Energy Transfer facility reportedly saw the worst methane plume in the U.S. in 2025

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

The Guardian has reported that the largest methane emissions in the U.S. in 2025 detected by space-based observers appear to originate from an Energy Transfer facility in Texas. Greenpeace USA’s December 2025 report, Bad Neighbor, documented Energy Transfer’s long track record of pollution and violations. While this methane plume was not included in our report, it definitely fits the pattern documented there.

This dubious distinction comes from an analysis by the Stop Methane Project at UCLA, using methane detection data from two space-based instruments (Planet Labs’ Tanger-1 satellite and NASA’s EMIT instrument based on the International Space Station) as compiled by Carbon Mapper. Of the top 25 biggest plumes globally, 23 were attributed to state-owned oil and gas companies in Turkmenistan, Iran and Venezuela. 

Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 84-87 times stronger than carbon dioxide over a 20-year timescale. Methane emissions often happen together with the release of other air pollutants that can damage human health – including cancer-causing pollutants such as benzene. As one of the UCLA researchers told the Guardian, “Americans should be surprised and angered by the fact that the US lands pretty high on this list of top super-polluting plumes.”

Inspection of the Carbon Mapper data indicates that the source could be associated with Energy Transfer’s Red Lake or Lenorah Gas Plants, which are located in Stanton, TX near the Permian Basin. The data shows that methane emissions were detected on two dates in 2025 (with no emissions detected on two other dates). The largest event on August 8, 2025 released an estimated 21.5 metric tons of methane per hour, and the weighted average emissions rate for the year was 5.5 metric tons per hour. The Guardian estimates these emissions were equivalent to “a million fuel-guzzling SUVs.”

This average rate was the  9th largest oil and gas source in 2025. Energy Transfer was one of only two private oil companies, and the only U.S. company, to make the global top 25. According to The Guardian, Energy Transfer “did not reply to a request for comment.” The Permian Basin is the largest oil and gas producing region in the U.S. and other satellite observations have found it to be one of the largest methane hot spots around the globe.

As our Bad Neighbor report documented, Energy Transfer has grown significantly in recent years and now claims to transport approximately 30% of U.S. natural gas and 40% of U.S. crude production. During this time period, ET’s operations in the Permian have experienced numerous methane emissions events that have been detected by land-, air-, and space-based observers.

These are not the only events detected from the Red Lake Gas Plant. In September 2025, investigators with Oilfield Witness observed emissions from a flare at the Red Lake Gas Plant using optical gas imaging (OGI) cameras.

A search of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s Air Emissions Event database does not show any reported events on the two dates reported by Carbon Mapper for either the Red Lake or Lenorah gas plants. However, both plants did report a large emissions event on January 23, 2026. The event lasted 16 hours and involved flaring of “residue gas” as a result of disruptions from Winter Storm Fern. Thousands of pounds of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds were emitted from the two plants during the event.

Oilfield Witness has documented nearly 70 similar emissions events from oil and gas operations in Texas as a result of Winter Storm Fern.

As part of his reckless assault on environmental protections, the Trump Administration has weakened, eliminated, and rolled back numerous regulations designed to fix the methane problem.