Glossary:Methane intensity

The ratio of methane emissions (numerator) over a selected variable (denominator).

(Note - A methane intensity prevalently used is total methane emissions emitted from an asset, area or value chain (numerator) divided by well production volume, facility throughput, area production volume or gas transported or distributed (denominator) and reflected as a percentage.)

Methane emissions intensity is a measure of methane emissions relative to natural gas throughput. Methane intensity can be determined for a facility (e,g, compressor station), an area (e.g. production basin), or even an entire value chain (e.g. from natural gas production to distribution).Investors, customers, environmental groups, and other stakeholders are increasingly requesting information on natural gas company performance based on methane emissions intensity. While intensity is becoming a preferred approach for communicating methane emissions data throughout the industry, there is no standard methodology for calculating it. This is an obstacle to managing, tracking, and more transparently communicating current efforts to reduce methane emissions.