Low Methane LNG: A Golden Opportunity for Canada

Photo: Canada's first LNG export facility is now operational in British Columbia

Highlights

  • Canada enters the global liquified natural gas (LNG) market: First LNG cargo shipped June 30, 2025 from the new $40B LNG Canada facility in Kitimat BC, positioning Canada as a major supplier to Asia and beyond.

  • Strong global demand for LNG: Driven by industrialization in Asia and Africa, electrification in developed economies, and Europe’s push to replace Russian pipeline gas.

  • Geographic advantage: Canada’s west coast is closer to Asian markets than U.S. Gulf Coast exporters, avoiding Panama Canal constraints; future Arctic gateway via Port of Churchill could open direct routes to Europe.

  • Low carbon, low methane edge: Strict emissions policies, carbon pricing, and cold-climate liquefaction give Canadian LNG some of the world’s lowest carbon intensity, appealing to climate-conscious buyers.

  • Shifting global standards: Europe’s Methane Directive (2023) and expected Asian alignment mean buyers will increasingly demand certified low-methane LNG, where Canada is well positioned versus U.S. competitors.

  • Industry consolidation: Large-scale operators in Western Canada (Tourmaline, Ovintiv, Whitecap, ARC, etc.) are building capacity to reliably supply LNG, invest in methane monitoring, and secure long-term global contracts.

  • Role of advanced methane monitoring: Sustaining Canada’s edge will hinge on proving its environmental credentials. Integrating advanced monitoring — especially satellite analytics — will be essential to maintaining credibility with buyers and securing premium long-term contracts.

GEO awarded prestigious NSF grant to develop innovative AI-powered multi-satellite methane detection technology

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., July 10, 2024 – Geofinancial Analytics (GEO) has been awarded a prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) Phase 1 SBIR grant to develop an AI-powered tiered multi-satellite observation scheme for methane quantification and attribution. SBIR, America’s Seed Fund powered by the NSF, invests up to $2 million in funding for startups that are developing innovative technologies with broad impact and commercial potential.

GEO’s  Technical Innovation

GEO’s technical innovation is a computationally efficient, tiered multi-satellite monitoring system that tracks daily-to-weekly CH4 emissions from oil & gas assets across the globe, which are then used to assess company-level emission performance and benchmark companies amongst their peers. The technology integrates satellite observations from multiple sensors, deep learning models, and statistical data aggregation. A crucial component is a deep learning model which automatically detects CH4 plumes in high-resolution imagery from satellites not designed to detect methane, like the Landsat suite and Sentinel-2. These plumes are used to refine TROPOMI (Sentinel-5p) baseline observations. Most quantification methods, and deep learning models in particular, are too computationally expensive to use at a global scale. Thus innovative, computationally efficient methods for emission quantification and statistical data aggregation must be developed.

The Broader Impact of GEO’s NSF-Funded Work

The broader/commercial impact of GEO’s NSF-funded project is that methane, with its global warming potential 85 times that of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period, represents a critical target in the fight against climate change. If successful, the proposed innovation could play a pivotal role in mitigating methane emissions, contributing significantly to global climate goals. Specifically, the proposed intervention could help flatten the methane emissions curve – cutting emissions of US oil & gas producers by 75% over five years. This 75% reduction in emissions from fossil fuels aligns with the International Energy Agency’s goal for 2030 that would enable limiting global warming to 1.5°C. Lower methane emissions translate into improved air quality, reducing respiratory illnesses and other health issues associated with air pollution. Additionally, decreased global warming mitigates the frequency and severity of climate-related disasters such as wildfires, floods, and heatwaves. These changes have profound implications for biodiversity, ecosystems, and human livelihoods, particularly in vulnerable regions which includes much of the US.

Job Openings

GEO is seeking to immediately add two highly motivated professionals to its existing research and development team to assist in the NSF-funded development and commercialization of this key technical innovation for tracking atmospheric methane sources via satellite remote sensing.

If interested, please provide a cover letter describing your fit to the role, a curriculum vita including a bibliography of refereed and other work, and contact information for at least three professional references. Please combine all documents into one PDF and email to careers@geofinancial.com. Applications received by August 1, 2024 will receive full consideration.

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About Geofinancial Analytics

Geofinancial Analytics (GEO) is an independent science-driven data provider whose civic mission is to accelerate the clean energy transition by informing decisions and business practices with transparent, objective analysis using advanced geospatial technology and AI. Learn more at geofinancial.com.

Shell wins Gold Award for Best Methane Management in North America, says new independent satellite study

 


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., January 9, 2024 – Geofinancial Analytics (GEO) has released a new MethaneScan® Annual Report showing Shell PLC as #1 out of the 50 largest North American oil and gas producers in methane management.

The new Annual Report, “Self Reported vs. Satellite-Observed Methane Emissions by Top 50 North American Gas Producers,” is the energy industry’s first satellite-based, company-level methane emissions report. It uses proprietary state-of-the-art satellite technology to observe methane emissions from active onshore wells of the 50 largest North American oil and gas producers and compares them with company-reported emissions. 

