Production greenhouse gases · 2025
Which countries produce oil, gas and coal with the lowest greenhouse-gas emissions?
The highest-emitting producers release 239× more than the lowest. Norway releases just 0.9 kg of CO₂-equivalent for every barrel of oil-equivalent it produces; Venezuela releases 215.2 kg.
This counts two greenhouse gases released getting fuel out of the ground: carbon dioxide (CO₂) from gas flaring and methane (CH₄) that leaks or is vented, combined in CO₂-equivalent per barrel of oil-equivalent produced. It is not the CO₂ from burning the fuel, and it is separate from air-quality pollutants such as SO₂, NOₓ and particulates.
Source: Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy 2025 data (gas flaring and process methane). Methane converted at 80× CO₂ (20-year basis) as reported. Site updated August 13, 2026.
Key facts · 2025
| World average | 57.5 kg/boe |
| Lowest emitter | Norway (0.9) |
| Highest emitter | Venezuela (215.2) |
| Gap, highest vs lowest | 239× |
| Major producers ranked | 31 |
| Gas flared worldwide | 162.6 bcm |
Why production emissions matter
Before a single litre of fuel is burned, producing it leaks methane and burns off unwanted gas in flares. Methane warms the planet about 80 times as much as CO₂ over 20 years, and flaring is wasted energy. In 2025 the world flared roughly 162.6 billion m³ of gas, enough to power a mid-sized country. Two producers extracting the same barrel can differ 239-fold in how much they emit doing it, which is why how fuel is produced matters as much as how much.
Methane and flaring emissions per barrel produced
Kilograms of CO₂-equivalent (flaring + methane) per barrel of oil-equivalent produced, 2025. Click a column to sort. Major producers only (31 countries producing ≥2 EJ/yr with reported data).
| Country | Total kg/boe | Flaring | Methane | Production (EJ) | Emissions (Mt) | % of world |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venezuela | 215.2 | 44.7 | 170.5 | 3.63 | 127.6 | 2.4 |
| Turkmenistan | 159.2 | 4.8 | 154.4 | 3.03 | 78.9 | 1.5 |
| Egypt | 115.4 | 4.7 | 110.7 | 2.68 | 50.6 | 1.0 |
| Iraq | 106.7 | 28.5 | 78.2 | 10.21 | 178.1 | 3.4 |
| India | 94.5 | 0.4 | 94.1 | 20.70 | 319.5 | 6.1 |
| Algeria | 89.6 | 15.5 | 74.1 | 6.92 | 101.3 | 1.9 |
| Thailand | 85.3 | 0.6 | 84.7 | 2.04 | 28.5 | 0.5 |
| Mexico | 82.5 | 22.3 | 60.2 | 5.24 | 70.7 | 1.4 |
| Iran | 77.3 | 17.1 | 60.2 | 21.11 | 266.6 | 5.1 |
| China | 70.5 | 0.1 | 70.3 | 113.87 | 1311.4 | 25.1 |
| Russia | 62.3 | 6.6 | 55.7 | 55.08 | 561.2 | 10.7 |
| Kazakhstan | 59.8 | 1.0 | 58.8 | 8.09 | 79.1 | 1.5 |
| Argentina | 56.3 | 1.8 | 54.4 | 4.81 | 44.3 | 0.8 |
| South Africa | 52.9 | 0.0 | 52.9 | 5.59 | 48.3 | 0.9 |
| Indonesia | 49.5 | 0.5 | 48.9 | 19.99 | 161.7 | 3.1 |
| Brazil | 48.3 | 1.3 | 46.9 | 9.74 | 76.8 | 1.5 |
| Oman | 43.2 | 5.4 | 37.8 | 3.88 | 27.4 | 0.5 |
| Colombia | 40.9 | 0.4 | 40.4 | 3.39 | 22.6 | 0.4 |
| Libya | 33.0 | 33.0 | 0.0 | 3.55 | 19.1 | 0.4 |
| Malaysia | 32.4 | 4.9 | 27.5 | 4.09 | 21.7 | 0.4 |
| United States | 31.2 | 0.6 | 30.6 | 96.74 | 493.8 | 9.4 |
| United Arab Emirates | 29.6 | 1.4 | 28.2 | 11.51 | 55.6 | 1.1 |
| Kuwait | 23.1 | 1.2 | 21.9 | 6.86 | 25.9 | 0.5 |
| United Kingdom | 23.1 | 1.1 | 22.0 | 2.58 | 9.7 | 0.2 |
| Canada | 22.7 | 0.3 | 22.4 | 22.28 | 82.6 | 1.6 |
| Azerbaijan | 22.5 | 0.7 | 21.8 | 2.64 | 9.7 | 0.2 |
| Australia | 22.3 | 0.4 | 21.9 | 17.00 | 61.9 | 1.2 |
| Saudi Arabia | 21.5 | 0.9 | 20.6 | 30.29 | 106.6 | 2.0 |
| Qatar | 14.1 | 1.3 | 12.8 | 10.71 | 24.7 | 0.5 |
| Nigeria | 13.8 | 13.8 | 0.0 | 5.76 | 13.0 | 0.2 |
| Norway | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 8.91 | 1.2 | 0.0 |
World average 57.5, median 48.3 kg CO₂e/boe. “Methane” covers vented and fugitive methane from oil, gas and coal operations; “flaring” is associated gas burned at oil and gas sites. These are greenhouse gases, not air-quality pollutants.
The world still flares enormous amounts of gas
Gas flaring has barely fallen in three decades despite pledges to end it. Every cubic metre flared is energy wasted and CO₂ emitted for no useful output.
Global gas flaring, 1990–2025
Billion cubic metres of gas flared per year
Frequently asked questions
Which country produces oil and gas with the lowest emissions?
Of major producers, Norway has the lowest upstream emissions in 2025, about 0.9 kg of CO₂-equivalent (from flaring and methane) per barrel of oil-equivalent produced, against a world average of 57.5 kg.
Which country produces oil and gas with the highest emissions?
Venezuela had the highest production emissions intensity at about 215.2 kg CO₂e/boe, roughly 239 times Norway's, driven by methane leakage and gas flaring.
What counts as production (upstream) emissions?
These are greenhouse gases released from extracting and processing fuel, before it is burned: methane vented or leaked from wells, pipelines and coal mines, plus carbon dioxide from flaring unwanted gas. They are separate from the much larger emissions released when the fuel is finally combusted, and separate from air-quality pollution.
Why does methane matter so much?
Methane traps roughly 80 times as much heat as CO₂ over a 20-year period, so even small leaks have an outsized warming effect. Cutting methane from fossil-fuel operations is one of the fastest ways to slow warming.
How much gas does the world flare?
About 162.6 billion cubic metres in 2025: energy wasted and CO₂ emitted for no useful output. Flaring has barely declined in 30 years.
Related pages
Sources: Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy (production, flaring, methane), 2025 data. See methodology.