The path to OGMP 2.0 Gold: Mitigation, measurement, and meaningful action to reduce methane emissions

A lot has changed for our industry, our company, and the world since I joined ExxonMobil more than 25 years ago — and a lot hasn’t.

There’s a cliché that says change is the only constant. But I can think of a few more:

• When we joined the United Nations Environment Programme’s Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP 2.0) in 2024, I said I had never met anyone who thought that methane emission reductions aren’t important. That’s still true.
• We began disclosing our methane emissions more than a decade ago to help improve shared understanding and develop best practices, because the energy industry is collaborative by nature. That hasn’t changed. 
• And: The world’s need for more energy and lower emissions. We call it the “and” equation. Driving reductions in methane emissions is part of how we’re working to solve it.

Last week, we hit an important milestone in our methane collaborations.

Our OGMP 2.0 membership came with a commitment. By joining, we signed up to advance rigorous, measurement-based reporting across our global upstream operations.

Now, one year early, we have been recognized for achieving OGMP 2.0 Gold Standard Reporting, the leading global standard for measurement-based methane reporting.

OGMP 2.0 Gold Standard Reporting is about the quality and rigor of methane measurement and reporting.

But achieving it depends on more than disclosing numbers. It requires strong operational systems and capable technology — and, most importantly, it requires people dedicated to translating better information into action.

Reaching this milestone in a company with ExxonMobil’s global scale and operational complexity took sustained focus and coordination across the organization.

Why focus on methane?

Reducing methane emissions is an important (and practical) part of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Methane is the main component of natural gas, and we project that the world will need ~20% more of this energy resource in 2050 than today. Compared to CO₂, methane exists for a short time in the atmosphere, but it has ~30 times the global warming potential on a 100-year timespan.

That’s why it’s important to keep methane contained and managed. The solutions are technically achievable, can be implemented cost effectively, and deliver measurable results.

Mitigation, measurement, and reporting

Our approach starts with mitigation — addressing potential sources through facility design, technology, operating practices, and continuous improvement.

Eliminating or reducing potential sources also allows us to focus our monitoring and measurement efforts where they are most needed, using advanced technologies on the ground, in the air, and in space.

One example is Vantage, our centralized operations and monitoring center. Vantage and its Center for Operations and Methane Emissions Tracking (COMET) platform monitor more than 22,000 wells around the clock, helping our teams identify potential issues, respond more rapidly, and apply what we learn across our operations.

We took actions above and beyond regulatory requirements to set up our Vantage methane operations center and achieve OGMP Gold Standard reporting status, because it was the right thing to do.

We believe reducing emissions and providing reliable, affordable energy can go hand in hand. Smart policies and regulations can help us do both.

I’m proud of the teams who delivered the Gold Standard milestone a year early. With their hard work and expertise, we will continue advancing practical, scalable solutions to reduce methane emissions across our operations and the industry.