MiQ 101: Understanding Methane Certification for Natural Gas

Achieving MiQ certification is more than just a badge of compliance: it’s a powerful statement about an operator’s commitment to methane emissions transparency and reduction. As regulatory pressures and market expectations around methane intensify, MiQ offers a structured, independent framework to verify emissions performance and drive meaningful improvements. But what exactly does MiQ certification entail, and how can it benefit operators? This guide unpacks the key elements of MiQ, the certification process and why third-party verification is crucial for credibility in today’s evolving energy landscape.

MiQ is a certification standard which demonstrates an energy sector (typically oil and gas) operator’s management and handling of natural gas (methane) in a manner focused on the reduction and/or elimination of methane emissions. MiQ stands for “Methane Intelligence” and was developed by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and SYSTEMIQ to create an auditable compliance standard. More specifically, the certification process mandates independent, third-party verification of emissions,practices and the tools an operator uses to measure and verify emissions. Following an audit, an operator receives a grade (ranging from A through F) for the designated Certification Period. Thereafter, the operator may market certificated gas from the facility.

The third-party verification component of MiQ certification ensures transparency. Third-party auditors, like Onterris, go through initial screening and annual refresher training by RMI to gain and maintain accreditation. While accreditation is held by the auditing company, specific individuals within the auditing company are certified to perform MiQ audits. But why go through an audit?

Natural gas certification provides a number of unique win-win benefits:

• A transparent objective to reduce emissions and support continued improvement
• A marketable product where certificated gas is traded via the digital MiQ Registry (each certificate is equivalent to 1 MMBtu of gas)
• Preferential sale of certificated gas
• Attract buyers of gas seeking to meet their emissions requirements
• Regulatory obligations (e.g., EU Methane Regulation)

Recognizing the distinct assets of the value chain from natural exploration, production and transport, RMI developed seven individual standards for each segment of operation, primary product and an eighth for Carbon Intensity, as follows:

• Onshore Oil and Gas Standard for Petroleum Operations
• Onshore Production Standard for Natural Gas Operations
• Offshore Oil and Gas Standard for Petroleum Operations
• Offshore Production Standard for Natural Gas Operations
• Gathering & Boosting and Processing Standard
• Transmission & Storage Standard
• Liquefaction, Shipping and Regasification Standard
• Carbon Intensity Standard
• Onterris is certified as an independent auditor by RMI for all the above operational standards.

Before exploring details of MiQ standards, it’s essential to clarify what qualifies an operation to be certified. MiQ defines this as a “facility, which can be certified based on either geographic or organizational boundaries.” This means certification may apply to operations within a geologic basin (e.g., Marcellus Shale) or between product transfer points. When preparing for certification, operators must first assess their readiness through a gap analysis and alignment with the three elements of the MiQ audit outlined in the next section. Based on this evaluation, an operator may choose to pursue certification of a single facility or multiple facilities across different segments of the value chain, as outlined by the standards above.

To ensure consistency across the respective segments, every MiQ Standard employs the same approach under the three elements subject to independent audit of the operations of an operator’s facility, specifically:

Through a series of interviews and on-site audit practices, an operator is evaluated on their adherence to procedures and emissions management, leading to a respective grade for each element. The following two tables provide example scoring rubrics for natural gas and petroleum operations.

While each element is graded individually, the overall grade for certificated gas is based on the lowest element grade achieved. An operator must meet certain minimum requirements for MI, CP and MTD in order to achieve a certain grade. Where an operator has made procedural and/or process improvements beyond the MiQ standard for CP and MTD, additional improvement points may be acquired, further elevating the grade per element.

To achieve MiQ certification, operators undergo a third-party verification process, which includes independent audits of emissions practices, measurement tools and company procedures. The outcome is a grade (A to F) which reflects the operator’s performance over a certification period, with the option to trade certified gas through the MiQ Registry. By earning MiQ certification, operators can enhance credibility, attract buyers interested in sustainable gas and meet regulatory obligations such as the EU Methane Regulation.

If you are considering MiQ certification, start by familiarizing yourself with the three key elements of the MiQ audit: Methane Intensity (MI), Company Practices (CP) and Monitoring Technology Deployment (MTD). MI evaluates emissions relative to production, CP focuses on emissions reduction protocols and MTD reviews the deployment of technologies for monitoring emissions. Operators should assess their current operations to understand where they stand in terms of emissions, practices and technologies.

The next step is to determine which facilities to certify. MiQ allows operators to certify facilities based on geographic or organizational boundaries, which means certification can apply to specific basins or transfer points in the value chain.Operators can choose to certify a single facility or multiple facilities, depending on their operational structure.

Once facilities are selected, operators must work through the audit process, which involves gathering data, implementing necessary improvements and undergoing third-party evaluations. Each element is graded individually, with the overall grade being determined by the lowest score across MI, CP and MTD. Achieving a higher grade is possible by improving practices or increasing the frequency of monitoring. Prior to beginning the MiQ audit process, operators may wish to complete a pre-audit gap assessment to identify areas for improvement before engaging an independent auditor.

Achieving MiQ certification requires a rigorous, independent audit to verify methane emissions performance, company practices and monitoring technologies. This process ensures that reported performance is credible, transparent and aligned with MiQ standards.

RMI-certified independent auditors, such as Onterris, are trained to evaluate emissions data, operational practices and monitoring systems across all MiQ operational standards. Their role is to provide an objective assessment that supports consistent and reliable certification outcomes.

Operators pursuing certification typically begin with a gap assessment, followed by aligning internal processes, strengthening monitoring approaches and preparing for third-party evaluation. Whether certifying a single facility or multiple operations, understanding the audit process is key to achieving a credible MiQ rating.