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Methane emissions from oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico are much higher than the United States government has previously estimated, according to a study published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

While burning oil and gas for energy releases greenhouse gases, the production of these fuels contributes its own planet-warming emissions. For the study, researchers flew an aircraft over fossil fuel platforms in the Gulf to measure the carbon dioxide and methane released from them. Burning processes during oil and gas production emit carbon dioxide, while leaks and venting--direct release of gas into the atmosphere--emit methane.

Based on the airplane data, the scientists' estimates of carbon dioxide emissions matched up with those from the government. But they found the average methane emissions are three and 13 times higher than federal and state inventories reported, respectively.

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