Canada is looking to reduce methane emissions in the energy industry by 45 percent, by 2025, and according to the Saskatchewan Research Council there are options to get that done.

Erica Emery a Process Engineer, with the SRC, says methane has a much higher global warming potential than carbon, with 1 kilogram of methane equaling 25 kilograms of carbon of 100 years.

She says their research currently involves finding technologies that will deal with low volumes of methane. Explaining that high volumes can be put into things like a pipeline, but for low volumes of methane, that maybe isolated or remote in the province, there are options being researched. Emery says the SRC is currently testing technologies that can convert low volume methane venting into something like a compressed or liquefied natural gas, or burn waste heat into power that can be connected to a grid.

Emery explains their research consists of using their mobile lab to test new technologies for companies across the province, to hopefully come to a consensus one day, on what works best.

As of this past January, oil and gas producers are now required to implement a leak detection and repair system for methane that is required to be inspected three times a year.