Appalachian Basin Once Again Confirmed as Lowest Methane Intensity Major Oil and Gas Basin in the United States
Appalachian Methane Initiative Releases 2025 Study
PITTSBURGH, March 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Appalachian Methane Initiative (AMI) – a coalition of leading U.S. natural gas companies working in collaboration with independent monitoring providers, technical consultants, and top-tier universities – today released the findings of its 2025 basin-wide methane monitoring program.
The 2025 report marks the second annual comprehensive study and represents a significant expansion in geographic coverage, survey frequency and measurement technologies. The results confirm, once again, that the Appalachian Basin has the lowest methane emissions intensity of any major oil and gas-producing basin in the United States.
The study, conducted in collaboration with the Energy Emissions Modeling and Data Lab (EEMDL) at The University of Texas at Austin and Colorado State University, with support from SLR International (SLR), utilized nearly 17,000 unique surveyed sites measurements across approximately 31,800 square miles (82,360 square kilometers) of the Appalachian Basin. Surveys were conducted between March and October 2025 using Bridger Photonics, Insight M and ChampionX technologies, covering nearly 6,600 oil and gas sites and approximately 140 non-oil and gas sites, including coal mines and landfills.
Together, AMI member operators, including CNX Resources, EQT Corporation, MPLX and Seneca Resources, along with data contributing operators Ascent Resources and Expand Energy Corporation (all collectively referred to herein as “AMI Operators”), represent approximately 17.9 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) of natural gas production, accounting for more than 50% of the basin’s total production.
Key Findings of the 2025 Report Include:
- Appalachian Basin Maintains the Lowest Methane Emissions Intensity of Any Major U.S. Oil and Gas Basin
The 2025 study found a methane loss rate of 0.52% from the full natural gas supply chain, confirming that the Appalachian Basin continues to have the lowest methane intensity of any major U.S. oil and gas producing region. Independent satellite data from MethaneSAT during the same period aligns with these findings. - Conventional Wells Drive Most Oil and Gas Methane Emissions
Conventional wells account for nearly two-thirds of oil and gas methane emissions in the basin, despite producing less than 2% of the region’s natural gas. Expanded 2025 measurements confirmed this trend. - Coal Mines and Landfills Emit Far More Methane Per Site Than Oil and Gas Facilities
Coal mines and landfills release significantly more methane per site than oil and gas operations. Roughly 80% of large methane plumes detected by satellite in the study area were linked to coal mining operations. - Data-Driven Monitoring Helps Identify Large Emission Events
A small number of large emission events account for a disproportionate share of methane releases. The expanded 2025 monitoring program helps identify these events and supports more targeted mitigation. - AMI Operator Sites have generally lower emission rates compared to those of Non-AMI Operators
When emissions are compared to gas production, AMI member companies showed lower methane loss rates than non-AMI operators across both conventional and unconventional wells.
The Path Forward
The AMI 2025 study underscores the value of coordinated, large-scale, multi-technology methane measurement combined with rigorous scientific analysis and operational data integration. The expansion of survey coverage to nearly 98% of basin production and the addition of independent measurement methods strengthened confidence in basin-wide extrapolations and emissions intensity estimates.
Lessons from the 2025 campaign will inform future efforts, including:
- Increased focus on ultra-low-production conventional wells to reduce uncertainty.
- Continued high-frequency monitoring of coal mine complexes due to observed spatial and temporal variability.
- Further integration of operational data and standardized causal analysis to improve predictive mitigation strategies.
- Exploration of winter-season measurements to close remaining seasonal data gaps.
“The Appalachian Methane Initiative is one of the world’s most comprehensive methane emissions measurement and mitigation campaign across oil and gas operations. Unique to this initiative is the integration of multi-scale measurements with operational investigation enabling effective, rapid, and observable emissions reduction,” said Arvind Ravikumar, faculty member at The University of Texas at Austin and EEMDL Co-Director. “The AMI campaign provides a global blueprint for operators to not just plan for but achieve low emissions natural gas supply chains.”
About AMI:
The Appalachian Methane Initiative is a coalition of leading U.S. natural gas companies engaged with independent monitoring providers, technical consultants, and leading universities. Through a coordinated strategy to methane monitoring and a cooperative approach to emissions reduction best practices, the coalition aims to further enhance methane emissions monitoring and reductions throughout the Appalachian Basin.
For more information and to access the 2025 report, please visit the EEMDL website at https://www.ceesa.utexas.edu/ami or contact member companies directly.
Contacts
Ascent Resources
Chris Benton
VP – Finance & Investor Relations
[email protected]
CNX Resources
Brian Aiello
President – External Relations
[email protected]
Expand Energy Corporation
Brooke Coe
Manager – Communications
[email protected]
EQT Corporation
Amy Rogers
Head of Strategic Communications
[email protected]
MPLX LP
Jamal Kheiry
Communications Manager
[email protected]
Seneca Resources Company, LLC
Kathy Bandych
Director, EHSQ & Sustainability
[email protected]
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SOURCE The Appalachian Methane Initiative
