Vaca Muerta will have to measure and report its methane (and the UN watches it by satellite)

Neuquén moves from having NO obligation to measure greenhouse gases in oil & gas to a mandatory reporting regime. Res. 258/2025 creates the GHG Emissions Monitoring and Mitigation Program for the hydrocarbon sector and requires "every company or group of companies, concessionaires, permit holders, operators" of exploration, exploitation, transport, storage, processing and industrialization of hydrocarbons in the province to report their emissions of methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O), plus activity variables, mitigation actions and complementary data. Concrete elements: (1) Neuquén formalizes its participation in the MARS system (Methane Alert and Response System) of IMEO-UNEP, which detects by satellite the methane super-emissions defined as those exceeding 500 kg/h, for a rapid response on the source. (2) It takes as reference the OGMP 2.0 standard (Oil & Gas Methane Partnership 2.0), the most demanding international framework for measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of methane. (3) The GHG Reporting Procedure regulation (April 2026) introduces a progressive system of five reporting levels, with greater technical requirements according to production volume: from disaggregation of emissions by source type and generic factors at the low levels, to own emission factors based on direct measurements and validation by remote detection at the facility level at the high levels; the escalation is gradual toward 2030. (Pending confirmation in the primary source: exact deadlines of each phase, report dates, production thresholds separating the 5 levels, and the sanctioning regime —the sources only refer to the general sanctioning procedure, with no specific fines.) verif · Apr 1, 2025 ↗

Resolution dated 02/21/2025 and published in the Official Gazette of Neuquén No. 4417 of 04/01/2025 verif both dates read in the heading of the norm and in the footer of the gazette. ⚠️ The gradual two-phase rollout (a ~1-year pilot with an initial survey, a sector mitigation plan and a preliminary report, then the implementation phase) does NOT appear in the published articles: it lives in Annex IF-2025-00389589-NEU-SCLIM#SAMB, which the gazette does not reproduce — so it stays `probable` within this field. verif · Apr 1, 2025 ↗

Vaca Muerta operators and concessionaires (the large ones obliged to the high reporting levels, with direct measurement and satellite verification) and, above all, the providers of environmental and measurement services: methane monitoring/quantification companies (LDAR — leak detection and repair, OGI cameras, sensors, overflights), MRV/OGMP 2.0 consultancies, authorized third-party validators/verifiers of the reports, and mitigation-technology providers (venting replacement, capture, low-emission equipment). It is new forced regulatory demand, distinct from the shale water/waste one. prob · Apr 1, 2025 ↗