Methane Leaks
Oil & gas · 26 Mar 2026

Methane plume detected in China

On 26 Mar 2026, the EMIT - NASA satellite saw methane escaping at about 1,899 kg/h from an oil & gas site.

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

1,899 kg/h
± 809 kg/h (UNEP uncertainty)

If it continued at this rate for 24 hours it would release about 45.6 tonnes of methane.

Detected
26 Mar 2026 · 07:15 UTC
Satellite
EMIT - NASA
Sector
Oil & gas
Wind
Plume drifting towards the SE · 8.0 m/s
Coordinates
37.30093, 94.30705
Open in Google Maps (satellite)
UNEP plume ID
bad21e9e-5b2e-4707-8779-74d002e2bea9

Likely operator

PetroChina Plausible

PetroChina's Qinghai Oilfield operates the Qaidam basin.

Emitting site

CHN_S_025 · O&G facility (generic)
3 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 bad21e9e-5b2e-4707-8779-74d002e2bea9, via Methane Leaks (https://www.methaneleaks.com/plume/bad21e9e-5b2e-4707-8779-74d002e2bea9), accessed 5 Oct 2026.