Executive viewpoint: Methane monitoring goes digital

KHALID Y. AL QAHTANI, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT- ENGINEERING SERVICES, ARAMCO  

Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases, which is why Aramco is deploying a suite of digital tools—ranging from satellites to drones to multispectral cameras—aiming to reduce it head on.  

Our methane emissions performance is among the lowest in comparison to peers, with a methane intensity at 0.04% for the year 2024. This leading performance reflects Aramco’s robust design practices and our operational excellence culture embedded in our operations and maintenance. This is also a testimony to our practical and continuous efforts to reduce methane emissions from our facilities.  

Aramco, as a leader in the field, has adopted a multi-layer, technology-driven approach to methane monitoring, combining satellites, drones, and multi-spectral cameras, with conventional leak detection programs.   

Watching from space. One of the most effective tools in Aramco’s methane strategy is satellite monitoring. Since 2023, the company has contracted a fleet of satellites capable of detecting methane leaks from space. The latest satellites can monitor emissions at high resolution, pinpointing leaks that might otherwise go unnoticed. 

For Aramco, this provides a fresh layer of visibility across its facilities in Saudi Arabia. Satellite data can help identify unintentional leaks, inform root-cause analysis, and support rapid remedial action. Just as importantly, the fact that the information comes from an independent third party enhances its credibility.   

A layered approach. Satellites are only part of the picture. On the ground, Aramco has tested and validated predictive monitoring and multi-spectral infrared cameras to continuously monitor its material sources of methane emissions. Drones equipped with tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) provide mobile coverage, helping reach areas that are difficult or hazardous for human inspectors.   

These advanced digital tools will be integrated with the company’s Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) program, launched in 2018, which systematically identifies and fixes fugitive emissions. Meanwhile, real-time flaring volumes are tracked from Aramco’s Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) Center in Dhahran, aligning operational practices with the World Bank’s “Zero Routine Flaring by 2030” initiative  

The result is a multi-tier monitoring system, combining space-based, airborne, and ground-level data. Together, these layers, when fully deployed, are expected to give Aramco an enhanced level of visibility into where methane is being released, why it is happening, and how to stop it. 

From disclosure to performance. In 2024, Aramco reported an 11.4% reduction in upstream methane emissions in comparison with 2023, alongside a decline in methane intensity, or methane emissions per unit of output. These numbers are more than accounting exercises: they demonstrate real operational improvements that help the company achieve its broader emissions reduction ambitions. By combining traditional engineering with advanced digital monitoring, Aramco strives to turn methane into a manageable, measurable, and actionable issue. 

Highlighting digital integration. Aramco is showing how digital innovation can be integrated to support its emissions reduction efforts. With oil and gas to remain a cornerstone of global energy supplies for years to come, we strive to adapt our emissions reduction strategies with the evolving digital and technological  landscape.  

KHALID Y. AL QAHTANI is SVP, Engineering Services at Aramco. Al Qahtani previously served as vice president and chief engineer from January 2022, after serving as manager of the Project Management Office between June 2021 and December 2021.