Emissions Monitoring Systems: Scheduled vs. Continuous
Before leaks can be fixed they must be detected and located. There are several options for monitoring emissions, generally classified into scheduled and continuous categories.
Scheduled emissions monitoring options include:
Satellite. Low orbit satellites are effective for research and evaluating emissions over large aerial expanses and restricted or hard-to-reach areas. Although resolution is improving, satellite imagery is hampered by clouds and particulates.
Aircraft. Although more specific and faster than satellites, aircraft monitoring suffers the same atmospheric drawbacks as spaced-based systems. Airborne methods are typically expensive and difficult to scale.
Drones. Less expensive than aircraft, but battery life limits their flight time and FAA regulations limit the area they can monitor at any given time.
Portable IR Cameras (LDAR inspections). Very specific but can be very costly. Typically limited to LDAR teams for periodic inspections.
“Sniffer” Vehicles. Good for dense population areas, but in the oilfield are cost prohibitive and not easily scalable over operational areas that may encompass several hundred square miles.
Continuous emissions monitoring options include:
Fixed IR Cameras. In some cases, IR cameras are becoming less expensive. Fixed cameras require installation on a physical pad, must be connected to a continuous power source and cannot be readily moved to a new location.
Laser Sensor Networks. Good for monitoring large areas, however, require line-of-sight that makes a laser network difficult, if not impossible, to work in terrain with hills, valleys and/or foliage that could block the light beams.
Fence Line Monitoring. Fence line continuous monitoring using metallic or other sensor types typically have no to little infrastructure requirements, are solar powered and can effectively do the same job as on-site continuous monitoring by IR cameras at a fraction of the cost.
In most cases Continuous Monitoring is the Best Practice for upstream and midstream operations.
In our white paper The Case for Continuous Emissions Monitoring we cover describe each method in more detail and compare them using a competitive landscape quadrant analysis.
About Earthview
Earthview is your partner on the journey to net zero. Our affordable precision air quality monitoring solutions provide the highest return on investment on emissions detection. BluBird sensors are operating reliably in multiple oil and gas producing regions for leading operators in Colorado, the Permian Basin, the Barnett Shale and the Appalachian Basin.
We deliver actionable results at a fraction of the price of competing offerings. More information is available on our website at Earthview.io.
Contact
Earthview Corporation
Bear Givhan
CEO and Co-Founder
E: Bear@Earthview.io
T: (303) 438-8574