Decarbonisation came first.Demethanisation is next.

The first phase of the energy transition focused on carbon dioxide (CO₂). The next will focus on methane (CH₄), which accounts for nearly 30% of the rise in global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution and traps around 80 times more heat than CO₂ over 20 years, tonne for tonne. As regulation tightens and markets begin to price methane, industry will need to measure and reduce its methane emissions with the rigour it has begun to apply to CO₂.

Most CO₂ comes from burning fossil fuels, and those emissions can be calculated with reasonable precision from the amount of fuel burned, because nearly all the carbon in the fuel ends up as CO₂. Methane offers no such shortcut. It escapes unburned from oil and gas wells, pipelines and coal mines, and rises from landfill sites and livestock farms, often sporadically. Companies estimate these emissions using standard factors, but those estimates routinely miss leaks, so direct measurements provide additional evidence about the emissions that occur. Satellites, aircraft and ground sensors each capture a different slice of space and time, and their readings often disagree. Quantum Envelope brings these measurements together in a reconciled assessment of emissions, giving companies a sound basis for the emissions they are obliged to report to local and national authorities.

Source for the 30% figure, International Energy Agency, Global Methane Tracker 2026

The three major greenhouse gases, 1990 to 2025

Concentrations of the three major greenhouse gases, each indexed to its 1990 level. Source NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory (CO2, CH4, N2O). 2025 values preliminary.

How methane is measured

Methane is now measured in many different ways. At individual sites across the energy system, ground based measurements and facility or site based monitoring record methane concentrations at high frequency. Drones and aircraft survey individual sites and wider areas, and satellites detect methane across much larger geographic regions.

These measurements also differ in timing and sensitivity. A ground based sensor may take frequent readings at one location but sees only the methane that drifts past it. Drone and aircraft surveys happen periodically. A satellite observes a given area only when it passes overhead, can be blinded by cloud, and detects only the larger releases.

The result is a patchwork of methane measurements, collected across different geographic scales, time periods and levels of uncertainty. Quantum Envelope applies the Methane Reconciliation Standard to the available evidence within a defined boundary, reconciling these measurements into a traceable assessment of emissions with a confidence range.

Oil and gas is our first market

Quantum Envelope is an early stage company, initially focused on the oil and gas industry. Oil and gas operations released around 78 million tonnes of methane in 2025, roughly half of all methane from the energy sector, according to the International Energy Agency. Much of it comes from identifiable facilities that satellites, aircraft and ground sensors can observe, and the Agency estimates that existing technologies could cut energy-sector methane by almost 70%.

The sector also has the most developed reporting framework and a global trade in liquefied natural gas that moves the same gas between producers, traders and importers who each need to rely on its methane figures. That combination of measurable sources, established reporting and contracts that increasingly turn on methane performance makes oil and gas the natural place to begin, before we extend the same reconciliation to coal, waste and agriculture.

Regulatory reporting of methane is also becoming more common around the world. The Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 (OGMP 2.0), the flagship methane reporting framework of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), asks companies to move beyond generic emission factors to measurement-based reporting, and at its highest level to reconcile their own inventories with independent site-level measurements. National and regional rules are building on it, with the European Union's Methane Regulation one example.

Source for emissions figures, International Energy Agency, Global Methane Tracker 2026

Aerial view of an LNG carrier berthed at a gas import terminal, with jetties, storage tanks and deep blue water

When oil and gas measurements disagree

A liquefied natural gas (LNG) importer needs to demonstrate the methane performance of its supply chain. A producer may want to understand why an independent observation differs from its reported inventory. A verifier may need to weigh several sources of evidence. A trader may need to understand the methane characteristics of an LNG cargo before committing to a deal.

Each party can hold credible data and still reach a different conclusion. Reconciliation gives them a common evidentiary basis, establishing how the observations relate to one another and making uncertainty explicit, so they can settle contracts, file reports and price risk on the same evidence.

Quantum Envelope does not add another measurement. It establishes what the available measurements mean together.

Illustrative example

A gas producer's methane emissions by source

Swipe sideways to see the full figure

Reported[X] t

Independent estimates[Y] to [Z] t

How our reconciliation works

Define the scope

We define the scope of the assessment, including the supplier, asset, cargo or supply chain being assessed, the period covered and the intended use of the result.

Review the evidence

We review the available evidence. This may include producer-reported emissions, assessments from independent third-party providers, operator and asset data, satellite, aerial and ground-based measurements, measurement campaigns, production figures and existing monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) documentation. Where appropriate, we add relevant independent evidence.