“We are constantly incorporating new data and peer-reviewed practices while we drive the development of state-of-the-art estimation, attribution, and uncertainty quantification methods, setting the highest industry standard for accurate, precise, and transparent reporting via direct satellite observation,” said Mark Kriss, GEO’s Managing Director.

The table below presents a sample of the MethaneScan® Scorecard for the top 50 North American producers which reveals significant variance in sustainability leadership on the key metrics of methane management, with Shell in the #1 spot on the leaderboard. “We congratulate Shell on winning the 2023 MethaneScan® Gold Award for Best Methane Management in North America. This is a significant and encouraging achievement,” said Kriss. 

All 50 company names and ratings are provided in the MethaneScan® Annual Report which is available for purchase and download at geofinancial.com for $8,500.

Honorable mentions

Note: These three companies earning an honorable mention are not necessarily included in the partial list of anonymized companies in the table above.

Other widespread implications of the data

“Managing down the current high levels of methane emissions is widely viewed as the simplest and best strategy to dampen the projected near-term rise in global temperature and greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere,” said Kriss. “But it begins with real transparency as to the extent of the problem. Sustainability leaders such as Shell should be recognized for their achievements and thus incentivize others to follow their lead.”

Among the most significant sources of methane emissions are those resulting from the production of petroleum and natural gas. Importantly, mitigating methane emissions from the oil and gas industry is currently financially feasible, requiring no new technologies, and it is immediately scalable around the globe.

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About Geofinancial Analytics
Geofinancial Analytics (GEO) is an independent science-driven data provider whose civic mission is to accelerate the clean energy transition by informing decisions and business practices with transparent, objective analysis using advanced geospatial technology and AI. Learn more at geofinancial.com.

GEO in the news with catastrophe modeling partner, Praedicat

Greenwashing lawsuits, while still relatively uncommon, have seen an uptick in recent years, with some alleging harm to consumers and others alleging harm to shareholders. Greenwashing with respect to climate change is an area ripe for securities lawsuits.

According to our satellite observations, nearly every top 100 oil and gas producer currently underestimates their methane emissions, and this systematic misreporting has the potential to turn into large Director & Officer (D&O) insurance events.

To learn more, read this article we just published in Carrier Management with our catastrophe modeling partner, Praedicat.

Beyond Carbon Podcast: Satellite Technology and Methane Emissions Detection with Mark Kriss

 

In this 35-minute podcast Chris Ito of FFI Solutions and Georges Dyer of Intentional Endowments Network sit down with Geofinancial Analytics CEO Mark Kriss and take a bird’s eye view on detecting methane emissions from space, mapping those emissions to oil and gas asset owners and driving methane management accountability and reporting transparency.

Conversation:

• Mark’s career arc bridges climate science, technology and capital markets.

• Methane is by far the most potent GHG, and stopping methane leakage from oil & gas production is a relatively easy fix.

• Satellite technology enables more accurate measurement than current practice and can help to identify and remediate the source of the leaks.

FFI and GEO Announce Partnership to Combat Methane Emissions

May 16, 2023

FFI Solutions, a leading climate-focused research and analytics firm, and Geofinancial Analytics®, a science-driven data provider using advanced geospatial technology, have partnered to offer methane emissions screening and research data services to institutional investors.

Geofinancial Analytics’ automated data service, MethaneScan®, pinpoints methane hotspots from space and attributes them to owners with high confidence. MethaneScan® 100 provides methane emission intensity scores for the top 100 publicly-listed oil & gas companies worldwide. The resulting emissions ratings – from AA to D – and 12-month emissions trends objectively measure a company’s performance and transparency on the critical issue of methane management.

FFI Solutions, provider of The Carbon Underground 200™ fossil fuel exclusionary screening list, will offer investors a new introductory "Lite" edition of MethaneScan® 100 for investment screening, research, and importantly, for asset owners to engage with energy companies in which they are invested. Methane, the second most abundant anthropogenic GHG, is more than 80 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere in the near term. Methane emissions must be cut by half this decade to avoid the worst effects of climate change, says the UN.

"MethaneScan® sets the highest industry standard for accurate, precise, and transparent reporting via direct satellite observation,” said Chris Ito, CEO of FFI Holdings. “We expect MethaneScan® 100 will quickly become a trusted, invaluable tool for our clients in identifying, engaging and screening companies based on their methane management practices."

"We are excited to partner with FFI Solutions to help accelerate the transition to a clean energy future." said Mark Kriss, founder and CEO of Geofinancial Analytics. “Integrating MethaneScan® 100 with The Carbon Underground 200 will be a powerful tool for investors seeking to differentiate between leaders and laggards in methane emissions management and governance transparency."

About Geofinancial Analytics®:

Geofinancial Analytics is a science-driven data provider whose civic mission is to accelerate the clean energy transition by informing decisions and business practices with transparent, objective facts using advanced geospatial technology. www.geofinancial.com

About FFI Solutions:

FFI Solutions is a leading climate-focused research, analytics, and advisory firm dedicated to delivering custom solutions that decarbonize portfolios and align with the principles that underlie reaching net zero emissions by 2050. www.ffisolutions.com