Shell Becomes First Operator to Achieve MiQ Grade A Methane Certification Across Entire Gulf of America Portfolio

## Shell Achieves Landmark Methane Certification in Gulf of America Shell Offshore Inc. has become the first operator to achieve MiQ certification across its entire production portfolio in the Gulf of America (GoA), according to an announcement from MiQ, the global methane emissions certification body, on 2 June 2026. The certification, awarded at Grade A — MiQ's highest performance tier — covers Shell's complete GoA offshore production operations, setting a new benchmark for methane emissions management in the region's upstream oil and gas sector. ### Significance for the Offshore Energy Sector Methane emissions from upstream production have come under increasing regulatory and investor scrutiny in recent years, with international frameworks such as the Global Methane Pledge placing pressure on operators to demonstrate measurable reductions. MiQ's independent certification process provides third-party verification of methane performance, offering buyers of natural gas and LNG a credible signal of emissions quality throughout the supply chain. For the maritime industry, which relies heavily on LNG as a transitional marine fuel, the provenance and emissions profile of upstream gas production is of growing commercial and regulatory relevance. Shipowners, charterers, and fuel suppliers operating under the IMO's decarbonisation framework are increasingly attentive to the full lifecycle emissions of the fuels they procure. Achieving Grade A status across an entire offshore portfolio — rather than at individual asset level — represents a more rigorous and commercially meaningful commitment, signalling that Shell is positioning its GoA production as a premium, low-methane-intensity supply source. ### MiQ Certification Framework MiQ operates an independent, science-based certification standard that grades natural gas production from A through F based on methane intensity. The organisation describes itself as the global leader in methane emissions certification and works with producers, buyers, and financial institutions to bring greater transparency to gas supply chains. Shell's GoA portfolio includes a substantial number of deepwater and shelf assets, making the portfolio-wide certification a logistically complex undertaking that required comprehensive measurement, reporting, and verification across multiple production facilities. ### Industry Outlook As LNG bunkering infrastructure continues to expand across major port hubs globally, the ability to trace and certify the methane performance of upstream gas supplies is expected to become an increasingly important factor in fuel procurement decisions. Certification schemes such as MiQ's are likely to gain traction as regulators and industry bodies seek standardised tools to assess well-to-wake emissions for marine fuels. Shell has not disclosed the specific methane intensity figures associated with the certified portfolio, but Grade A status under the MiQ framework indicates performance in the top tier of the certification scale.