General – Grade A Methane
Europe’s transition to offshore gas production with lower methane emissions has reached a new milestone.
The Dutch-German N05-A gas development, operated by Netherlands-based exploration and production company ONE-Dyas, has become the first natural gas production project in the North Sea to be independently certified as meeting the highest grade under MiQ’s methane emissions standard.
The project has achieved a MiQ Grade A rating, following an independent audit of its operational practices and measured methane emissions data by Intertek, a global leader in Total Quality Assurance.
This certification sets a new benchmark for lower-emissions gas production in Europe. MiQ provides a transparent, rigorous, data-driven grading system to assess natural gas based on methane performance, which helps drive regulatory compliance, incentivize continuous improvement, and demonstrate transparency around upstream methane emissions.
For N05-A, Intertek’s independent audit verified both the project’s emissions data and the systems in place to manage methane as an accredited MiQ auditor.
Already adopted by producers including bp, ExxonMobil, Repsol, and EQT in the United States, MiQ’s Methane Emissions Performance Standard is based on a comprehensive and transparent assessment of operational practices and emissions performance.
As the offtaker for this project, bp will market ONE-Dyas’ certified gas, targeting large gas buyers such as utilities and industrials.
N05-A is the first gas installation in the Dutch and German North Sea to be fully powered by renewable electricity. This is supplied via a nine-kilometre subsea power cable from the EWE-operated Riffgat offshore wind farm.
By eliminating combustion-based power generation, the installation significantly reduces operational greenhouse gas emissions to near-zero. In addition, avoiding the use of gas-driven equipment eliminates methane slip and reduces venting and leaks, further lowering methane emissions.
