Nowadays geolog-ical methane has attracted worldwide attention. Natural geologic emission of methane has great significance in the study of atmospheric methane source and sink. It can provide not only reasonable explanation for the loss of methane without radioactive ~(14)C but scientific basis for the study of global warming. Methane in hydrocarbon-prone basins is important part of geological methane. This paper summarizes the research situation on methane emissions, including methane sources and migration mechanisms,monitoring approaches and their characteristics, and measurement of methane flux in global hydrocarbon-prone basins. Because the estimation for geological methane fluxes is based on the measurement for partial methane flux in regional hydrocarbon-prone areas, there is high uncertainty. There is no doubt that CH_4 flux measurements in hydrocarbon-prone areas will be carried out more and more widely. We should combine different methane monitoring means to achieve more accurate data. China is one of the biggest countries for oil-gas production, but study of this field is relatively poor. Therefore, carrying out national research on hydrocarbon-prone basins will help to improve methane database of global hydrocarbon-prone basins and will be of great importance for accurate assessment of global methane source and sink.