Researchers have developed new ways to observe how cement sets in microscopic detail, which could lead to improved cements that help prevent methane leakage and well collapse. One new method uses a setup called the Nanoscale Ordered Materials Diffractometer, or NOMAD, to study the curing process at an atomic level. According to the MIT News Release, "Methane is a much stronger greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, so limiting its escape is a crucial step toward limiting the contribution of oil and gas wells to global warming."