SeekOps Inc, a global leader in greenhouse gas emissions detection, quantification and reporting solutions, is proud to announce that it has entered into a partnership agreement with Sensible EDPTM, a Montrose Environmental company. The Sensible Environmental Data Platform aggregates emissions data from fixed sensors, satellites, flyovers, OGI surveys, direct measurements, and more into a single dashboard. The collaboration between SeekOps and Sensible EDP allows the companies to provide “boots on the ground”, through local support and services. SeekOps is the only unmanned aerial system to be part of the online platform and builds on their record of demonstrated success in quantifying emissions for onshore and offshore oil and gas facilities on all six major continents.
Using their best-in-class, part-per-billion sensitive sensors, SeekOps deploys state-of-the-art unmanned aerial systems that leverage autonomous operations for efficient, repeatable, and consistent greenhouse gas emission surveys, facilitating rapid leak detection, localization and accurate quantification (LDAQ®).
“As our Sensible EDPTM platform has proven, advanced measurement solutions are essential to the future of decarbonizing oil and gas production. By partnering with SeekOps, Sensible EDPTM is positioned to deliver best-in-class emissions detection and quantification—whether onshore or offshore—to customers around the globe,” said Steve Davis, senior vice president of Environmental Data Solutions at Montrose Environmental Group. “SeekOps’ award-winning drone technology, powered by the SeekIR® sensor, has quickly become the go-to solution for major international oil and gas operators as they push to meet and exceed OGMP Level 5 certification standards.”
Iain Cooper, SeekOps CEO, said “We welcome the partnership with Sensible EDP and our inclusion in their environmental data platform as the next step in ensuring accurate and transparent emissions data reporting and global reconciliation using our high-resolution data.”
About SeekOps
SeekOps Inc. SeekOps deploys its industry-leading SeekIRTM sensors with enterprise-grade drones to provide field-proven measurement systems for methane Leak Detection and Quantification (LDAQTM), through repeatable, consistent and cost-effective automated workflows. Already engaged in emissions quantification surveys supporting the world’s leading operators, SeekOps is also delivering critical data for our customers’ measurement and reporting requirements to meet the highest OGMP 2.0 and MiQ standards.
Biogas and biomethane are renewable energy sources produced from the decay of organic matter such as plants, food waste, and animal waste. A leading North American biogas operator, recognizing the high value of these products in terms of both raw output and carbon credits, partnered with SeekOps to benchmark their sites for methane emissions and pinpoint leaks for targeted repairs.
Key Goals
Detect, localize, and quantify methane emissions to prioritize operational repairs to maximize revenue from biogas production and carbon credits
Benchmark total site emissions across selected North American biogas facilities
Ensure emissions abatement through repeat surveys to assess repair effectiveness
Specific Circumstances
Biogas facilities contain a complex array of small assets, including influent systems, separators, anaerobic digesters (both concrete and membrane), utilities, flare stacks, and gas upgrading stations. These compact layouts pose unique challenges for emissions monitoring, as traditional methods like aircraft and satellite monitoring lack the necessary detail for such small-scale assets.
Additionally, the facilities need a cost-effective, efficient, and safe method to identify, localize, and quantify multiple potential leak sources across their sites. The operator also faced pressure to maximize their revenue from both biogas production and carbon credits, making accurate emissions detection and quantification crucial in ensuring asset integrity.
What We Did
SeekOps implemented an emissions monitoring strategy tailored to the unique needs of the biogas facilities. We began by capturing high-resolution orthomosaic images using drones to contextualize emissions across the facility. Our proprietary SeekIR® sensor, capable of detecting methane at part-per-billion levels, was mounted on enterprise-grade drones and deployed for detailed emissions profiling. We conducted drone flights downwind of specific equipment groups.
Measuring upgrade system emissions
In areas where emissions were detected, our team used the sensor in handheld mode to further refine leak locations, tagging them for investigation and repair. To ensure consistent monitoring, we established waypoints at the facility, enabling fully automated, repeatable surveys for swift follow-up and accurate comparisons of pre- and post-repair emissions.
