SOCAR-OGCI Methane Emissions

SOCAR-OGCI Methane Emissions

Jun 25 2026 Laure Boinette

Case Study | Oil & Gas | Satellite Monitoring

The Methane Your Ground Crews Missed. Satellite Monitoring Found It.

Azerbaijan’s national energy producer used GHGSat satellite methane monitoring to find emission sources up to 2,906 kg/hr across its upstream assets and addressed every single one. Download the case study to see how.

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The Monitoring Gap

Satellite Methane Monitoring Catches What Ground Crews Can't

Satellite methane monitoring gives oil and gas operators continuous, facility-level emissions data without deploying field crews to every site. More than half of methane emissions from upstream operations are fugitive—unpredictable, intermittent, and often located in areas ground teams can’t easily reach. Quarterly surveys miss them. By the time a crew arrives, the emission may have already vented thousands of kilograms. The loss is financial: methane in the atmosphere is a product that never reached the market. And as emissions performance becomes a factor in financing, export access, and regulatory approvals, every undetected source represents exposure that compounds over time. SOCAR understood this. What they did about it is what the case study documents.

Inside the Case Study

What a 100% Mitigation Rate Actually Takes

  • The exact emission source rates GHGSat detected across SOCAR’s assets and what they mean in terms of product loss
  • How daily satellite monitoring caught what quarterly surveys would have missed entirely
  • The data-to-action workflow SOCAR built to move from detection to mitigation at speed
  • How SOCAR used monitoring at scale to prioritize which assets needed immediate attention
  • The role OGCI’s capacity-building program played in making satellite data operationally useful

“GHGSat’s satellite technology is a game-changer: the high-frequency monitoring, combined with granular data that pinpoints the source of an emission, allows our team to address methane swiftly and effectively.”

– Mustafa Gurbanli, Head of Environmental Disclosures & Green Affairs, SOCAR

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See Exactly How SOCAR Did It

Get the full case study that contains detection data, mitigation outcomes, and the operational framework SOCAR now uses to manage emissions across its upstream portfolio

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FAQ

How does satellite methane monitoring work for oil and gas operators?

GHGSat satellites use high-resolution spectrometers to detect and quantify methane at the facility level, pinpointing sources to a 25-meter area. The constellation monitors assets at a daily cadence, giving operators emissions data without field crew deployment.


Can satellite monitoring detect fugitive methane emissions?

Yes. GHGSat’s satellite methane monitoring is specifically designed to detect fugitive and intermittent emissions that ground-based or periodic surveys miss. In the SOCAR program, satellites identified 4 emission sources across 7 assets that required immediate mitigation.


What emission rates can GHGSat satellites detect?

GHGSat satellites quantify methane source rates at the facility level. In the SOCAR program, detected source rates ranged from 1,286 to 2,906 kg/hr across upstream assets including gas storage facilities and pipelines.


What is the OGCI Satellite Monitoring Campaign?

The OGCI Satellite Monitoring Campaign is an Oil and Gas Climate Initiative program that partners with upstream operators in Central Asia and North Africa to detect and mitigate methane emissions using GHGSat satellite data, combined with operational training and capacity-building support.


How does GHGSat satellite data support emissions mitigation?

GHGSat data identifies the location and source rate of emissions, allowing operators to prioritize assets and dispatch field teams with precision. In the SOCAR program, this data-to-action workflow resulted in 100% mitigation of all detected emission sources.


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