Representatives from the Committee on Science, Space and Technology, which is a committee of the U.S. House of Representatives with jurisdiction over non-defense federal scientific research and development, is urging oil giants in the U.S. to disclose accurate data concerning their actual methane emissions.

Claiming that monitoring of methane emissions in the Permian Basin — which stretches from west Texas to New Mexico — is inadequate, the committee issued letters to the chief executives of 10 oil companies with operations in the Permian Basin, urging them to curb pollution. Among those receiving a letter were ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum, ConocoPhillips, Chevron, Pioneer Natural Resources, Ameredev II LLC, Coterra, Devon Energy, Admiral Permian Resources and Mewbourne Oil.

Methane, the main component of natural gas, is only second to carbon dioxide in terms of contribution to climate change. Much of that contribution, experts claim, comes from methane leaks from oil and gas activity. As such, the representatives claim that one significant measure for cutting U.S. methane emissions is to improve methane leak monitoring and detection.

“The United States cannot achieve its targeted reduction in methane emissions under the Global Methane Pledge without a swift and large-scale decline in oil and gas sector methane leaks,” Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas), chair of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, wrote in a letter to the chief executives. “The existence of these leaks, as well as continued uncertainty regarding their size, duration, and frequency, threatens America’s ability to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.”

Adding that leak detection and repair efforts at those companies potentially fail at comprehensive monitoring and detection of methane leaks — specifically intermittent, ‘super-emitting’ leaks reportedly responsible for much of the sector’s leak emissions — the committee demanded the companies disclose information about their own intermittent, large emission leaks, and how they were discovered.

The letters are available on the committee’s website.