US govt figures on methane emissions 'far below reality'

New York

OFFSHORE oil and gas drilling operations in the US Gulf of Mexico emit far more methane than government estimates suggest, according to a study released on Monday by the University of Michigan.

Drilling platforms emit about half a teragram (Tg) of the planet-warming gas each year, according to the study, which claims to be the first to use aircraft to take direct samples of emissions during normal operations.

By contrast, the US Environmental Protection Agency's Greenhouse Gas Inventory report last year found Gulf offshore platforms emitted…

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