{ "id": "AIBD-0343", "title": "After a UNEP MARS alert, operators repair a failed ball valve that released 175 t of methane in one week at the Aerial oil and gas field, Alberta, a week after detection (April 2026)", "summary": "Trade press relaying UNEP's August 2026 snapshot: a 175 t/week methane plume at Alberta's Aerial field in April 2026 was traced to a failed ball valve on pigging equipment and repaired within a week.", "date_observed": "2026-04-01", "date_basis": "unassessed", "date_precision": "unassessed", "benefit_status": null, "source_collection": null, "source_entry": null, "account": "The Chemical Engineer reported on 4 September 2026 on UNEP's monthly snapshot of the biggest satellite-detected methane plumes recorded in August. UNEP confirmed that operators had plugged a source at the Aerial oil and gas field in southeastern Alberta, Canada. The source had released 175 t of methane (4,900 tCO2e) in a single week in April 2026. The cause was a failed ball valve connected to pigging equipment. Operators completed the repair one week after the plume was first detected. The repair followed an alert issued under UNEP's Methane Alert and Response System (MARS). The article states that UNEP does not name suspected or known operators. It states that since 2023 MARS has sent over 3,500 alerts but confirmed just 43 mitigation cases. UNEP's MARS page states that IMEO uses data from more than 30 satellite instruments. It couples that with scientific expertise and advanced AI models to notify governments and companies. The August 2026 UNEP snapshot itself is not among the sources; UNEP's snapshot page now carries the September 2026 update, which does not mention Canada. UNEP's press pages were not available and are not among the sources. The case rests on one trade-press report relaying UNEP.", "category": "benefit created", "unexpected": false, "purpose": "Satellite-based detection and notification of large methane plumes so that operators mitigate them. This case was that purpose.", "system": "UNEP IMEO Methane Alert and Response System (MARS): satellite plume detection and analysis with AI models, notification and satellite confirmation", "model_version": null, "developer": "UNEP International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO)", "deployer": "UNEP International Methane Emissions Observatory (notification); unnamed operators at the Aerial oil and gas field (repair)", "location": "Aerial oil and gas field, southeastern Alberta, Canada", "domain": "Climate change mitigation / methane emissions monitoring", "segment": "Oil and gas production; intergovernmental observatory", "benefit_type": "Reduced Carbon Emissions", "taxonomy_note": null, "registry_ids": {}, "ratings": [ { "group": "personal", "depth": null, "reason": "No individual beneficiary is identified." }, { "group": "organizational", "depth": 2, "reason": "The operator found and fixed a failed valve releasing 175 t of methane a week, within one week of detection. The operator is unnamed, and no cost or further detail is reported." }, { "group": "societal", "depth": 1, "reason": "A single confirmed case among about 43 since 2023, against more than 3,500 alerts. A one-week 4,900 tCO2e release was stopped." } ], "ai_role": { "status": "assessed", "statement": "The report credits the repair to a MARS alert and UNEP's confirmation. Only UNEP's general page describes MARS detection and analysis as using satellites with advanced AI models. The AI contribution to this specific alert is not isolated. One news item relaying the system operator's snapshot documents the event, and the snapshot itself is not among the sources." }, "evidence": [ { "kind": "news report", "citation": "Baker, S. (2026). Canada plugs 'major source' of methane emissions from oil and gas field leak. The Chemical Engineer, 4 Sep 2026.", "title": "Canada plugs 'major source' of methane emissions from oil and gas field leak", "url": "https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/canada-plugs-major-source-of-methane-emissions-from-oil-and-gas-field-leak/", "date": "2026-09-04", "written_by": "independent", "quote": "Operators completed the repair work one week after the methane plume was first detected" }, { "kind": "news report", "citation": "Baker, S. (2026). Same article, emission estimate.", "title": "Canada plugs 'major source' of methane emissions (emission estimate)", "url": "https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/canada-plugs-major-source-of-methane-emissions-from-oil-and-gas-field-leak/", "date": "2026-09-04", "written_by": "independent", "quote": "175 t of methane (4,900 tCO2e) in a single week in April" }, { "kind": "news report", "citation": "Baker, S. (2026). Same article, cause of the leak.", "title": "Canada plugs 'major source' of methane emissions (cause)", "url": "https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/canada-plugs-major-source-of-methane-emissions-from-oil-and-gas-field-leak/", "date": "2026-09-04", "written_by": "independent", "quote": "a failed ball valve connected to some pigging equipment" }, { "kind": "news report", "citation": "Baker, S. (2026). Same article, programme totals.", "title": "Canada plugs 'major source' of methane emissions (MARS