The New York Times has an article that shows photos of fugitive methane and other emissions at oil and gas production facilities. You can see the leaks quite clearly, coming from tanks, huts, and pipes.
The emissions can’t be seen with a regular camera, but they used a special infrared camera with a germanium (metal) lens, and the emissions show up on that.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/12/12/climate/texas-methane-super-emitters.html
First they flew over the sites in an airplane with a pilot and scientist from an aerial leak detection company. The plane can measure methane concentration in about 7 seconds. They found 6 sites that had very high methane emissions, and then photographed them.
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that stays in the atmosphere for years. It also contributes to ground level ozone, which causes asthma and emphysema attacks, and other health problems.
Right now EPA is considering a rollback of methane standards, a rollback which oil and gas trade groups have pushed. Colorado has had tighter emissions for several years, and their energy business is booming, so it’s not bad for business. The question is: why would companies want to let their profits go up into the air?
