EMPA-Led Campaign Cuts Romanian Oil & Gas Methane Emissions by up to 60%

Many of the oil production facilities in southern Romania date back decades – and are potential sources of me-thane emissions. Photo: AdobeStock

(IN BRIEF) Empa-led teams conducted two methane measurement campaigns in southern Romania (2019, 2021), employing ground devices, drones, and the AVIRIS-NG airborne spectrometer to map leaks from oil and gas infrastructure. They discovered actual emissions two to three times higher than official figures, with just 10 percent of sites accounting for 70 percent of total leaks. Following the first campaign, operators sealed leaks and installed flares, and 2021 surveys confirmed a significant drop in super-emitters. Emissions reductions are estimated between 20 and 60 percent. Backed by UNEP’s IMEO, this work demonstrates that transparent, high-resolution measurements trigger rapid, cost-effective mitigation. A 2026 follow-up will deploy AVIRIS-4 to detect smaller leaks and support broader monitoring efforts.

(PRESS RELEASE) DÜBENDORF, 12-Jun-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — EMPA, together with an international research consortium, has driven a dramatic reduction in Romania’s methane emissions from oil and gas operations by deploying targeted leak detection and prompting rapid remediation. In two measurement campaigns—first in 2019 and again in 2021—teams led by Empa used ground sensors, drones, and the AVIRIS-NG airborne imaging spectrometer to pinpoint actual methane releases at decades-old facilities in southern Romania. These direct measurements revealed emissions two to three times higher than national estimates and identified that just 10 percent of sites (“super-emitters”) were responsible for 70 percent of the total leaks.

AVIRIS-NG on board a research aircraft: The imaging spectrometer can be used to precisely detect methane leaks in oil and gas infrastructure even from high altitudes. Photo: UZH

Armed with precise leak maps, operators sealed corroded pipes, repaired faulty valves, and installed flares to combust fugitive gas—reducing atmospheric impact by roughly 80-fold compared to venting. When Empa’s teams overflew 80 percent of the region in 2021, they found far fewer super-emitters, confirming that industry had acted on the 2019 data. Comparing both campaigns under four scenarios, researchers estimate regional methane emissions fell by 20 to 60 percent, depending on the inclusion of smaller, undetectable leaks.

Comparison of methane emissions from oil and gas infrastructure in the region studied, derived from meas-urements, with the emissions reported by Romania to the UNFCCC. Infographic: Empa

Supported by the UN Environment Programme’s International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO), the ROMEO initiative underscores that “what gets measured gets fixed.” “Providing robust, actionable data empowers companies to implement swift, cost-effective ‘no-regret’ measures with real climate impact,” says IMEO Methane Science Studies Coordinator Andreea Calcan. A follow-up campaign in 2026 will utilize the next-generation AVIRIS-4 instrument—offering finer detection thresholds—to capture smaller leaks and pave the way for comprehensive global monitoring.

Consortium for Remote Sensing