totals)", "url": "https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/canada-plugs-major-source-of-methane-emissions-from-oil-and-gas-field-leak/", "date": "2026-09-04", "written_by": "independent", "quote": "Since 2023, MARS has sent over 3,500 alerts to operators of sites releasing methane plumes, but has confirmed just 43 mitigation cases." }, { "kind": "press release", "citation": "UNEP (n.d.). Methane Alert and Response System (MARS). UNEP topics page.", "title": "Methane Alert and Response System (MARS)", "url": "https://www.unep.org/topics/energy/methane/methane-alert-and-response-system-mars", "date": null, "written_by": "makers", "quote": "Using data from more than 30 satellite instruments, coupled with scientific expertise and advanced AI models, IMEO notifies governments and companies of emissions" } ], "replication": { "produced_by": [ "Satellite detection of a large plume at a producing field", "A MARS alert reaching operators able to inspect equipment within days", "A discrete equipment failure (ball valve on pigging equipment) that a repair could end" ], "must_hold": [ "Responsive operators or a national focal point. UNEP's snapshot says most mitigation occurs where focal points direct information", "Clear-sky satellite coverage to detect and later confirm cessation", "Independent confirmation beyond UNEP's own snapshot, which is not among the sources" ], "echoes": [ { "date": "2025-11-26", "setting": "Kazakhstan KAZ_S_136: pipeline leak stopped by rerouting gas after a MARS notification (UNEP case document); emissions observed again by 21 May 2026", "model_version": null, "outcome": "recurred", "source": "https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstreams/558dda69-c8e5-42c2-b10a-7b9c3dcc3e79/download" }, { "date": "2024-01-01", "setting": "Hassi Messaoud, Algeria (existing record AIBD-0091): MARS notification followed by repair", "model_version": null, "outcome": "recurred", "source": "AIBD-0091" } ] }, "paired_incident": null, "headline": "UNEP MARS alert leads to Alberta methane leak repair in a week", "metric": "released 175 t of methane (4,900 tCO2e) in a single week", "comparator": { "against": "the leak before repair", "before": "175 t of methane (4,900 tCO2e) in a single week in April", "after": "Operators completed the repair work one week after the methane plume was first detected.", "basis": "measured", "quote": "In its monthly snapshot of the biggest methane plumes recorded by satellites in August, the UNEP confirmed operators had plugged a source of methane that emitted 175 t of methane (4,900 tCO2e) in a single week in April.", "url": "https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/canada-plugs-major-source-of-methane-emissions-from-oil-and-gas-field-leak/" }, "later": { "status": "unknown", "date": null, "note": "Nothing dated after the 4 September 2026 article was found; UNEP's September 2026 snapshot does not mention Canada.", "quote": null, "url": null }, "value": null, "developer_country": "France", "deployer_country": "France", "unrated_because": null, "brief_notes": null, "brief": null, "revisions": [ { "date": "2026-10-20", "change": "Record drafted from the cited sources.", "source": null, "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Added what the benefit is measured against from the cited sources.", "source": "https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/canada-plugs-major-source-of-methane-emissions-from-oil-and-gas-field-leak/", "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Benefit type set to Reduced Carbon Emissions under Trustible's full taxonomy of 23 types; it was Improved Environmental Sustainability among the six first used.", "source": "https://trustible.ai/post/a-framework-for-measuring-the-benefits-of-ai/", "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Country of the developer and the deployer added from the organization's own site or a registry.", "source": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Methane_Emissions_Observatory; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Methane_Emissions_Observatory", "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Prose pass: a rating reason, account, purpose, the replication conditions, the system's part rewritten in shorter sentences with abbreviations expanded; facts, figures and quotations unchanged.", "source": null, "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Notes about which sources could be read were reworded for readers; facts, figures and quotations unchanged.", "source": null, "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-22", "change": "Organization name standardized to UNEP International Methane Emissions Observatory.", "source": null, "editor": "AIBD" } ], "confidence": "reported", "shade": "medium", "claim_status": "Independently reported", "claim_basis": "Sources: one independent news report and the makers' press release. The cited evidence includes no independent study or report and no finding by a regulator or court.", "profile": { "case_id": "AIBD-0343", "catalog_version": "1.0.0", "source_fingerprint": "0ef391e4175d499d06ad640f10c507dee33241c2b451a8983764232aa2f2583e", "collection_refs": [ { "collection_id": "aibd", "version": "snapshot-8bf7cfec9cb185aa" }, { "collection_id": "aibd", "version": "2026-10-25" }, { "collection_id": "viator", "version": "2026-10-25" }, { "collection_id": "chanticleer", "version": "2026-10-25" } ], "source_ids": [ "AIBD-0343-source-0001", "AIBD-0343-source-0002", "AIBD-0343-source-0003", "AIBD-0343-source-0004", "AIBD-0343-source-0005" ], "families": { "strategic assessments": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial", "record_ids": [] }, "evaluations": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial", "record_ids": [] }, "monetary observations": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial", "record_ids": [] }, "institutional decisions": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial", "record_ids": [] } }, "fields": { "actors[]": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "developer": "UNEP International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO)", "deployer": "UNEP International Methane Emissions Observatory (notification); unnamed operators at the Aerial oil and gas field (repair)" } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "developer", "deployer" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "actors[].ownership_control": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "ai_contribution": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "ai_role": { "status": "assessed", "statement": "The report credits the repair to a MARS alert and UNEP's confirmation. 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"provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "benefit_type" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "outcomes[].claim": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "account": "The Chemical Engineer reported on 4 September 2026 on UNEP's monthly snapshot of the biggest satellite-detected methane plumes recorded in August. UNEP confirmed that operators had plugged a source at the Aerial oil and gas field in southeastern Alberta, Canada. The source had released 175 t of methane (4,900 tCO2e) in a single week in April 2026. The cause was a failed ball valve connected to pigging equipment. Operators completed the repair one week after the plume was first detected. The repair followed an alert issued under UNEP's Methane Alert and Response System (MARS). The article states that UNEP does not name suspected or known operators. It states that since 2023 MARS has sent over 3,500 alerts but confirmed just 43 mitigation cases. UNEP's MARS page states that IMEO uses data from more than 30 satellite instruments. It couples that with scientific expertise and advanced AI models to notify governments and companies. The August 2026 UNEP snapshot itself is not among the sources; UNEP's snapshot page now carries the September 2026 update, which does not mention Canada. UNEP's press pages were not available and are not among the sources. The case rests on one trade-press report relaying UNEP.", "benefit_type": "Reduced Carbon Emissions" } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "account", "benefit_type" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "outcomes[].distribution": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "outcomes[].duration": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "outcomes[].id": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "outcomes[].stakeholder_group": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "ratings": [ { "group": "personal", "reason": "No individual beneficiary is identified." }, { "group": "organizational", "depth": 2, "reason": "The operator found and fixed a failed valve releasing 175 t of methane a week, within one week of detection. The operator is unnamed, and no cost or further detail is reported." }, { "group": "societal", "depth": 1, "reason": "A single confirmed case among about 43 since 2023, against more than 3,500 alerts. A one-week 4,900 tCO2e release was stopped." } ] } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "ratings" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "outcomes[].status": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "outcomes[].tradeoffs": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "outcomes[].unexpected": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "unexpected": false, "purpose": "Satellite-based detection and notification of large methane plumes so that operators mitigate them. This case was that purpose." } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "unexpected", "purpose" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "places[]": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "location": "Aerial oil and gas field, southeastern Alberta, Canada", "developer_country": "France", "deployer_country": "France" } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "location", "developer_country", "deployer_country" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "purpose": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "purpose": "Satellite-based detection and notification of large methane plumes so that operators mitigate them. This case was that purpose." } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "purpose" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "record_dates": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "date_observed": "2026-04-01", "revisions": [ { "date": "2026-10-20", "change": "Record drafted from the cited sources.", "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Added what the benefit is