Confirming emissions points in handheld mode
Throughout the process, we compiled reports including benchmark emissions, emissions heatmaps, emissions by equipment group, and specific areas needing repair. After repairs were completed, we conducted additional automated flights to compare against initial benchmarks, producing final reports that showed post-repair emissions numbers and quantified changes attributed to repairs. This approach allowed for efficient, safe, and cost-effective emissions monitoring while providing the detailed data necessary for the client to make informed decisions about repairs and optimize their operations.
Outcome
SeekOps’ surveys and follow-up assessments yielded significant results for the biogas facility:
Discovered significantly more leaks than initially expected, highlighting the effectiveness of our high-sensitivity sensor
Identified multiple leak paths, including digestor insulation junctions, agitators, gas upgrading hoses, flanges, and scrubbers
Revealed that effluent ponds were exhibiting high emissions, indicating inefficient digestion processes
Detected a critical issue where a flow meter was venting nearly 25% of production, leading to substantial product loss
Enabled the client to save over $600,000 in lost revenue due to early leak detection
Achieved a 71% average decrease in emissions following repairs identified by SeekOps’ surveys
These outcomes demonstrate the value of SeekOps’ precise emissions monitoring service in improving operational efficiency, reducing methane emissions, and maximizing revenue for biogas facilities.
Highlighting membrane digestor emissions points. (1) Shutoff valve flange, (2) Upper flange, (3) Access port, (4) FlangeConcrete Digestor Emission ‘hot spots’ – typically holes in the digestor
AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SeekOps Inc, a global leader in greenhouse gas emissions detection, quantification and reporting solutions, is proud to announce that it has received approval from the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) for use as an Alternative Approved Instrument Measurement Method (Alt. AIMM) in Colorado. SeekOps is the first unmanned aerial system to be part of an approved Alt AIMM, and builds on their record of demonstrated success in quantifying emissions for oil and gas facilities worldwide.
Using their best-in-class, parts-per-billion sensitive sensors, SeekOps deploys state-of-the-art unmanned aerial systems that leverage autonomous operations for efficient, repeatable and consistent greenhouse gas emission surveys, facilitating rapid leak detection, localization and accurate quantification (LDAQ®).
“Colorado is committed to reducing air pollution to improve the health of all Coloradans and local communities. Emissions monitoring technologies, like those developed by SeekOps and others, can help us better understand air pollution emissions so we can achieve our goals to protect clean air and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change,” said Michael Ogletree, the director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Air Pollution Control Division.
Thomas Fox, President of Highwood Emissions, stated, “Highwood is proud to have supported SeekOps in securing the first-ever regulatory approval in the United States for drone-based methane leak-detection, quantification, and repair.”
Iain Cooper, SeekOps CEO, said: “I would like to thank all those at SeekOps, Highwood Emissions and CDPHE for continuing to focus on accurate, reliable and trustworthy methane measurements. This approval is an important step in Colorado’s proactive efforts to understand the state’s emissions inventory, and to adopt the latest cost-effective abatement tools.”
AUSTIN, October 16, 2023 — In a recent acknowledgment of innovative leaders driving the energy sector forward, Oil and Gas Investor Magazine has unveiled its “40 Under 40” list for 2023. Making a notable appearance on this esteemed list is Brendan Smith, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of SeekOps.
“I’m elated to celebrate Brendan’s well-deserved recognition,” says Iain Cooper, CEO of SeekOps. “His journey from the University of California Merced, through the Jet Propulsion laboratory in California, to our current headquarters in Austin, is a testament to his dedication and vision. Most significantly, the technology Brendan and his team have pioneered is now being employed across all major continents, enabling businesses globally to address, abate emissions, and streamline their path to net-zero goals.”
Brendan expressed his gratitude, stating, “I am deeply honored to be part of this distinguished group. My journey has been possible thanks to the unwavering support from loved ones, the SeekOps team, our investors, and our customers.”
In his feature, the magazine shines a spotlight on Brendan Smith’s ambitious career trajectory, which led him from working on cutting-edge methane emissions measurement technology at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to co-founding SeekOps. The interview delves into Brendan’s leadership philosophies, his views on the energy sector, and some personal insights, including his aspirations to deploy SeekOps’ sensor technology in Antarctica.
