In 2021, methane levels reached their highest in four decades, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
For oil and gas operators, controlling methane emissions has always been critical for site safety because the colorless, odorless gas is highly flammable and can pose risks to on-site personnel. But with increasing global concern on the impact of climate change, government and industry leaders are focusing on mitigating methane emissions to help address global warming.
Methane emissions and the climate crisis
Over a 20-year period, methane is 80 times more powerful at warming the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. One significant, addressable source of methane emissions is hydrocarbon-intensive operations such as oil and natural gas, chemical and power generation facilities. The International Energy Agency stated that "reducing methane emissions from oil and gas operations is among the most cost-effective and impactful actions that governments can take to achieve global climate goals."
The value of continuous methane monitoring
Today, operations are already working diligently to prevent methane leaks and fix them quickly when they occur. However, the most common methods rely on manual inspections of equipment. Workers use handheld optical gas imaging (OGI) cameras or sniffers to inspect equipment during periodic inspections.
The drawback to this approach is that a leak could occur directly after a check is completed and go undetected, continuing to release harmful methane into the open air until the next periodic check. This process can also be costly and labor-intensive, which can be prone to human error. Additionally, there can be safety risks of sending workers to potentially hazardous sites. Given the scale of some facilities, it's hard to estimate how long controllers would take to detect and localize any leaks.
That's where continuous monitoring for leak detection comes in. This method provides 24/7 monitoring of site operations, alerting site managers to leaks as soon as they are detectable. Continuous monitoring technology has taken a significant step forward through the use of continuous optical gas imaging, or C-OGI. C-OGI can provide operators will all the benefits of OGI without the drawbacks of periodic monitoring.
One example is the Honeywell Rebellion Gas Cloud Imaging System, which uses a proprietary hyperspectral imaging technology to capture both visible and infrared hyperspectral video to monitor, quantify and display gas leaks, reducing false alerts and providing actionable information. With its video verification capabilities, invisible gases like methane can be visible to site workers, making it clear where methane leaks are coming from so they can be addressed right away. The system is currently being used globally in a variety of applications to help site personnel detect and address leaks in a manner that traditional, manual inspections cannot.
By utilizing advanced methane monitoring technologies, like Honeywell's, companies receive automated analytics that operate around the clock, allowing them to easily manage leak detection, repairs and reporting based on real-time data.
Meeting environmental goals
Many companies have made aggressive, measurable commitments to reduce their carbon footprints as a part of their corporate social responsibility plans. By investing in sustainable solutions such as continuous monitoring and continuous visual monitoring more specifically, companies with methane-intensive operations can take actions to be more efficient, more productive and better equipped to meet environmental goals.
For more information, visit www.sps.honeywell.com.
