Rod packing consists of flexible rings that form a seal around a compressor’s piston rod to prevent high-pressure gas from escaping as the rod moves in and out of the compression chamber. With continual use, the packing deteriorates due to mechanical wear, thermal stress and impurities resulting from continuous pressure cycling and mechanical stress, which diminishes its sealing efficiency. As the seal deteriorates, pressurized methane gas leaks steadily into the atmosphere, commonly undetected in the absence of regular monitoring, with single units capable of emitting large quantities of methane per year.