Methane Leaks
Oil & gas · 6 Mar 2025

Methane plume detected in China

On 6 Mar 2025, the PRISMA - ASI satellite saw methane escaping at about 1,846 kg/h from an oil & gas site.

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

1,846 kg/h
± 219 kg/h (UNEP uncertainty)

If it continued at this rate for 24 hours it would release about 44.3 tonnes of methane.

Detected
6 Mar 2025 · 04:31 UTC
Satellite
PRISMA - ASI
Sector
Oil & gas
Coordinates
37.30494, 94.28059
Open in Google Maps (satellite)
UNEP plume ID
3731f05b-234c-4450-aa40-b15b5dca46ae

Likely operator

PetroChina Plausible

PetroChina's Qinghai Oilfield operates the Qaidam basin.

Emitting site

CHN_S_016 · Gas Processing Unit
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 3731f05b-234c-4450-aa40-b15b5dca46ae, via Methane Leaks (https://www.methaneleaks.com/plume/3731f05b-234c-4450-aa40-b15b5dca46ae), accessed 5 Oct 2026.