How ExxonMobil reduced its methane emissions in Germany by 95%

Methane is a highly potent greenhouse gas and a significant contributor to climate change. With a global warming potential that is at least 28 times greater than CO2, it’s responsible for around 30% of the global rise in temperature¹ since the Industrial Revolution. It’s hardly surprising then that there is widespread agreement among experts that reducing methane in the atmosphere is central to finding viable climate solutions.

At ExxonMobil, we consider it a priority to address our methane emissions. Our goal is to reduce methane intensity across all our operated assets by 70-80% by 2030, compared to 2016 levels. We currently on track to achieve that objective by the end of 2026.

In Germany, we’re using innovative technologies to minimize methane emissions at our production sites. This is not new, ExxonMobil Production Germany has been detecting, measuring and working to eliminate the methane from our facilities in the country since the 1990s.

In fact, over the past 20 years, ExxonMobil has cut methane emissions in Germany by an impressive 95%. What remains now is getting to 100%. Pascal Weustermann, one of our asset advisors in Germany, is part of the team working on this project. He explains that the approach involves a mix of cutting-edge solutions and equipment.

“We’ve started a pilot measuring campaign to reduce the last 5%,” Pascal says. “This includes using aerial detection, measuring from space, and on the ground. And on the ground, we’re testing a detection system for facility installations and equipment surveillance.”

Delivering results through innovation

Pascal reveals that one step they’ve taken in Germany is removing natural gas-driven pneumatic devices. In the oil and gas sector, pneumatic devices are used to operate valves that control process variables like liquid levels, temperature, and pressure. Typically powered by natural gas, they emit a small amount of methane when operated. “We are now using devices driven by air or electricity instead,” Pascal says.

As part of its global commitment to reducing methane emissions, ExxonMobil is also working to eliminate pneumatic devices from its key U.S. unconventional operated assets. In 2025 alone, the company replaced more than 6,000 of these devices across its Permian Basin operations². “We want to sell our gas, not emit it into the atmosphere,” Pascal adds.

Watch the video below to find out how ExxonMobil Germany is successfully reducing methane emissions.

One of the tools ExxonMobil Production Germany uses for methane detection is a handheld device that incorporates laser technology. The device, Pascal explains, has the benefit of being small and easy to operate. Plus, it can record emissions as low as one gramme per hour. “This is really very low,” Pascal points out. “A cow, for example, emits seven times as much during the same period.”

The remarkable results in Germany are part of our work to achieve near-zero methane emissions from ExxonMobil operations around the world. This includes our goal to eliminate routine flaring across all operated upstream assets by 2030 – a target we’re currently on track to meet². In fact, we’ve already succeeded in eliminating routine flaring across our heritage Permian Basin assets in 2022.

“Addressing methane emissions is an important part of our company's overall strategy of aiming for zero methane emissions,” Pascal says. “It’s a milestone on our road to net-zero.”

FOOTNOTES:

1. Global Methane Tracker 2026: https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/8a2639fd-7883-4fe7-bbe7-4f97bc39e2ff/GlobalMethaneTracker2026.pdf
2. 2026 Advancing Climate Solutions report: https://corporate.exxonmobil.com/publications/advancing-climate-solutions/driving-reductions-in-methane-emissions