measured against from the cited sources.", "source": "https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/canada-plugs-major-source-of-methane-emissions-from-oil-and-gas-field-leak/", "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Benefit type set to Reduced Carbon Emissions under Trustible's full taxonomy of 23 types; it was Improved Environmental Sustainability among the six first used.", "source": "https://trustible.ai/post/a-framework-for-measuring-the-benefits-of-ai/", "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Country of the developer and the deployer added from the organization's own site or a registry.", "source": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Methane_Emissions_Observatory; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Methane_Emissions_Observatory", "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Prose pass: a rating reason, account, purpose, the replication conditions, the system's part rewritten in shorter sentences with abbreviations expanded; facts, figures and quotations unchanged.", "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-21", "change": "Notes about which sources could be read were reworded for readers; facts, figures and quotations unchanged.", "editor": "AIBD" }, { "date": "2026-10-22", "change": "Organization name standardized to UNEP International Methane Emissions Observatory.", "editor": "AIBD" } ] } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "date_observed", "revisions" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "replication.attempts[]": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "replication": { "produced_by": [ "Satellite detection of a large plume at a producing field", "A MARS alert reaching operators able to inspect equipment within days", "A discrete equipment failure (ball valve on pigging equipment) that a repair could end" ], "must_hold": [ "Responsive operators or a national focal point. UNEP's snapshot says most mitigation occurs where focal points direct information", "Clear-sky satellite coverage to detect and later confirm cessation", "Independent confirmation beyond UNEP's own snapshot, which is not among the sources" ], "echoes": [ { "date": "2025-11-26", "setting": "Kazakhstan KAZ_S_136: pipeline leak stopped by rerouting gas after a MARS notification (UNEP case document); emissions observed again by 21 May 2026", "outcome": "recurred", "source": "https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstreams/558dda69-c8e5-42c2-b10a-7b9c3dcc3e79/download" }, { "date": "2024-01-01", "setting": "Hassi Messaoud, Algeria (existing record AIBD-0091): MARS notification followed by repair", "outcome": "recurred", "source": "AIBD-0091" } ] } } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "replication" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "replication.conditions": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "replication": { "produced_by": [ "Satellite detection of a large plume at a producing field", "A MARS alert reaching operators able to inspect equipment within days", "A discrete equipment failure (ball valve on pigging equipment) that a repair could end" ], "must_hold": [ "Responsive operators or a national focal point. 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(2026). Canada plugs 'major source' of methane emissions from oil and gas field leak. The Chemical Engineer, 4 Sep 2026.", "title": "Canada plugs 'major source' of methane emissions from oil and gas field leak", "url": "https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/canada-plugs-major-source-of-methane-emissions-from-oil-and-gas-field-leak/", "date": "2026-09-04", "written_by": "independent", "quote": "Operators completed the repair work one week after the methane plume was first detected" }, { "kind": "news report", "citation": "Baker, S. (2026). Same article, emission estimate.", "title": "Canada plugs 'major source' of methane emissions (emission estimate)", "url": "https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/canada-plugs-major-source-of-methane-emissions-from-oil-and-gas-field-leak/", "date": "2026-09-04", "written_by": "independent", "quote": "175 t of methane (4,900 tCO2e) in a single week in April" }, { "kind": "news report", "citation": "Baker, S. (2026). Same article, cause of the leak.", "title": "Canada plugs 'major source' of methane emissions (cause)", "url": "https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/canada-plugs-major-source-of-methane-emissions-from-oil-and-gas-field-leak/", "date": "2026-09-04", "written_by": "independent", "quote": "a failed ball valve connected to some pigging equipment" }, { "kind": "news report", "citation": "Baker, S. (2026). Same article, programme totals.", "title": "Canada plugs 'major source' of methane emissions (MARS totals)", "url": "https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/canada-plugs-major-source-of-methane-emissions-from-oil-and-gas-field-leak/", "date": "2026-09-04", "written_by": "independent", "quote": "Since 2023, MARS has sent over 3,500 alerts to operators of sites releasing methane plumes, but has confirmed just 43 mitigation cases." }, { "kind": "press release", "citation": "UNEP (n.d.). Methane Alert and Response System (MARS). UNEP topics page.", "title": "Methane Alert and Response System (MARS)", "url": "https://www.unep.org/topics/energy/methane/methane-alert-and-response-system-mars", "written_by": "makers", "quote": "Using data from more than 30 satellite instruments, coupled with scientific expertise and advanced AI models, IMEO notifies governments and companies of emissions" } ] } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "evidence" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "sources[].id": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "identifiers", "identifiers": [ "AIBD-0343-source-0001", "AIBD-0343-source-0002", "AIBD-0343-source-0003", "AIBD-0343-source-0004", "AIBD-0343-source-0005" ], "role": "Existing evidence items, in their original order" }, "provenance": { "kind": "curatorial", "basis": "Stable within the fingerprinted record version; no source content or source review has been added.", "record_fields": [], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "complete" }, "sources[].language": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "sources[].relationship": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "evidence": [ { "kind": "news report", "citation": "Baker, S. (2026). Canada plugs 'major source' of methane emissions from oil and gas field leak. The Chemical Engineer, 4 Sep 2026.", "title": "Canada plugs 'major source' of methane emissions from oil and gas field leak", "url": "https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/canada-plugs-major-source-of-methane-emissions-from-oil-and-gas-field-leak/", "date": "2026-09-04", "written_by": "independent", "quote": "Operators completed the repair work one week after the methane plume was first detected" }, { "kind": "news report", "citation": "Baker, S. (2026). Same article, emission estimate.", "title": "Canada plugs 'major source' of methane emissions (emission estimate)", "url": "https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/canada-plugs-major-source-of-methane-emissions-from-oil-and-gas-field-leak/", "date": "2026-09-04", "written_by": "independent", "quote": "175 t of methane (4,900 tCO2e) in a single week in April" }, { "kind": "news report", "citation": "Baker, S. (2026). Same article, cause of the leak.", "title": "Canada plugs 'major source' of methane emissions (cause)", "url": "https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/canada-plugs-major-source-of-methane-emissions-from-oil-and-gas-field-leak/", "date": "2026-09-04", "written_by": "independent", "quote": "a failed ball valve connected to some pigging equipment" }, { "kind": "news report", "citation": "Baker, S. (2026). Same article, programme totals.", "title": "Canada plugs 'major source' of methane emissions (MARS totals)", "url": "https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/canada-plugs-major-source-of-methane-emissions-from-oil-and-gas-field-leak/", "date": "2026-09-04", "written_by": "independent", "quote": "Since 2023, MARS has sent over 3,500 alerts to operators of sites releasing methane plumes, but has confirmed just 43 mitigation cases." }, { "kind": "press release", "citation": "UNEP (n.d.). Methane Alert and Response System (MARS). UNEP topics page.", "title": "Methane Alert and Response System (MARS)", "url": "https://www.unep.org/topics/energy/methane/methane-alert-and-response-system-mars", "written_by": "makers", "quote": "Using data from more than 30 satellite instruments, coupled with scientific expertise and advanced AI models, IMEO notifies governments and companies of emissions" } ] } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "evidence" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "sources[].upstream_sources": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "strategic_assessments[]": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial", "family": "strategic assessments" }, "summary": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "summary": "Trade press relaying UNEP's August 2026 snapshot: a 175 t/week methane plume at Alberta's Aerial field in April 2026 was traced to a failed ball valve on pigging equipment and repaired within a week.", "account": "The Chemical Engineer reported on 4 September 2026 on UNEP's monthly snapshot of the biggest satellite-detected methane plumes recorded in August. UNEP confirmed that operators had plugged a source at the Aerial oil and gas field in southeastern Alberta, Canada. The source had released 175 t of methane (4,900 tCO2e) in a single week in April 2026. The cause was a failed ball valve connected to pigging equipment. Operators completed the repair one week after the plume was first detected. The repair followed an alert issued under UNEP's Methane Alert and Response System (MARS). The article states that UNEP does not name suspected or known operators. It states that since 2023 MARS has sent over 3,500 alerts but confirmed just 43 mitigation cases. UNEP's MARS page states that IMEO uses data from more than 30 satellite instruments. It couples that with scientific expertise and advanced AI models to notify governments and companies. The August 2026 UNEP snapshot itself is not among the sources; UNEP's snapshot page now carries the September 2026 update, which does not mention Canada. UNEP's press pages were not available and are not among the sources. The case rests on one trade-press report relaying