LEAK DETECTION
Identifying Super Emitters leads to greater methane emissions reductions Picarro’s major contribution to the emissions reduction space has been the pioneering development of advanced leak detection technology and analytics that enable emissions data to be taken rapidly at scale. Large emitters, which frequently contribute disproportionately to emissions, can be easily identified so they are remediated first as part of an informed and cost-effective emissions reduction strategy.
Douglas Ward, director of gas sales and marketing.
Marketing, says geolocating Super Emitters can help operators efficiently address their fugitive methane emissions substantially. “Our study concludes that in all cases, natural gas leakage data sets are very long-tailed, and most of the leaks in the infrastructure are small. In aggregate, the small leaks don’t amount to very much of the overall fugitive emissions. What is impactful is a very small number of these Super Emitters,” he says. “The largest 5 to 10 per cent of leaks are accountable for over 50 per cent of emissions. If you can geolocate those Super Emitters efficiently, you have a powerful new tool to enhance safety of the infrastructure while dramatically reducing fugitive emissions.” Picarro enables operators to identify, quantify and prioritise repair of Super Emitters.
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icarro is a global leader in advanced leak detection; emissions quantification and reduction; and pipe replacement optimisation. The company’s solutions enable customers to improve the safety of their infrastructure and increase capital efficiency. The P-Cubed® hardware-enabled software is at the heart of the Picarro solution. It is combined with high-tech gas sensor technology that is installed into a car, and is driven throughout gas infrastructures. As it travels, it collects data on gas plumes that can be used for multiple applications. The P-Cubed analytics and algorithms quantify the flowrate based on profiles observed in gas leak plumes. With the detailed data and analysis P-Cubed provides, gas pipeline operators can appropriately prioritise which leaks to repair for greater methane emissions reductions. The award-winning P-Cubed analytics platform enables operators to map system risk, improve leak survey efficiency, and pinpoint and mitigate fugitive methane emissions. Doug Ward, Picarro’s Director of Gas Sales &
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Gas pipe leak caused by corrosion.
The Australian Pipeliner | March 2022
Picarro has been identifying and quantifying Super Emitters for several years now for pipeline operators; one example can be seen with one of the company’s utility clients, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). PG&E owns about 43,000 miles (71,000 km) of mains and services 4.3 million gas customers. PG&E started using Picarro to survey its entire gas network system
