EU 2024/1787 Unpacked: Bridging Compliance and Innovation in Oil and Gas Operations

The European Union is taking significant steps to address methane emissions with the introduction of Regulation EU 2024/1787, which establishes stringent requirements for operators across the region. By May 5, 2025, operators are mandated to submit a comprehensive Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) program which must specify the measurement technologies to be used, the schedule for conducting measurements, and the methodologies to be implemented. Furthermore, throughout 2025, operators must conduct Type 2 measurements for all assets and submit annual LDAR reports along with Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) documentation.

With the clock ticking, the industry faces increasing pressure to act and align with these ambitious targets. To better understand the regulatory requirements and the challenges that lie ahead, we spoke with Brandon Locke, Europe Policy Manager for Methane, Clean Air Task Force, and Cristina Lopez, Research and Development (R&D) Engineer, GRTgaz.  

Download the case study for insights into how operators can navigate these regulatory changes, employ best practices in training and cost management, and leverage technology to meet regulatory, voluntary, and company-specific goals.  

The Speakers 
Maryam Irfan, Industrial Decarbonization Network: Brandon, can you tell us about your work as the Europe Policy Manager for Methane, and provide an overview of the Clean Air Task Force's (CATF) role in the oil and gas landscape in Europe? 

Brandon Locke, CATF: Clean Air Task Force (CATF) has been working on reducing methane emissions for nearly two decades, and while we focus heavily on methane, CATF also addresses other clean energy solutions, such as zero carbon fuels, superhot rock energy, and carbon capture and storage. 

Within the methane team, our primary focus is on advancing regulatory development and helping both governments and industries identify abatement opportunities using best practices and technologies. 

In Europe specifically, we've  focused on the development of the new Methane Regulation. Our efforts involved providing technical support and analysis to ensure the regulation reached its full potential, which included understanding the potential of methane import standard to regulate emissions outside EU’s borders. We’re now focused on developing the tools, methodologies, and capacity to support an ambitious implementation of the Regulation. 

Maryam Irfan, Industrial Decarbonization Network: Cristina, can you tell us about your role and work as an R&D Engineer, in charge of piloting and managing projects for methane emissions reduction at GRTgaz?

Cristina Lopez, GRTgaz: I've been working at GRTgaz for more than four years, focusing on methane emissions detection and reduction. One of my main responsibilities is organizing site-level campaigns, which are currently a key priority due to European regulations and the OGMP 2.0 reporting standards. Additionally, I am responsible for evaluating different technologies for methane detection, I then advise operators on the best solutions depending on their use cases.

My role also involves overseeing activities related to both detection and quantification. On the reduction side, we explore methods for mitigating methane emissions. Lastly, we collaborate with other laboratories and groups, such as GERG, the European Gas Research Group, to broaden our research and development efforts. 

Understanding and Preparing for Upcoming Methane Regulation in Europe 
Maryam Irfan, Industrial Decarbonization Network: Can you give us an overview of the upcoming methane regulatory requirements across Europe?

Brandon Locke, CATF: A lot of the requirements in the methane regulation are fairly prescriptive and include measures like leak detection and repair (LDAR), and the banning of routine venting and flaring. Competent authorities will conduct routine inspections to ensure operators are undertaking their obligations in reducing significant quantities of methane emissions from operations.

Additionally, some parts of the regulation will be phased in over time, such as the monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) rules. These will be introduced gradually to allow operators time to improve their levels of quantification and measurement from basic default emissions factors to source-level reporting, then supplementing it with site-level reporting, and ultimately reconciling the two.

The biggest component, however, is the methane import standard...

To continue reading, download the full case study: Preparing for the EU 2025 LDAR and Reporting Deadlines

Learn more about measuring, monitoring and mitigating methane emissions in the oil and gas industry at our upcoming events: 

Methane Mitigation Europe Summit
February 24-27, 2025 | Amsterdam

Methane Mitigation Technology & Innovation Summit
June 2-4, 2025 | Austin, TX

Methane Mitigation Canada Summit
September 23-25, 2025 | Calgary, AB

Methane Mitigation America Summit
December 2-4, 2025 | Houston, TX