A new report from Earthworks and the Gas Leaks Project examined methane pollution incidents in the New Mexico Permian Basin from January 1, 2025, through April 30, 2026, using publicly accessible satellite data, ground-based optical gas imaging, and state-reported emissions data.
By linking detailed satellite observations to facility-level emissions reporting, this analysis went well beyond just unveiling the companies likely responsible for super-emitter events. The results show how often these air pollution events did not appear in the venting, flaring, and emissions data operators report to the state, and highlight the role satellites play in detecting emissions problems long before oil and gas companies or regulators know about them.
Key findings include:
- 166 super-emitter events were identified and linked to 121 oil and gas facilities in the New Mexico Permian Basin.
- A third (33%) of the observed plumes were considered extreme point sources, with emission rates exceeding 500 kilograms per hour.
- For 6 of the 121 facilities, on-the-ground thermography evidence suggests longer-running emissions events.
- Midstream operations have an outsized emissions impact, accounting for 105 of the 166 methane pollution incidents.
- To an overwhelming extent, these super-emitter events do not appear in the venting, flaring, and emissions data operators reported to the state.
- Of the plumes in this dataset attributed to facilities that have air permits, only 2% overlap with excess emissions events operators reported to the state.
- Of the plumes in this dataset attributed to facilities that reported venting and flaring data to the state, only 10% reported a significant gas venting or flaring event on the same day a super-emitter was observed, while 47% of facilities that filed aggregate monthly gas venting and flaring data reported venting zero gas at these locations for the entire month.
- PSE Methane Risk Map modeling of 29 methane pollution events between January 1, 2025, and April 30, 2026 found nearly 37,000 people in Eddy and Lea counties may have been at risk of unsafe benzene exposure.
This report builds on our previous analysis of methane super-emitter incidents in the Appalachian Basin, and its findings from on-the-ground evidence from optical gas imaging video paired with satellite data illustrate the need and opportunity for states like New Mexico to continue working to incorporate satellite monitoring data. Based on the results, the report also offers several recommendations for enhancing emissions mitigation and data accuracy.