For more in-depth insights from Brendan Smith, including his mentorship experiences, career advice, and perspectives on the oil and gas industry, visit https://www.hartenergy.com/forty-under-40/2023/brendan-smith.
SeekOps deploys its industry-leading SeekIR® sensors with enterprise-grade drones, providing state-of-the-art methane Leak Detection and Quantification (LDAQ®) systems. Our solutions are rooted in automated workflows that are both consistent and cost-effective, driving the future of emissions monitoring. For more information, please visit www.seekops.com.
When it comes to climate change, we can all do our part to help monitor and reduce emissions. As part of their efforts to address this issue on a larger scale, the US government introduced the Inflation Reduction Act. SeekOps has taken the time to understand how this act will impact processes and procedures for monitoring and reporting emissions.
With a primary goal to mitigate the effects of global climate change, we have examined the various acts and legislations that will affect our work and technology, so that our teams can implement best practices on a global scale. Read on to discover how one of the more recent legislation updates will affect our work to reduce emissions in the US.
How Does the Inflation Reduction Act Impact Emission Monitoring?
With around $369 billion invested under the Inflation Reduction Act, the federal government expects emissions to be reduced by around 40% by 2030. To effectively reach that target, states need to monitor the emissions they’re generating and implement effective solutions to reduce the number of emissions; this means accurately, reliably, and consistently quantifying emissions using independently-validated, field-proven technologies and analytics.
At SeekOps, our team has deployed our unique methane sensor on unmanned aerial systems/drones globally, using automated flight paths to optimize measurement of all site emissions. SeekOps technology delivers direct methane measurement, accurate quantification and leak localization at equipment group level, ensuring that the emissions reported represent current operations and enabling prompt remedial action for the operator’s repair team.
The Methane Emissions Reduction Program (Sec. 60113)
This new Act also features the Methane Emissions Reduction Program. This particular program introduces a fee that oil and gas companies must pay should their facilities emit methane. These companies must report their emissions per the Clean Air Act. Greenhouse gas emissions that exceed 25,000 metric tonnes per year will incur a charge of $900 per metric tonne of methane for 2024; this rate will increase on an annual basis.
Amendments to the Clean Air Act
Another piece of legislation that has shaped how we monitor and address greenhouse gas emissions is the Clean Air Act. When the Act was implemented in 2011, it established key standards for greenhouse gas emission regulation based on research by the US Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).
But with the recent passing of the Inflation Reduction Act, the US Government amended the Clean Air Act to classify carbon dioxide, hydrofluorocarbons, methane, nitrous oxide, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride as air pollutants that are harming our environment. This updated classification means the EPA now has access to more funds to regulate these emissions and work towards the goal of slashing emissions by 40% before 2030.
Effective Ways to Increase Carbon Credits and Decrease Emissions
Though fully eliminating carbon emissions might seem like the goal to achieve, for some businesses it’s just not possible. This is where the concept of carbon credits comes into play. In its simplest form, carbon credits allow businesses to release a certain amount of greenhouse gasses. One credit often equates to one metric tonne of carbon emissions, and if their emissions exceed the amount of credits that they have, then the companies will have to purchase more credits as an extra allowance.
Additionally, the new legislation has incentivized emissions reduction measures by way of tax credits. By offering tax credits for things like underground carbon storage, or repurposing emissions into usable energy sources like renewable natural gas, business now have many more resources available to reduce their overall greenhouse gas emissions. With the credits being directly related to ‘product in pipe’ or retained production, asset integrity and finding and eliminating emissions as soon as they occur is a critical incentive.
Cutting Edge Greenhouse Gas Emission Monitoring System
Here at SeekOps, we offer our clients cutting-edge greenhouse gas emission monitoring systems, ensuring that they have the data that they need to effectively reach their emissions reduction goals. Recent results for a biogas producer highlighted an 84% reduction in emissions before and after remedial action for leaks identified by SeekOps.
We can help you optimize your methane and carbon output, so that you can stay compliant, maximize tax credits, and reduce fees due to elevated emissions – all while maintaining a safe operation that minimizes environmental impact.