Assess each source

We assess the geographic and temporal coverage of each source and the uncertainty associated with its measurements or reported figures.

Reconcile

We apply the Methane Reconciliation Standard to reconcile the evidence within the defined boundary, establishing what the available evidence supports.

Issue the record

The Methane Reconciliation Record sets out the evidence considered, the reported and independent figures, the reconciled assessment, its confidence range and any material limitations.

An independent record for the buyer

Gas importers, particularly in the European Union, increasingly receive methane information from producers, suppliers and independent third-party providers. Most of it is prepared for, or paid for by, the seller. Few parties have the role of bringing the available evidence together and assessing what it supports from the buyer's perspective.

Quantum Envelope provides that independent reconciliation. The Methane Reconciliation Record brings together the available evidence for the supply being assessed and sets out how the different measurements and reported figures relate to one another, identifying the evidence considered, the assessment boundary and period, the reconciled emissions assessment, its confidence range and any material limitations.

Quantum Envelope prepares each record using the Methane Reconciliation Standard, which The Airshed Foundation maintains independently. The Foundation is establishing the governance and accreditation framework against which this work will be checked.

For information about a Methane Reconciliation Record for your supply

SPEAK TO US

Quantum Envelope

Independent Methane Reconciliation Record

Under the Methane Reconciliation Standard, stewarded by The Airshed Foundation

Illustrative example

Gas importer[Importer name withheld]

Supply assessedLNG cargo, [month and year]

Production[Basin and producer withheld]

Import terminal[EU terminal]

Quantity[Rounded quantity] MMBtu

Reported intensity[X] g CH₄ per MMBtu

Verification status

MRS 1Verified within uncertainty

MRS 2Provisionally verified

MRS 3Unresolved discrepancy

MRS 4Unverifiable with available data

MRS 5Rejected, methodological failure

Result for this record MRS 4, unverifiable with available dataConfidence Not known

Reported intensity implies[X] t CH₄

QE provisional estimate[Y] t CH₄

Difference[N] times higher

Reconciled estimateIssued where the evidence supports one

UncertaintyQuantified at the 95% confidence level, using GUM

Evidence recordIndependent observations, source data and the verification basis

Methodological basisMethane Reconciliation Standard, Section 5.6

Illustrative layout. All details are placeholders and identifying information is withheld. The record shows no proprietary calculations.

Who we work with

We start with oil and gas, where methane reporting is most developed and the commercial stakes are highest, before extending to coal, waste and agriculture.

Oil and gas producers

See where reported emissions differ from independent observations, asset by asset.

LNG importers and traders

Assess the methane evidence behind suppliers, contracts and cargoes.

Verifiers and regulators

See how different observations relate and where uncertainty remains.

Lenders and insurers

Judge the quality of the methane evidence behind the figures they rely on.

See what a reconciliation involves

Independent of the measurement source

Quantum Envelope produces none of the underlying methane measurements and depends on no single technology, so no source can shape how its own evidence is weighed.

The rules of reconciliation also sit outside the company. The Airshed Foundation, an independent body, maintains the Methane Reconciliation Standard, and Quantum Envelope applies it commercially.

Visit The Airshed Foundation

About Quantum Envelope

Ava Lawrence and Francesco D'Amico founded Quantum Envelope to build the reconciliation infrastructure that methane data requires as it moves into regulated and commercial markets. The company brings together atmospheric science, data analysis and regulatory expertise.

Arrange a Methane Reconciliation Record for your supply.

Tell us what you need to establish and what evidence you hold, and we will discuss what a Methane Reconciliation Record can do for your supply.

SPEAK TO UScontact@quantumenvelope.com

How it works

From independent measurements to a reconciled result

Methane data increasingly comes from multiple sources, each observing the atmosphere or reporting emissions from a different perspective. Quantum Envelope brings those observations and reporting together within a common reconciliation framework, producing a traceable, reconciled assessment of emissions, whether a single figure or a range, while preserving the evidence and uncertainty behind it.

We do not generate the underlying measurements. We make the measurements work together.

Talk to us

The input

Start with the evidence that already exists

Quantum Envelope works with the methane measurements and reporting available for a defined asset, facility or supply-chain boundary.

That evidence can come from different measurement systems and reporting processes, including satellite observations, aircraft campaigns, ground-based systems, continuous monitoring and operator reporting. Each source provides a different view of methane emissions, with its own spatial and temporal coverage and its own uncertainty.

