Our response to the EC questionnaire on LDAR minimum detection limits and first step underground leak thresholds in the EU Methane Regulation

In May 2025, we submitted our response to the European Commission’s questionnaire on minimum detection limits for Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) and underground leak thresholds, as part of the implementation of the EU Methane Regulation.

We reaffirm our support for the EU’s methane mitigation objectives, while advocating for a practical, performance-based approach to LDAR that reflects real-world operational constraints and promotes innovation.

Key messages include:

• The need for technology neutrality and flexibility in LDAR techniques;
• The importance of continuous and remote monitoring options for detecting large leaks in real time;
• A call to avoid overly prescriptive thresholds that may exclude effective field-proven technologies;
• Support for a risk-based approach to survey frequency and a systems-based method for subsea leak detection.

The response draws on operational experience, third-party validation data, and international best practices to ensure that the EU framework enables effective, reliable, and scalable methane leak detection across varied environments.

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