Satellite data from Carbon Mapper's Tanager-1 identified 166 major methane leaks at 121 oil and gas facilities in New Mexico's Permian Basin between January 2025 and April 2026. Only 11 of those leaks appear to have been reported to state regulators, according to a new report from Gas Leaks Project and Earthworks. Most would qualify as super emitters under the EPA's Methane Super Emitter Program, which the current EPA administrator has proposed canceling. The report covers just a small fraction of the 15-month period, meaning the true number of leaks is likely higher. Carbon Mapper has already spotted 84 additional plumes since the study window ended. New Mexico banned routine venting and flaring in 2022, but enforcement relies heavily on operator self-reporting. The state is now considering rules that would let third parties notify companies directly about super-emitter events and would give state agencies more authority to act if federal oversight is removed. Methane is roughly 80 times more potent than CO2 over a 20-year period. The International Energy Agency estimates 45% of oil and gas methane emissions could be avoided at no net cost, which makes the low reporting rate a direct climate policy problem.
