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Abstract

Estimating accidental methane emissions from gas fields remains a difficult task, especially in remote mountainous areas where continuous ground-based observations are not available. This study examines the uncontrolled gas blowout that occurred in 2024 at the “Mustaqillikning 25-yilligi” gas-condensate field in Boysun district, Uzbekistan. Changes in methane content were analyzed using Sentinel-5P TROPOMI data for August–November 2024, processed in Google Earth Engine (GEE). The location of the accident site was refined using Sentinel-2 optical imagery, while ERA5 wind speed and direction data were applied for the preliminary calculation of methane flux. Based on the XCH₄ time series, four stages of methane anomaly development were identified: the pre-event level in August, concentration increase in September, the maximum satellite-observed signal in late October, and a decrease in November. The maximum XCH₄ value reached about 2855 ppb, exceeding the adopted background level of 1900 ppb by 955 ppb. Based on the preliminary calculations, the methane flux was estimated at 13–41 t/h.

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