Turkmenistan repairs eight major methane leaks after UN satellite alerts

Turkmenistan has repaired eight large methane leaks from ageing oil and gas infrastructure, according to the latest data from the UN Methane Alert and Response System, or Mars. The repairs involved corroded pipes, malfunctioning wells and failing flares. One pipeline leak in the Lebap province was sealed in March after the damaged pipe was fixed. The first repair came in November 2024, when a faulty well was repaired. The UN system sent 192 alerts about methane plumes to Turkmenistan during the past year. The country provided on-the-ground information or possible repair plans for about 20% of those alerts. It was also responsible for three of the six largest leaks recorded worldwide by Mars during the most recent six-month period, and nine of the 50 largest. Meghan Demeter, Mars’s programme manager, described the completed repairs as an important demonstration that satellite detections can lead to practical action, including in countries with many reported leaks. She also cautioned that eight repairs represented an initial step rather than a solution to Turkmenistan’s wider emissions problem. The Guardian reported in 2023 that Turkmenistan had more super-emitting methane leaks than any other country. Later reporting found that methane released from the country’s two main fossil-fuel fields caused more global heating in 2022 than the United Kingdom’s total carbon emissions, according to experts cited by the newspaper. The scrutiny was followed by engagement between Turkmenistan’s government, the UN, the European Union and other organizations, sources in the capital, Ashgabat, told the Guardian. The country joined the Global Methane Pledge in December 2023. Turkmenistan’s foreign ministry and its state energy companies did not respond to the Guardian’s request for comment. Mars uses artificial intelligence to examine data from more than a dozen satellites. Analysts review potential leaks before alerts are sent to governments or companies. A repair is counted as successful only after further monitoring indicates that emissions from the site have stopped. Across all countries, Mars alerts have so far led to 43 leaks being sealed. Kazakhstan has also stopped eight leaks, while Mexico responded to all 23 alerts it received during the past year but had not completed a repair, according to the reported data.