Get in Touch
If you’re seeking to reduce your business’s carbon emissions, then SeekOps has the perfect solution for you – unobtrusive, accurate and fast. Our customer-focused team, consisting of skilled engineers, data analysts, and network of FAA-certified pilots, can provide cost-effective and high-quality field services to meet the specific needs of your operation, wherever they are. Get in touch here to find out more.
SeekOps’ Business Development Director for Asia Pacific, Dave Turner, was recently interviewed on the topic of LDAR (Leak Detection and Repair) for Offshore Engineer Magazine. In it, Turner discusses how independent top-down emissions monitoring should help to validate bottom-up measurements.
Here’s an excerpt:
The US and EU are looking to make emitters pay, but customer and corporate goals are becoming important too, even in places where the regulations are not as developed. “It’s early days in many places for measuring and reporting emissions. A lot of operators are still figuring out their strategy,” says Dave Turner, Business Development Director – Asia Pacific for SeekOps. “Here in Southeast Asia, where there are hundreds of platforms, you can inspect a lot of them very quickly using a drone.”
As detection technology grows in sophistication, a top-down approach is supplementing the more traditional bottom-up approach to LDAR. The aim, says Turner, is to validate bottom-up measurements using a directly measured independent method. Companies are looking to quantify methane emissions at a macro level to reconcile the numbers obtained by identifying specific leaks with drone-mounted or fixed sensors and hand-held tools.
MERCED, Calif. – UC Merced is pleased to announce that it has received a generous gift of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipment from SeekOps Inc, a start-up company in the methane emissions management space. The equipment will be used to support UC Merced’s research efforts in environmental monitoring and conservation.
The gift from SeekOps Inc includes a number of state-of-the-art UAVs, as well as the necessary software and hardware to operate and maintain the equipment.
“We are incredibly grateful to Seek Ops Inc for their generous gift,” said Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz. “The equipment will greatly enhance our research capabilities in environmental monitoring and conservation, and will enable our researchers to better understand and address the challenges facing our planet.”
SeekOps Inc is a rapidly growing start-up company that specializes in applied methane detection and quantification technology. The company’s mission is to provide accurate, reliable, and cost-effective solutions for methane monitoring and mitigation in the energy industry, including traditional oil & gas and renewable natural gas production (e.g., dairy biodigesters, landfills, etc.).
“We are thrilled to support the important work being done by UC Merced researchers,” said Brendan Smith, CTO of SeekOps Inc. and UC Merced Alumni. “We believe that our technology has the potential to make a real difference in the fight against climate change, and we are proud to partner with UC Merced in this important effort.”
The gift from SeekOps Inc is part of a larger effort by the company to support research and innovation in the environmental sciences. SeekOps Inc is committed to advancing the science of methane management, and to working collaboratively with partners across academia, government, and industry to address the urgent challenges posed by climate change.
About UC Merced
UC Merced, the newest campus in the University of California system, opened its doors in 2005 with the mission of providing a world-class education to students from California’s San Joaquin Valley and beyond. Located in the heart of California’s Central Valley, UC Merced is dedicated to research and teaching that advances the fields of science, engineering, humanities, social sciences, and the arts.
About SeekOps
SeekOps deploys its industry-leading SeekIR® sensors with enterprise-grade drones to provide field-proven measurement systems for methane Leak Detection and Quantification (LDAQ®), through repeatable, consistent and cost-effective automated workflows. For more information, please visit www.seekops.com.
JGC Group Becomes First Japanese Company in Aiming for Zero, Targeting Methane Emissions
Methane measurement evaluation facility also constructed, international collaboration underway
JGC Holdings Corporation has announced that the JGC Group joined the Aiming for Zero methane emissions initiative on February 14 of this year. As a project of the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI, an international organization leading oil and natural gas industry responses to climate change), Aiming for Zero is focused on reducing methane emissions from the industry. The JGC Group is the first Japanese participant in the initiative.
Developments in methane emission reduction
A common greenhouse gas (GHG), methane has a greenhouse effect 28-84 times greater than that of CO2. Reducing these emissions would have a significant impact in efforts to curb global warming, which is why global efforts to reduce methane emissions are accelerating.
