Inside Carbon: 5 questions you should ask about certified gas initiatives

Operators evaluating certified natural gas programs need to understand what a certification actually covers, how emissions are calculated, and what evidence supports the claims. These five questions can help distinguish a credible certification approach from claims that go beyond the underlying data.

1. What assets, production volumes, and reporting periods does the certification cover?

Certification claims should clearly identify which facilities, assets, or production volumes are covered, and for which period of performance. Limited-scope certification can still be meaningful when the boundaries are transparent and claims do not imply broader coverage. The risk is cherry-picking a few strong assets while the marketing language suggests company-wide or basin-wide performance.

2. How does the certification use measurements, operating data, and emissions factors?

Generic emissions factors can support estimates, but they typically represent average conditions rather than the performance of a specific asset. Check whether measurements cover the relevant equipment and operating conditions, where estimates are still used, and how those estimates are calculated. Measurement-informed inventories often combine methods; the question is whether the mix is disclosed and representative of the facilities being certified.

3. Is third-party verification required?

Independent verification can strengthen confidence that a certification program’s requirements were followed. Check who performed the assessment, which data and facilities were reviewed, and what the verifier actually concluded. Verification does not guarantee that every underlying emissions figure is correct.

4. Does the methane metric tell the whole story?

Methane intensity is useful, but the calculation method matters. Operators with different oil and gas production profiles may not be directly comparable when methane emissions are divided by gas production alone. For example, an oil-producing facility may appear to have a higher methane intensity than a dry-gas facility if the calculation attributes emissions to a smaller volume of gas production. Compare emissions boundary, denominator, allocation method, and supporting data before ranking assets against each other.

5. Are protocols and guidance documents publicly available and technology neutral?

Certification criteria and calculation methods should be available for review. A program may require specific measurement capabilities, but it should explain those requirements and whether alternative technologies can satisfy them. The important distinction is between justified technical requirements and unnecessary dependence on one provider’s technology. 

For an example of publicly documented facility-level methane performance criteria, monitoring expectations, and independent auditing, see MiQ’s technical standard. For a closer look at how facility grades, certificate retirement, and environmental claims work, see our guide to MiQ methane certification.