UNEP." } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "summary", "account" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "systems[].autonomy_permissions": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "systems[].component_role": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "systems[].deployment_configuration": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "systems[].inputs_outputs": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "systems[].model_name": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "systems[].model_version": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "systems[].product_name": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "system": "UNEP IMEO Methane Alert and Response System (MARS): satellite plume detection and analysis with AI models, notification and satellite confirmation" } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "system" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "systems[].provider": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "structured", "data": { "application_developer": "UNEP International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO)" } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Mapped from the existing case description without a new external source review.", "record_fields": [ "developer" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "taxonomy_crosswalks[]": { "state": "not_assessed", "review_state": "not_assessed", "coverage": "partial" }, "title": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "title": "After a UNEP MARS alert, operators repair a failed ball valve that released 175 t of methane in one week at the Aerial oil and gas field, Alberta, a week after detection (April 2026)", "headline": "UNEP MARS alert leads to Alberta methane leak repair in a week" } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "title", "headline" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" }, "version": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "identifiers", "identifiers": [ "0ef391e4175d499d06ad640f10c507dee33241c2b451a8983764232aa2f2583e" ], "role": "SHA-256 of normalized original case data" }, "provenance": { "kind": "curatorial", "basis": "Deterministic content version assigned by the local migration.", "record_fields": [], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "complete" }, "workflow": { "state": "value_present", "value": { "kind": "record_fields", "fields": { "account": "The Chemical Engineer reported on 4 September 2026 on UNEP's monthly snapshot of the biggest satellite-detected methane plumes recorded in August. UNEP confirmed that operators had plugged a source at the Aerial oil and gas field in southeastern Alberta, Canada. The source had released 175 t of methane (4,900 tCO2e) in a single week in April 2026. The cause was a failed ball valve connected to pigging equipment. Operators completed the repair one week after the plume was first detected. The repair followed an alert issued under UNEP's Methane Alert and Response System (MARS). The article states that UNEP does not name suspected or known operators. It states that since 2023 MARS has sent over 3,500 alerts but confirmed just 43 mitigation cases. UNEP's MARS page states that IMEO uses data from more than 30 satellite instruments. It couples that with scientific expertise and advanced AI models to notify governments and companies. The August 2026 UNEP snapshot itself is not among the sources; UNEP's snapshot page now carries the September 2026 update, which does not mention Canada. UNEP's press pages were not available and are not among the sources. The case rests on one trade-press report relaying UNEP.", "replication": { "produced_by": [ "Satellite detection of a large plume at a producing field", "A MARS alert reaching operators able to inspect equipment within days", "A discrete equipment failure (ball valve on pigging equipment) that a repair could end" ], "must_hold": [ "Responsive operators or a national focal point. UNEP's snapshot says most mitigation occurs where focal points direct information", "Clear-sky satellite coverage to detect and later confirm cessation", "Independent confirmation beyond UNEP's own snapshot, which is not among the sources" ], "echoes": [ { "date": "2025-11-26", "setting": "Kazakhstan KAZ_S_136: pipeline leak stopped by rerouting gas after a MARS notification (UNEP case document); emissions observed again by 21 May 2026", "outcome": "recurred", "source": "https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstreams/558dda69-c8e5-42c2-b10a-7b9c3dcc3e79/download" }, { "date": "2024-01-01", "setting": "Hassi Messaoud, Algeria (existing record AIBD-0091): MARS notification followed by repair", "outcome": "recurred", "source": "AIBD-0091" } ] } } }, "provenance": { "kind": "legacy_record", "basis": "Preserved from the existing AIBD record; external sources were not rechecked.", "record_fields": [ "account", "replication" ], "source_refs": [] }, "review_state": "record_mapped", "coverage": "partial" } }, "summary": { "total": 91, "addressed": 91, "known": 29, "reviewed": 0, "record_mapped": 29, "not_assessed": 62, "complete": false, "by_state": { "value_present": 29, "not_reported": 0, "unresolved": 0, "not_assessed": 62, "not_applicable": 0, "withheld": 0, "source_unavailable": 0 } } } }