Quantum Envelope does not require the market to adopt a single measurement technology. We designed the reconciliation process to work with the evidence that already exists.

Figure 1. Existing evidence sources

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The evidence

Understand what each source can tell you

Different measurements describe methane at different scales and with different levels of uncertainty.

Quantum Envelope evaluates the available evidence in relation to the defined assessment boundary, considering the characteristics of each source and how the observations relate to one another.

The purpose is not to choose a favourite measurement or reduce everything to a simple average. It is to establish how the available observations can be understood together.

Different observations can describe the same emissions. Reconciliation establishes how they relate.

Figure 2. Different perspectives on the same emissions

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Reconciliation

Bring the observations together

Quantum Envelope applies the Methane Reconciliation Standard to the available evidence and establishes how the observations relate within the defined assessment boundary.

The process preserves the provenance and uncertainty of the underlying evidence while producing a reconciled result that relevant parties can use.

The objective is not another measurement. It is a defensible interpretation of the measurements that already exist.

Figure 3. From observations to record

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The result

A reconciled result, with the evidence behind it

Quantum Envelope produces a traceable emissions assessment for the defined asset, facility or supply-chain boundary, expressed as a single figure where the evidence supports one and as a range where it does not.

The result retains a clear connection to the observations that support it, together with the uncertainty and material limitations that affect interpretation.

The result therefore never arrives as an unexplained number. Relevant parties can understand what evidence supports it and how the result relates to the underlying observations.

Figure 4. Anatomy of a reconciled result

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Visible evidence

The underlying sources remain identifiable in the final result, so a reader can see which observations inform the result and how much weight the evidence as a whole can bear.

Traceable reasoning

The path from the available evidence to the reconciled result remains documented, which allows relevant parties to follow how Quantum Envelope reached the result without taking it on trust.

Defined uncertainty

The result makes material uncertainty and limitations visible rather than hiding them behind a single number, so decisions can reflect what the evidence supports and where it runs thin.

The Methane Reconciliation Record

The result becomes usable

The Methane Reconciliation Record gives organisations a structured record of the reconciled methane evidence for a defined asset, facility or supply chain.

It records the resulting emissions figure, the evidence behind it, the treatment of uncertainty, the relationship between observations and any material gaps in the underlying data.

The record gives buyers, sellers, verifiers, regulators and financial participants a common point of reference when they need to make a decision from the same underlying evidence.

Methane Reconciliation Record, exampleFictional data

Facility [ID], methane emissions reconciliation

Assessment boundary[Facility ID], upstream production, calendar year [YYYY]

Reconciled emissions[X] to [Y] t CH4

Evidence sources5 sources, satellite, aircraft, ground-based, continuous, operator

Uncertainty[range] at stated confidence

Source coverage[x] of 12 months with independent coverage

Material limitations[Summary of coverage gaps and their effect]

Reconciliation statusDivergent from reported figure

Illustrative representation of the product. It shows no methodology or calculations.

Who uses the result

One evidentiary basis, multiple decisions

The same reconciled evidence can support different decisions across the methane market, from supply-chain assessment and contract negotiation to verification, insurance and lending.

Energy companies

Understand methane performance across assets and supply chains

Use the reconciled result alongside internal reporting and independent observations to establish a clearer evidentiary record.

Importers and traders

Assess methane evidence across transactions and supply chains

Use a consistent result when comparing cargoes, contracts and counterparties.

Verifiers and regulators

Assess complex evidence within a common structure

Use the reconciliation record to understand how different observations relate and where uncertainty or data gaps remain.

Finance and risk

Understand the evidence behind methane exposure

Use the reconciled result when assessing insurance, lending, investment and contractual risk.

Independence

The reconciliation remains independent of the measurement source

Quantum Envelope produces none of the underlying methane measurements and depends on no single measurement technology.

That separation allows the reconciliation process to consider different sources without giving any one source control over the outcome.

Measurement providersupplies evidence

Operatorsupplies reporting

Commercial counterpartysupplies its requirements

Reconciliation layerQuantum Envelope applies the reconciliation framework independently

Every source can contribute evidence. None controls the outcome.

The Standard

The Methane Reconciliation Standard

The Airshed Foundation maintains The Methane Reconciliation Standard, which establishes the principles for reconciling different methane measurements and reporting into a consistent result.

The Airshed Foundation operates independently of Quantum Envelope, while Quantum Envelope applies the Standard through its commercial reconciliation infrastructure.

The Standard prescribes no single measurement technology, allowing different participants to use the instruments and reporting systems appropriate to their operations while working towards comparable results.

