Researchers have conducted the first field tests for a new laser-based system that can pinpoint the location of very small methane leaks over an area of several square miles. The new technology could one day be used to continuously monitor for costly and dangerous methane leaks at oil and gas production sites.
As a primary component of natural gas, methane can leak during normal oil and gas production or through unknown leaks in production infrastructure. These leaks not only cost oil and gas companies money but also contribute to climate change and can be dangerous to people. Today, a person or team must travel to different sites to check for leaks with a special camera that is sensitive to methane at close distances. This approach is time consuming and could miss methane leaks that are intermittent in nature.
“Our approach allows measurements to be autonomous, which enables continual monitoring of an area,” said co-lead author of the study Sean Coburn, from the University of Colorado in Boulder. “This technology could play a significant role in reducing methane emissions from production activities, easing tension between urban development and oil and gas production and helping avoid disasters like the 2015 Aliso Canyon methane storage leak that released 90,000 metric tons of methane into the atmosphere.”
Read more at The Optical Society
Image Credit: Sean Coburn, University of Colorado in Boulder