Methane Leaks
Oil & gas · 4 Jul 2023

Methane plume detected in Iraq

On 4 Jul 2023, the Landsat - NASA/USGS satellite saw methane escaping at about 2,364 kg/h from an oil & gas site.

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

2,364 kg/h
± 503 kg/h (UNEP uncertainty)

If it continued at this rate for 24 hours it would release about 56.7 tonnes of methane.

Detected
4 Jul 2023 · 07:44 UTC
Satellite
Landsat - NASA/USGS
Sector
Oil & gas
Wind
Plume drifting towards the SE · 1.0 m/s
Coordinates
36.30834, 43.08983
Open in Google Maps (satellite)
UNEP plume ID
d0f2ebf7-b116-4901-bc34-948143608cdc

Likely operator

North Oil Company Plausible

State-owned North Oil Company operates the Kirkuk-area fields.

Emitting site

IRQ_S_040 · Flare
14 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 d0f2ebf7-b116-4901-bc34-948143608cdc, via Methane Leaks (https://www.methaneleaks.com/plume/d0f2ebf7-b116-4901-bc34-948143608cdc), accessed 5 Oct 2026.