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Bangkok, 7-8 December 2022
In December 2022, key ASEAN energy players gathered in Bangkok to continue an ASEAN-wide collaboration to reduce emissions of a powerful greenhouse gas – methane – from regional oil and gas operations. In this third meeting of national oil companies, energy ministries, and leading regional and international organizations, participants explored innovative technologies and practices to identify and measure methane emissions; and discussed plans for regional collaboration.
Figure 1. Photo Session of All Participants of the Methane Workshop (Credit: USAID SPP)
The workshop was hosted by the United States Agency for International Development’s Southeast Asia Smart Power Program in collaboration with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Centre for Energy (ACE), the ASEAN Council on Petroleum (ASCOPE); PETRONAS, PTTEP, and the Asia Natural Gas and Energy Association.
The event featured presentations from PETRONAS, PTT, PERTAMINA and Chevron as well as international organizations such as the Environmental Defense Fund, US Environmental Protection Agency, US Department of State, US Trade and Development Agency, and the UN Environment Programme
ACE official Beni Suryadi expressed gratitude for the eagerness of PETRONAS, PTT and PERTAMINA to elevate these discussions into the official ASEAN programme through continued work of the recently launched ASEAN Energy Sector Methane Roundtable, supported by ACE and ASCOPE.
In formulating strategies and action plans ASEAN energy players shared current actions that they are taking to detect, quantify and reduce methane emissions. The participants also discussed additional voluntary actions and avenues to improve the industry’s efforts to detect, quantify and reduce emissions, and identified opportunities for collaboration to address and implement its regional methane management strategy.
Following the December 2022 roundtable discussions, ASEAN energy players are looking to strengthen regional collaboration through bi-annual roundtable discussions and enhanced support and involvement with global institutions. ASCOPE will enhance its leadership by including a methane abatement task in its Policy Research and Capability Building (PRCB) task force programs in partnership with ACE. USAID’s Southeast Asia Smart Power Program will support regional knowledge sharing on priority areas such as identifying technologies that reduce methane in oil and gas operations, exploring systems for measurement and verification, recommending supporting policies in the region, and accessing financing mechanisms.
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ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) is an intergovernmental organisation within ASEAN structure that represents the 10 ASEAN Member States’ (AMS) interests in the energy sector.