Increased Methane Emissions in Crude Oil and Natural Gas Supply: Implications for the Carbon Footprint of Petrochemicals – An RCI report (PDF)

This scientific background report by RCI shows that recent updates to leading LCI databases (ecoinvent 3.9–3.11) reveal a major underestimation of methane emissions from oil and gas supply chains. Enhanced satellite data on flaring, venting, and leaks highlight large inconsistencies compared to sources such as IEA, IOGP, and the World Bank. For instance, IEA now reports oil-related methane emissions up to 15 times higher than IOGP, with extreme differences for Russia (10-fold) and Saudi Arabia (40-fold). These revisions sharply increase the carbon footprint of fossil feedstocks, with naphtha nearly tenfold higher and significant rises for ethylene, propylene, and ethylene glycol. As a consequence, plastics such as PE, PP, and PET show 20–30% higher footprints. By contrast, renewable carbon alternatives gain ground: bio-based plastics now appear 12–27% more climate-friendly, with even greater advantages when biogenic carbon uptake is included.

The RCI report urges policymakers to rapidly integrate methane regulation and updated LCI data into climate strategies. Key recommendations include regular database updates, expanded emissions tracking, harmonized reporting, and stronger support for renewable carbon solutions.

Authors

Ángel Puente, Matthias Stratmann, Christopher vom Berg (nova-Institute)

Date of publication

Oct 2025

Pages

39

Language

File type

PDF

Downloads

322

Topics

Sustainability & Health

Renewable Carbon Types

Bio-based, CO2-based, Recycling