PRODUCTION • PROCESSING • HANDLING
MODERNISED METHANE MANAGEMENT
Mark Naples reports on an enabling technology for methane and CO2 detection
I
n September 2023, satellites detected methane leaking from a pipeline in Cheltenham, UK, at a rate of over 200kg per hour. The detection was the first such
incident recorded in the UK. It was also an accident. Researchers from the University of Leeds had been using satellite imagery to monitor methane escaping from landfill sites when they spotted the distinct signs of methane coming from a nearby gas pipeline. The leak, which had been occurring for 11 weeks, had released enough gas to
power the equivalent of 7,500 homes for a year. Leaks such as this are regrettably
common in the oil and gas sector. With companies responsible for vast networks of pipelines stretching over thousands of miles, when a leak occurs, it can easily go unnoticed, letting vast quantities of heat-trapping gas escape into the atmosphere. The need for action on methane leaks is clear. Methane has 28 times
the heating potential of gases like CO2 and is responsible for approximately a
third of the rise in global temperatures. Satellite monitoring presents one method of improving the visibility of leaks, but conditions such as high humidity can limit its accuracy – not to mention the expense of running it. Enhanced gas detection will be
critical if oil and gas suppliers are to make a difference in the fight against climate change. As the industry grapples to make the invisible threat of methane visible, other technologies have emerged that can provide a solid foundation of real-time data on where leaks are occurring.
HOW BIG A PROBLEM ARE METHANE EMISSIONS? In terms of its effect on the environment, methane is often compared to other gases like CO2
, but
the differences in chemical structure between the two substances mean their true impact differs significantly. Unlike the centuries-long lifespan , methane persists in the
of CO2
atmosphere for around 10-12 years. However, it is also much more potent
Gas detection and monitoring systems in hazardous areas can help identify and repair methane leaks
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