A methane well that leaked for 6 months has released a year's worth of emissions for 791,000 cars: report

• A well in Kazakhstan leaked 140,000 tons of methane into Earth's atmosphere in 2023, scientists say.
• That's equal to nearly enough gas for nearly 800,000 cars over a year.
• Methane is estimated to be about 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide in global warming.

A methane well in Kazakhstan is estimated to have released 140,000 tons of gas into Earth's atmosphere, as it leaked for 205 days in one of the world's worst-ever blowouts, environmental scientists said.

The new figures were reported in a pre-print analysis by research teams from France, Spain, and the Netherlands. It was released on Tuesday but has not been peer-reviewed.