Drone Technology Advances Methane Leak Detection | Cat | Caterpillar

Drone Technology Advances Methane Leak Detection

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Oil and gas operators require efficient, cost-effective, safe and quantitative methods to survey their assets. Alternative detection methods such as optical gas imaging (OGI) cameras, satellites and laser leak detection have given way to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, to autonomously inspect equipment. Interestingly, innovative drone technology can be equipped with sensors to detect traces of methane in the air.

Caterpillar Oil & Gas continuously explores cutting-edge technologies, investigating how remote and autonomous solutions can be applied to help reduce methane and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Drones offer compelling safety and efficiency advantages to operators utilizing this technology to capture critical data during site surveys and equipment inspections. To support climate-related objectives, operators can apply powerful UAV tools that are proven to effectively detect methane leaks in a variety of onshore and offshore applications.

Drone-Based Emission Measurement

Early adopters in the oil and gas industry have spent years targeting the largest sources of methane emissions. However, more than half of methane emissions can come from low emitting facilities according to Paul Khuri, vice president of business development for SeekOps, which is a sensor technology company born out of NASA’s jet propulsion lab that’s leveraging drone technology to measure oil and gas methane emissions.

In energy-intensive operations such as oil and gas production, methane may be emitted as natural gas travels from the well through valves, hatches, gaskets, connection points, compressors and tanks, and through flaring and transportation.¹ Leveraging drone and sensor technology is a cost-effective solution to remotely monitor such methane emissions.

In addition to being economical, drone-mounted sensors also offer reliable, accurate and timely emissions reporting. This advanced technology enables operators to generate baseline emissions data from direct measurements, rather than performing calculations based on plant capacity and operations.

Traditional methane detection using legacy technology can be a labor-intensive and costly process involving many man-hours to detect a single leak. Conventional methods also prove inefficient in remote, difficult to access locations. With drone technology, operators can overcome these inherent challenges. Aerial data comprising high-resolution photographs and videos are collected and transmitted to a secure, cloud-based server for on-demand accessibility. Data analysis and reporting enables operators to gain new insights into asset performance and condition as well as potential mechanical integrity issues that could cause a leak.

Transformative Technology

Space-mission tested sensor technology applied to drones is a novel approach that’s transforming methane detection in the unforgiving, remote conditions of a 24/7 oilfield. Autonomous data-driven solutions promote faster decision-making, as well as important safety and efficiency advantages that support efforts to manage – and decrease – methane emissions.

1. Chevron.com. June 2023. Explainer: Where does methane come from, and how do we manage it? https://www.chevron.com/newsroom/2023/q2/explainer-where-does-methane-come-from-and-how-do-we-manage-it.

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