The International Energy Agency, states in its annual report that Iran ranks third globally in methane emmissions.
According to the report published on March 13 on the agency’s website, Iran experienced six million tons (approximately 8.5 billion cubic meters) of methane leaks in the past year.
This figure is roughly equivalent to the daily production of gas from one phase of South Pars. (The South Pars/North Dome field is a natural-gas condensate field located in the Persian Gulf. It is by far the world’s largest natural gas field, with ownership of the field shared between Iran and Qatar)
For comparison, this mentioned amount is approximately equal to Turkey’s total gas consumption over the past calendar year.
Methane, or natural gas, is the same gas used as fuel in homes and various sectors of the country or as feedstock in petrochemicals.
The International Energy Agency’s statistics indicate that Iran’s methane leaks in the past calendar year grew by about 12% compared to 2022.
World Bank statistics also show that Iran annually burns more than 18 billion cubic meters of gas produced from oil fields (associated gas) due to the absence of gas collection facilities in the production stage, leading to wasteful flaring.
Iran ranks second globally in terms of gas flaring after Russia.
Thus, the total gas leakage and flaring in Iran annually reaches 26 billion cubic meters (71 million cubic meters per day), which is equivalent to three phases of South Pars or 10% of Iran’s gas production.
Such a massive loss of gas is more than half of Turkey’s total gas consumption in 2023
This enormous waste of gas comes at a time when Iran has faced severe gas shortages in recent years during the fall and winter, with the country experiencing a daily gas deficit of around 300 million cubic meters on cold winter days this year.
It is worth noting that Iran possesses the world’s second-largest natural gas reserves.
The International Energy Agency states that approximately 120 million tons of methane emissions from fossil fuels occurred globally last calendar year.
This amount is equal to the total gas production of Qatar in the past calendar year and is a significantly alarming figure.
Methane is one of the most dangerous greenhouse gasses, exacerbating global warming and climate change when released directly without being burned and converted into carbon dioxide.
The direct emission of this gas has 28 times the impact on global warming compared to carbon dioxide, and its persistence is also several times that of carbon dioxide.
In terms of greenhouse gas emissions globally, Iran ranks sixth.
