Development of a Multi-Source Satellite Fusion Method for XCH4 Product Generation in Oil and Gas Production Areas

Abstract

Methane (CH4) is the second-largest greenhouse gas contributing to global climate warming. As of 2022, methane emissions from the oil and gas industry amounted to 3.586 million tons, representing 13.24% of total methane emissions and ranking second among all methane emission sources. To effectively control methane emissions in oilfield regions, this study proposes a multi-source remote sensing data fusion method based on the concept of data fusion, targeting high-emission areas such as oil and gas fields. The aim is to construct an XCH4 remote sensing dataset that meets the requirements for high resolution, wide coverage, and high accuracy. Initially, XCH4 data products from the GOSAT satellite and the TROPOMI sensor are matched both spatially and temporally. Subsequently, variables such as longitude, latitude, aerosol optical depth, surface albedo, digital elevation model (DEM), and month are incorporated. Using a local random forest (LRF) model for fusion, the resulting product combines the high accuracy of GOSAT data with the wide coverage of TROPOMI data. On this basis, ΔXCH4 is derived using GF-5. Combined with the GFEI prior emission inventory, the high-precision fusion dataset output by the LRF model is redistributed grid by grid in oilfield areas, producing a 1 km resolution XCH4 grid product, thereby constructing a high-precision, high-resolution dataset for oilfield regions. Finally, the challenges that emerged from the study were discussed and summarized, and it was envisioned that, in the future, with the advancement of satellite technology and algorithms, it would be possible to obtain more accurate and high-resolution datasets of methane concentration and apply such datasets to a wide range of fields, with the expectation that significant contributions could be made to reducing methane emissions and combating climate change.