UN warns Chevron over massive methane plumes spotted at Gorgon LNG plant

The United Nations has issued a warning to Chevron after satellite monitoring detected repeated massive methane plumes emerging from its Gorgon liquefied natural gas plant on Barrow Island, off Western Australia.

Five consecutive passes of Carbon Mapper’s Tanager-1 satellite since November 2025 have picked up persistent methane clouds above the Chevron-operated complex, with the most recent observation in late August averaging about 7.8 tonnes of methane an hour — far exceeding a “super emitter” event under US Environmental Protection Agency guidelines, and equivalent to burning more than 110,000 kilograms of coal an hour.

Independent analysis by climate investigators Data Desk put the average rate across the five quantified releases at about 4.9 tonnes an hour — exceeding nearly 98 per cent of the more than 18,000 oil and gas plumes Carbon Mapper has quantified — and traced the emissions to the plant’s acid gas removal units.

Chevron confirmed it had received the UN alert. “We are engaging with the UNEP, and we are seeking further clarity on their data,” a spokesperson said, adding that satellite monitoring came with “a wide range of uncertainty”. A UNEP spokesperson told the ABC it had received no formal feedback from either Chevron or the Australian government.

Western Australia’s Department of Water and Environmental Regulation said it was investigating the reports to understand what compliance or regulatory measures may be required.

Sources:

• ABC News Australia report (full text via Zotpaper): https://zot.news/article/un-warns-chevron-satellite-detects-massive-methane-plumes-h4j5m
• Data Desk investigation, “Does Chevron have a persistent methane leak at Gorgon LNG?” (15 Oct 2026): https://blog.datadesk.eco/p/does-chevron-have-a-persistent-methane