Detection of methane fugitive emissions using drones
Grazia GargiuloThe APPEA Journal 61(2) 400-401 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ20088
Accepted: 25 March 2021 Published: 2 July 2021
Abstract
Detecting methane fugitive emissions from infrastructures is an important task for the oil and gas industry safety and asset management. The current methodology relies on driving surveys using vehicles equipped with different sensors. However, this approach has limitations due to the technical characteristics of the commercially available methane detectors and the specific difficulty for a vehicle to safely and reliably cover certain terrains. Additionally, for an extended asset network like pipelines, the gathering of data relies on long distance driving and sometimes in remote areas. Terra Sana Consultants Pty Ltd (TSC) developed an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or drone, mounted with a laser sensor able to detect surface fugitive emissions associated with oil and gas operations and clearly geo-reference methane emission. This technology enables a more targeted risk assessment approach with the objectives to improve the emission flux calculations across the scale of a typical oil and gas site thus reducing uncertainty and to thereby plan meaningful remediation actions.
Keywords: methane, drone, gas leak detection.
Dr Grazia Gargiulo is an environmental consultant with more than 15 years of experience in the field of environmental risk assessment, contaminants hydrology, groundwater and contaminated land investigations, gas risk assessment and surveys. Grazia’s work experience includes international research centres and universities, international consulting firms and state government agencies. From this experience, she commenced her journey to shape the future of the industry in Australia founding Terra Sana Consultants, an environment, health and safety consulting firm focusing on innovative solutions for the industry. Pursuing an ‘out-of-the-box’ approach to resolve the modern-world challenges to protect the environment while maintaining business productivity. |
References
Environment Agency (2014). Feasibility of aerial measurements of methane emissions from landfills, Report – SC130034/R, Environment Agency, UK. Available at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/331683/SC130034_Report.pdfFrish, M. B., Laderer, M. C., Wainner, R. T., Wright, A. O., Patel, A. H., Stafford-Evans, J., Morency, J. R., Allen, M. G., and Green, B. D. (2007). The next generation of TDLAS analyzers. In ‘SPIE Proceedings Volume 6765, Next Generation Spectroscopic Techniques, Boston, MA, 10 September 2007’. (Eds C. D. Brown, M. A. Druy and J. P. Coates.) (International Society for Optics and Photonics: Bellingham, WA).
Philip, G. M., and Watson, D. F. (1982). A precise method for determining contoured surfaces. Australian Petroleum Exploration Association Journal 22, 205–212.
| A precise method for determining contoured surfaces.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Picciaia, D., Zazzeri, G., Gimberini, M. S., and Andreussi, P. A. (2011). New remote sensing method for landfill emissions quantification. In ‘Proceedings Sardinia 2011 Thirteenth International Waste Management and Landfill Symposium, S. Margherita di Pula, Cagliari, Italy, 3–7 October 2011’.
Watson, D. F., and Philip, G. M. (1985). A refinement of inverse distance weighted interpolation. Geoprocessing 2, 315–327.
