Whitepaper: The rise of carbon-adjusted barrels

Whitepaper: The rise of carbon-adjusted barrels
15 April 2026
A Rystad Energy and Kinertic analysis of carbon intensity shaping future flows
This whitepaper examines how carbon intensity is becoming a commercial variable in global hydrocarbon trade. With regulatory frameworks like the EU Methane Regulation set to attach financial consequences to imported emissions, the report analyses the substantial variation in carbon footprints across traded cargoes of LNG and crude oil, and outlines how integrated emissions data and supply-chain modeling can support trading, procurement and compliance decisions.
Carbon intensity for US LNG cargoes ranges from under 45 to over 100 kg CO2e per boe depending on feedgas basin and liquefaction facility
Upstream methane emissions alone can account for more than 40 kg CO2e per boe of variation between major supply basins