OGCI is a CEO-led initiative of 12 companies (including Aramco, ExxonMobil and Shell) that has spearheaded a variety of climate change activities in the oil and natural gas industry since January 2014. This particular project, launched in March 2022, aims for zero methane emissions from the oil and natural gas industry by 2030. Among the members are more than 40 European and American companies that provide solutions for methane measurement, reporting, verification (MRV), and reduction, who are taking proactive measures to eliminate emissions.
Background and goals of JGC participation
In addition to supporting the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) in establishing guidelines for calculating GHGs linked to LNG, hydrogen, and ammonia production, JGC Holdings has conducted GHG emission measurements at an ammonia production site in Indonesia and worked to develop MRV systems and improve techniques. Our participation in Aiming for Zero builds on such activities to date. Ongoing concerted efforts by JGC Holdings, including this initiative to reduce industrial methane emissions, reflect our belief that this reduction is a key step on the path toward decarbonization, and we will be accelerating efforts aimed at carbon neutrality by 2050.
In addition, the Japanese government’s policy to clean up the liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply chain, in particular, has been discussed at the “LNG Producer-Consumer Conference ” held by the Japanese government, and our efforts are in line with such policies of the Japanese government.
New JGC activities to reduce methane emissions
At the JGC R&D Center in Oarai, Ibaraki, JGC Holdings has also recently constructed a facility for evaluating methane emission measurement techniques. Domestic and overseas measurement equipment manufacturers can evaluate detection capabilities and develop technology for methane emission measurement, a field that is taking shape around the world. This broad collaboration will enable improved measurement capabilities and a more effective response to methane emissions.
With JOGMEC support, JGC invited five domestic and foreign companies possessing detection technologies to the facility in mid-February to test methane emission measurement. Specifically, in addition to Konica Minolta※1 and All Nippon Airways※2, U.S.-based SeekOps※3 and Europe-based The Sniffers※4 and Aeromon※5 conducted technical evaluations of their methane measurement. Results will be compiled by the end of March, yielding insight on usefulness and accuracy.
Future prospects
JGC has accelerated its energy transition initiatives, working toward a low-carbon future in line with the May 2021 long-term management vision and the medium-term business plan (2040 Vision and BSP 2025). We will continue to contribute to a smooth energy transition through superior GHG emission measurement and plant engineering technologies enabling low-GHG facilities.
1 Providing a fixed methane monitoring system utilizing lens design technology and image processing technology (mediated by sales agent Daiichi Jitsugyo Co.)
2 Verification of methane measurement method using remote sensing technology by aircraft, etc. is underway.
3 Service provider for direct measurement of methane using drones
4 Service provider that directly measures methane using hand-held sensors such as infrared cameras (Head office: Belgium
5 Service provider that directly measures methane using drones (Head office: Finland)
AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SeekOps Inc., a global leader in providing best-in-class sensors and actionable analytics to support both traditional and renewable energy sectors in their decarbonization efforts, today announced the addition of Paal Kibsgaard to their advisory board.
“It is my pleasure to welcome Paal to our advisory board,” said Iain Cooper, President and CEO of SeekOps. “Paal brings with him a wealth of experience in both deploying and managing operations on a global scale, in addition to a broad and influential network across all levels of the Energy business. Paal was instrumental in catalyzing Schlumberger’s efforts in the energy transition during his time as CEO, and this is reflected in this focus with SeekOps as we embark on our growth strategy.”
Paal Kibsgaard is currently a Partner with Veritec Ventures, an Early Stage Venture Capital company addressing the energy transition. He was previously Chairman and CEO of Schlumberger Ltd in addition to holding other senior management and operational positions. Mr. Kibsgaard was also Chairman of Borr Drilling, and holds a Master’s degree in petroleum engineering from the Norwegian Institute of Technology.
“I am excited to join the SeekOps Advisory Board as the company enters a new phase, focused on scaling up the operations and bringing their unique technology and answer products to a fast growing, global customer base.”
Paal joins Advisory Board Members David Cox, