Methane Guiding Principles

Methane Guiding Principles (MGP) is a membership-based organization that aims to reduce methane emissions from the natural gas value chain. It was founded in 2017 and currently has 46 members from around the world. It mainly operates as a convening body to disseminate best practices with regard to methane management, measurement, and abatement, with the ultimate aim of enabling global methane reduction.

MGP is based on five key principles: continually reduce methane emissions, advance strong performance across gas value chains, improve accuracy of methane emissions data, advance sound policy and regulations on methane emissions, and increase transparency.

History

MGP was founded at a global roundtable in November, 2017 by a consortium of eight major energy companies: bp, Eni, ExxonMobil, Repsol, Shell, Statoil (now Equinor), TotalEnergies, and Wintershall Dea. Its founding was endorsed by several industry consortia, think tanks and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI), RMI and the International Energy Agency (IEA), all of whom are still MGP members.

In 2019, MGP launched a series of best practice guides that are meant to provide practical, hands-on lessons for oil and gas operators. Topics include flaring, venting, energy efficiency, and other relevant areas. MGP released updates to seven best practice guides in 2024.

By early 2020, membership had expanded to 35 organizations total. A steering committee, made up of one senior representative from each member organization, guides the strategic direction of the organization. Members meet in person at an annual roundtable to shape the work plan.

In September, 2022 MGP, in collaboration with the Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership and OGCI, launched the Methane Flaring Toolkit, a flagship initiative that provides bespoke and interactive guidance on reducing flaring.

In March, 2023 the Methane Inventory Systematic Tool (Mist) 2.0 was released; MGP was one of four organizations that worked on an update to the free tool, which energy companies can use to produce a methane emissions inventory.

In November, 2023, MGP unveiled the Advancing Global Methane Reductions (AGMR) initiative. AGMR connects governments with private companies at the forefront of methane management, in order to catalyze policy action and ultimately drive emissions reductions among national oil and gas companies (NOCs).

Aims

MGP's objectives for its members include:

• Widespread use of tools, technologies, and best practices related to methane management
• Greater transparency in methane reporting
• Reductions in methane emissions from the global energy sector

To assess progress toward meeting these aims, every MGP member that actively operates oil and/or gas facilities must produce an annual progress report, all of which are publicly available for download. Areas of focus covered by the reports align with the five guiding principles and include summaries of actions completed over the previous year and intended actions in the year to come.

MGP also aims to serve as a bridge between industry and civil society, and industry and government. To achieve the former, MGP includes as supporting organizations several NGOs and multilateral bodies, including the Environmental Defense Fund, IEA, World Bank and the United Nations Environment Programme. To achieve the industry-government connection, MGP has launched AGMR, an initiative in which companies work with governments—especially in the developing world—to accelerate the development of climate-friendly methane policies and best-practice in methane reductions among NOCs.

The International Energy Agency presents data showing the importance of cutting methane emissions to an audience of MGP members.

Initiatives and Publications

• AGMR: MGP launched AGMR in late 2023. It is MGP's flagship government-facing initiative, in which companies connect with countries to move the needle on methane emissions up and down the value chain. An example of AGMR work is a partnership between bp and the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR). The partnership includes workshops and other events to strengthen collaboration. The partnership started in December, 2023, when the two organizations signed a memorandum of understanding.

bp and SOCAR host a roundtable on methane reduction as part of the AGMR initiative.

• Best Practice Guides: MGP's Best Practice Guides cover a range of methane management subjects. The material in the Guides is current as of 2019, except where noted:
  • Engineering design and construction
  • Flaring (updated in 2024)
  • Energy use
  • Equipment leaks (updated in 2024)
  • Venting (updated in 2024)
  • Pneumatic devices (updated in 2024)
  • Operational repairs (updated in 2024)
  • Continual improvement
  • Identification, detection, measurement and quantification (updated in 2024)
  • Transmission, storage, LNG terminals and distribution (updated in 2024)
• Flaring Toolkit: Flaring is the process of combusting methane in the open air, which can lead to extensive carbon dioxide emissions. Reducing flaring is a major lever for methane reductions and this toolkit provides bespoke flaring-management pathways for oil and gas companies.

Flaring occurs when natural gas is combusted in open air, leading to extensive carbon dioxide emissions.

• Masterclasses and Webinars: MGP hosts regular webinars on a variety of methane-related topics, such as satellite monitoring and technical solutions. It also hosts masterclasses which cover methane science, methane reduction strategies and planning, measurement techniques, technologies, policy updates, and where to get guidance and support.
• NOJV Toolkit: Non-operated joint ventures (NOJVs) are increasingly becoming standard industry practice. Ensuring alignment between JV partners is an important way for oil and gas companies to effect methane reductions in the broader supply chain. The NOJV Toolkit provides guidance for alignment of different stakeholders and template documents for board resolutions, GHG committees, and contract clauses. The templates were written by the Association of International Energy Negotiators as part of the most recent update to its Model International Joint Operating Agreement.
• Policy Toolkit: The Policy Toolkit provides guidance and resources for policymakers that they can leverage to promote methane reductions across the oil and gas ecosystem. It was conceived and launched in response to the Global Methane Pledge, in which 158 countries commit to reduce methane emissions from human activities 30% below 2020 levels by 2030.