Different instruments. A common evidentiary framework.

The Airshed Foundationmaintains

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The Methane Reconciliation Standardapplied by

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Quantum Envelopecommercially

The Airshed Foundation

We do not replace the measurement layer

Quantum Envelope does not operate satellites, aircraft or methane monitoring systems, and it does not replace the organisations that produce or verify those measurements. We work with the evidence they generate, and the value lies in reconciling different observations into a result that relevant parties can understand and use.

Have methane data that needs to work together?

Quantum Envelope welcomes conversations with organisations developing, supplying, assessing, financing and trading energy as methane becomes an increasingly important commercial attribute.

Talk to us

Our offer

Quantum Envelope is an early stage company. The Methane Reconciliation Record is our first product, designed initially for EU gas importers.

Start a reconciliation

First product

The Methane Reconciliation Record

A Methane Reconciliation Record documents the available methane evidence for a defined asset, supplier, cargo or facility, or for another emissions boundary you set.

You provide the data you hold, and Quantum Envelope analyses it alongside relevant independent sources to produce a reconciled emissions assessment covering the underlying measurements, the reported figures, the discrepancies between them, the uncertainty and the resulting assessment.

Reconciled emissions assessment

A single figure or a range drawn from the available evidence, with its uncertainty retained.

Evidence assessment

A structured review of the measurements, reported data and other evidence behind the result.

Discrepancy analysis

The material differences between reported emissions and the independent measurement evidence, identified and explained.

Traceability

A documented line from the result back to the evidence and the methodology.

A defined deliverable

A record you can use in procurement, due diligence, reporting and other commercial processes.

The buyer journey

From your question to a reconciled result

Identify the question

Every reconciliation starts with a specific question, such as whether a supplier's reported methane figure stands up, how one supplier compares with another, what the measurement evidence indicates about an asset or what methane figure a transaction can rest on.

Bring us the evidence

You share what you hold, which may include reported emissions, operator and asset data, satellite, aerial and sensor measurements, measurement campaigns, production figures and existing monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) documentation. We add appropriate independent data sources where they exist.

Define the reconciliation

Together we set the asset, supplier, cargo or emissions boundary, the period under assessment, the evidence available and the intended use of the result, and then agree the scope and price.

Reconcile

Quantum Envelope weighs each observation's uncertainty, its spatial and temporal characteristics and its relationship to the reported emissions to establish what the evidence collectively supports.

Receive the record

You receive the Methane Reconciliation Record, setting out the evidence considered, the reported and independent figures, material discrepancies, the reconciled assessment, its uncertainty and any limitations, ready for your commercial or reporting process.

Where the relationship goes next

From one record to market infrastructure

A first reconciliation establishes more than an emissions assessment. It builds a working understanding of your methane data, suppliers, assets and requirements, and for organisations with recurring needs the service grows from there.

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Methane Reconciliation Record

The first product, a single defined reconciliation.

Recurring reconciliation

Regular assessments of the same asset, supplier or supply chain.

Portfolio and supplier intelligence

A consistent framework across many assets and comparable methane information across counterparties.

Transaction infrastructure

Methane evidence attached to individual commercial transactions, including supply and cargo data.

Market infrastructure

The data and reconciliation layer that lets methane information, claims and eventually credits move between measurement systems, market participants and emerging markets.

Each stage builds on the evidence and relationships established in the one before.

Who buys first

The organisations that need it now

LNG importers and buyers

Companies that need to understand the methane information behind their suppliers and imported gas.

Where they startIndependent reconciliation of supplier-reported emissions against the available measurement evidence.

Energy companies

Operators that need to understand where their reported emissions differ from independent observations.

Where they startAsset-level or portfolio reconciliation.

Traders

Market participants that need methane information for suppliers, assets or transactions.

Where they startComparable methane evidence for commercial decisions.

Financial institutions and insurers

Institutions that need methane information for due diligence and risk assessment.

Where they startIndependent, traceable emissions evidence.

Clarity

What we are not selling

Quantum Envelope works alongside the systems and standards that already exist. We reconcile the evidence they produce, and that reconciliation is the product.

×Another methane sensor

×A replacement for your existing monitoring systems

×A substitute for OGMP 2.0

×Accredited assurance

×One more emissions estimate

Start with one question

Have a methane figure you need to reconcile?

You do not need to redesign your methane monitoring to work with Quantum Envelope. Bring us your question and the evidence you hold, and we will establish what can be reconciled and what that evidence supports.

Start a reconciliation