Louisiana officials investigating methane plume seen from space

Louisiana officials are investigating the cause of a massive methane cloud that was spotted on satellite imagery, Bloomberg reported.

A large methane plume — the highest concentration of the powerful greenhouse gas spotted by the satellite in the U.S. since October — was detected on Jan. 21.

Had the release lasted an hour, it would have produced the same harmful short-term effects as the annual emissions from more than 1,900 cars, Bloomberg noted.

Louisiana’s Department of Natural Resources is now looking into what could have caused the plume, which likely originated near gas pipelines owned by Energy Transfer LP, Kinder Morgan Inc. and Boardwalk Pipelines LP. None of the companies have claimed responsibility for the gas cloud.

According to the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, no reports of a gas release were made in the area.

The Biden administration in November announced a series of actions aimed at tackling methane, which is responsible for 10 percent of the nation’s contribution to climate change. 

The methane goals are largely focused on oil and gas sectors, which make up 30 percent of the country’s methane emissions.