Luo Junjun, Wang Helan, Li Hui, Zheng Bo
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Ecological Remediation and Carbon Sequestration, Institute of Environment and Ecology, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing, 100084, China.
Nat Commun. 2025 Mar 25;16(1):2926. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-58237-z.
Methane (CH) is a potent and short-lived climate pollutant, with the oil and gas sectors emerging as an important contributor. China exhibited a substantial expansion of oil and gas infrastructures over recent years, but the CH emission accounting tends to be incomplete and uncertain. Here, we construct a CH emission database of China's oil and gas systems from 1990-2022 with 80% of emissions tracked as refineries, facilities, pipelines, and field sources. Results show that China's oil and gas CH emissions have risen from 0.5[0.5-0.6] TgCH yr in 1990 to 4.0[3.7-4.4] TgCH yr in 2022, primarily driven by the growing demand for natural gas during the energy transition. The spatial details provided are critical for characterizing emission hotspots, especially in unconventional gas production fields and densely populated eastern regions. This long-time series and spatially explicit CH emission database can contribute to informed policy decisions and swift climate action.
甲烷（CH₄）是一种强效且短期存在的气候污染物，石油和天然气行业已成为其重要排放源。近年来，中国的油气基础设施大幅扩张，但甲烷排放核算往往不完整且存在不确定性。在此，我们构建了一个1990年至2022年中国油气系统的甲烷排放数据库，80%的排放被追踪到炼油厂、设施、管道和油田源头。结果表明，中国油气甲烷排放量已从1990年的0.5[0.5 - 0.6]太克甲烷/年升至2022年的4.0[3.7 - 4.4]太克甲烷/年，这主要是由能源转型期间对天然气不断增长的需求所驱动。所提供的空间细节对于确定排放热点至关重要，特别是在非常规天然气生产领域和人口密集的东部地区。这个长期序列且空间明确的甲烷排放数据库有助于做出明智的政策决策并迅速采取气候行动。
