PETALING JAYA: Petronas has boosted regional cooperation on methane emissions management through the signing of a memorandum of collaboration with strategic partners to establish and operationalise the Southeast Asia Methane Emissions Technology Evaluation Centre (SEA Metec) Collaboration Group.
The collaboration brings together Petronas, the Japan Organisation for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC), JGC Corporation and TotalEnergies to advance methane emissions measurement, monitoring and capability development across Southeast Asia.
Under the collaboration, Institut Teknologi Petroleum Petronas (INSTEP) and Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) will own and operate the SEA Metec facilities and deliver the training programmes. Partners including JOGMEC, JGC Corporation (Japan Metec) and TotalEnergies’ Anomaly Detection Initiatives will provide technical expertise, promote global best practices, and support the implementation of solutions aligned with Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 Level 4 and Level 5 reporting requirements.
Held in conjunction with Gastech 2026 in Bangkok, the signing reflects the importance of international collaboration in advancing methane emissions management across the region.
Petronas vice-president and group chief sustainability officer Charlotte Wolff-Bye said SEA Metec will serve as a strategic platform for industry, technology and research partners to strengthen regional capabilities and evaluate methane management technologies under Southeast Asia operating conditions.
“This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to advancing credible methane emissions management by enhancing our collective ability to measure, monitor and manage emissions across the energy value chain. By bringing together global expertise and regional capabilities, we can accelerate the adoption of practical and effective solutions that support the region’s lower-carbon energy transition,” she said.
SEA Metec is a key deliverable under the Asean Energy Sector Methane Leadership Programme (MLP), which has entered its third phase MLP 3.0. As the first centre of its kind in Southeast Asia, SEA Metec will support regional efforts to strengthen methane emissions measurement, monitoring, reporting and verification, technology research and development, and capability building.
The centre will be established across two locations in Malaysia, INSTEP in Terengganu and UTP in Perak. INSTEP will focus on venting and fugitive emissions management, while UTP will support activities related to flaring emissions management.