BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 29. Turkmenistan’s specialists have examined UK practices for monitoring and reducing methane emissions in the oil and gas sector during a study visit co-funded by the European Union and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).
According to a press release published by the Delegation of the European Union to Turkmenistan, the visit took place from October 12 through 16, 2026, under the EU project “Policy Dialogue and Climate Action 2024–2029.”
During the visit, representatives of Turkmenistan’s ministries and agencies studied British approaches to monitoring, verifying and reducing methane emissions in London, Aberdeen, Peterhead and the Teesside region.
The program included briefings with the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and other government bodies responsible for climate policy and methane emissions reduction. The delegation also visited Shell’s St Fergus gas plant and the CATS gas terminal, operated by Wood Group.
Meetings with Offshore Energies UK and Score Group Limited focused on industry practices and technologies for reducing methane leaks. The delegation also discussed satellite-based monitoring with GHGSat and met with researchers from the Greenhouse Gas Research Group at Royal Holloway, University of London.
Experts from bp presented their approaches to managing methane emissions and gas flaring.
Particular attention was given to the EU Methane Regulation, which establishes requirements for monitoring and mitigating methane emissions in the fossil fuel sector, including provisions affecting imports into the European Union.
“Gaining familiarity with these regulatory mechanisms holds significant importance in the context of exploring prospects for cooperation in the European energy market and adapting infrastructure to international environmental standards,” the press release stated.
The knowledge gained during the visit is expected to support the practical implementation of methane emissions reduction measures in Turkmenistan and contribute to the objectives of the Global Methane Pledge.
For reference, the German Agency for International Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, or GIZ) is a German development agency that implements projects on behalf of the German government, focusing on sustainable economic development, energy, governance, and climate policy across more than 130 countries.
