Four‐Year Assessment of Methane Point Source Emissions in the Middle East and North Africa Using Multiple Hyperspectral Satellite Observations

Abstract Methane (CH 4 ) is a potent greenhouse gas, with the oil and gas (O&G) sector being a major source of emissions, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). However, a comprehensive assessment of point‐source emissions in this region has remained limited. Here, we surveyed CH 4 super‐emitters across the MENA using hyperspectral remote sensing data from the GF‐5, ZY‐1, HJ‐2, PRISMA, and EnMAP. We explored a detection framework that combines a Combo‐matched filter algorithm with Chambolle total‐variation denoising to enhance CH 4 retrieval accuracy from satellite data. Between 2020 and 2023, we identified 136 CH 4 plumes from 88 O&G facilities, with emission fluxes ranging from 221 ± 112 to 27,600 ± 7,100 kg hr −1 . The largest sources are concentrated in Iraq, Libya, and Turkmenistan, suggesting the spatial and statistical patterns consistent with previous findings that emissions are dominated by a small number of large emitters. Cross‐platform comparisons, including publicly available EMIT detections, confirm major hotspot regions and extend spatial coverage beyond single‐mission analyses. Based on the multi‐satellite detections, the estimated contribution of super‐emitters accounted for 4%–66% of the national O&G methane inventories. This suggests that intermittent or unreported releases are not fully reflected in the current inventory. We evaluated mitigation costs and societal benefits, showing that Turkmenistan offers the highest potential for cost‐effective CH 4 reduction, followed by Algeria and Iraq. These results demonstrate that multi‐sensor satellite observations can bridge inventory gaps and support targeted methane mitigation with substantial societal and climate benefits.