Methane Leaks
Oil & gas · 21 Aug 2026

Methane plume detected in Venezuela

On 21 Aug 2026, the EMIT - NASA satellite saw methane escaping at about 1,684 kg/h from an oil & gas site.

Satellite map of methane plume locations in Venezuela
Map imagery © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap © MaxarOpen the interactive map →

1,684 kg/h
± 526 kg/h (UNEP uncertainty)

If it continued at this rate for 24 hours it would release about 40.4 tonnes of methane.

Detected
21 Aug 2026 · 16:36 UTC
Satellite
EMIT - NASA
Sector
Oil & gas
Wind
Plume drifting towards the NE · 2.9 m/s
Coordinates
10.17583, -71.42241
Open in Google Maps (satellite)
UNEP plume ID
0c79968a-4085-4300-a4a8-f4c89b5b0dfb

Likely operator

PDVSA Plausible

State company PDVSA operates or controls the mixed companies running Venezuelan fields.

Emitting site

VEN_S_147 · Production Offshore
1 plumes detected at this site

Status

UNEP notified the government about this plume.

Nobody has reported contacting the operator through Methane Leaks yet.

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Cite as: UNEP IMEO MARS plume 0c79968a-4085-4300-a4a8-f4c89b5b0dfb, via Methane Leaks (https://www.methaneleaks.com/plume/0c79968a-4085-4300-a4a8-f4c89b5b0dfb), accessed 4 Oct 2026.