators because methane falls outside Gorgon’s federal approval.<\/p>\n The WA government said it was unclear of its role in managing the potential leak.<\/p>\n “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.<\/p>\n The observations of Chevron’s Gorgon project ranged from about 1 to 8 tonnes of methane an hour. (Supplied: Chevron)<\/p>\n Conservation Council WA slammed the lack of action.<\/p>\n “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.<\/p>\n “Whatever happens, that is a piece of infrastructure from a private corporation that is profiting off of our resources.”<\/p>\n Possible operational issue<\/p>\n The high-volume methane release adds to an already troubled environmental record at Gorgon.<\/p>\n The project’s highly touted carbon capture and storage technology has drastically underperformed<\/a> since operations began in 2016.<\/p>\n Chevron also reported that an unknown amount of gas had seeped into Barrow Island’s surface<\/a> last year.<\/p>\n Chevron did not confirm the cause of the high-volume emissions or whether they had been stopped. (ABC News: Daniel Mercer)<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n “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.<\/p>\n “[The plumes] are certainly larger than some you would see from individual oil wells and gas wells for one-off incidents.”<\/p>\n Mr Goddard and Data Desk pinpointed the emissions as originating from or near Gorgon’s acid gas removal units, which strip impurities from natural gas.<\/p>\n Chevron did not respond to specific questions about the cause of the plumes or whether they had been stopped.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f46b47050b2f6deb5ffb8e747a17119f.jpeg\")
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