Methane sensing is critically important to oil and gas companies for several reasons related to safety, environmental impact, regulatory compliance, operational efficiency, and public perception. Below are the key factors that highlight its importance:
1. Environmental Impact
- Methane Emissions and Climate Change: Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, with a global warming potential significantly higher than carbon dioxide (CO2) over a 20-year period. Detecting and mitigating methane leaks from oil and gas operations is essential to reducing the industry’s environmental footprint and mitigating climate change.
- Sustainability Initiatives: With growing global awareness of climate change, oil and gas companies are under increasing pressure to minimize their environmental impact. Methane sensing is an essential tool for meeting sustainability goals and demonstrating environmental responsibility.
2. Regulatory Compliance
- Regulatory Requirements: Governments worldwide have started to implement stricter regulations regarding methane emissions. For instance, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has rules for monitoring and limiting methane leaks, and similar regulations exist in Europe, Canada, and other regions. Companies need effective methane detection systems to comply with these regulations and avoid penalties.
- Reporting and Verification: Many jurisdictions now require companies to report their methane emissions regularly. Accurate sensing allows oil and gas operators to monitor emissions, ensuring transparency in environmental reporting and enabling audits to confirm compliance.
3. Safety
- Explosion and Fire Risks: Methane is highly flammable and can form explosive mixtures with air. If undetected, methane leaks in confined spaces can pose serious safety risks to workers, leading to explosions, fires, or health hazards. Regular methane sensing helps detect and prevent such risks, ensuring the safety of personnel and assets.
- Workplace Health: Prolonged exposure to methane can also cause health issues such as headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Methane sensing helps ensure that concentrations remain within safe limits for workers.
4. Operational Efficiency
- Leak Detection and Prevention: Methane leaks, even if small, can represent a significant loss of valuable resources. Detecting leaks promptly helps minimize product loss, improving overall efficiency and reducing costs associated with wasted methane. It can also reduce the operational time needed to address leaks, allowing companies to optimize their assets.
- Maintenance Planning: Continuous monitoring of methane levels allows oil and gas companies to anticipate maintenance needs before minor issues turn into significant failures. This can reduce downtime and enhance the operational lifespan of equipment.
5. Reputation Management
- Public Perception: As the world shifts toward cleaner energy sources, public perception of oil and gas companies is under scrutiny. Companies that demonstrate proactive efforts in minimizing methane emissions and protecting the environment tend to enjoy a better reputation, which can improve their relationship with stakeholders, investors, and consumers.
- Industry Leadership: Companies that adopt cutting-edge methane sensing technologies can position themselves as industry leaders in sustainability and safety, gaining a competitive edge.
6. Economic Benefits
- Cost Reduction: Mitigating methane leaks directly translates to cost savings, as it reduces product loss and the need for expensive remediation efforts after leaks are discovered. Efficient methane management can also improve energy efficiency, contributing to cost reduction in production.
- Carbon Credit and Incentives: Some governments and international organizations offer financial incentives or carbon credits for companies that reduce their methane emissions, providing an additional economic incentive for investing in advanced methane sensing technologies.
7. Risk Mitigation
- Liability Reduction: Methane leaks, if undetected, can lead to significant legal liabilities, particularly if they cause accidents or environmental harm. Proactively sensing methane helps mitigate these risks by ensuring early detection and resolution of issues before they escalate into major problems.
How Israeli Companies Fit In
Sensors and the platforms/vehicles that carry them are very much an Israeli strength. Several types of sensors are commonly used by energy companies to detect methane (and other volatile gas) emissions. These include FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) cameras, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and other multi-spectral, optical sensors. Each method has its individual advantages, but they all are based on the principle that methane and other volatile gasses selectively absorb light of specific wavelengths. These sensors recognize this signature, and in some cases, even measure the amount of gas being emitted. The optical sensors, the sensor platforms (handheld cameras, drones and satellites) and the AI based analytics are well within core competencies of many Israeli companies. Here are a few with cutting edge solutions to this global challenge. We encourage you to explore these innovative companies further and reach out to The Israel Economic Mission to the South & Mid-West for more information, connections, or partnership opportunities.
Opgal is a global leader in the development and production of thermal cameras and complex electro-optical systems for the industrial field. With over 40 years of field proven experience, Their Optical Gas Imaging (OGI), accurate thermography and quantification solutions, combined with dedicated hardware, breakthrough algorithms and unique software solutions are world renowned. Their products are marketed in over 60 countries worldwide
Percepto offers an industry leading, “drone in a box” approach to autonomous inspection, thermal imaging and methane leak detection. This is augmented with AI based analytics, allowing for automated leak/safety/anomaly detection and alerts. Percepto’s solutions are trusted on six continents, with notable O&G clients including ConnocoPhillips, Siemens Energy and Delek US. The company is the recipient of multiple prestigious awards as well as being named to TIME magazine’s 100 Best Inventions of 2021. Most notably, Percepto has just been granted an FAA nationwide BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) waiver, allowing a single remote operator to simultaneously operate a fleet of up to 30 drones! Previously each drone had to be flown/monitored by a dedicated, on site pilot.
Momentick offers an innovative and cost-effective approach to monitor and measure methane emissions from oil and gas operations and infrastructure They offer global coverage, both on and offshore, through cutting edge analysis of satellite imagery. Their approach uses commercially available satellite imagery to cover both on and offshore assets. This solution allows for the coverage of broadly distributed assets like well heads, pipelines, offshore platforms, etc., without the need to use hand held or drone carried OGI cameras at each individual location.
Contact sydney@israeltrade.gov.il to learn more and connect with the above companies!
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