ONGC, TotalEnergies join forces to tackle methane emissions in India

India's state-owned energy major, ONGC, has entered into a cooperation agreement with France's TotalEnergies to address and mitigate methane emissions in India, it said on February 6.

Under the partnership, TotalEnergies will share its AUSEA (Airborne Ultralight Spectrometer for Environmental Applications) technology with ONGC. This gas analyser, mounted on drones, is equipped with a dual sensor capable of detecting both methane and carbon dioxide emissions.

What sets AUSEA apart is its ability to identify the source of emissions simultaneously, marking a significant leap forward compared to traditional methods, ONGC said.

ONGC said it has been actively seeking international technology partners to achieve its target of reducing methane emissions in India by 50% by 2027 and 80% by 2030, relative to 2020 levels. The collaboration with TotalEnergies is a crucial step towards meeting these targets and aligns with the global initiative outlined in the Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter (OGDC) launched at COP28, the company said.

"We are pleased to collaborate and make our AUSEA technology available to ONGC in India to detect, measure, and eventually reduce methane emissions on their own assets," TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanne stated.

ONGC CEO Arun Kumar Singh said, "The introduction of the AUSEA technology will further strengthen our efforts to achieve zero methane emissions by 2038."

TotalEnergies, present in India since 1993, has been actively involved in joint ventures with the Adani Group, energy storage initiatives, distributed solar generation, and various sectors, including chemicals, LPG, lubricants, and special fluids.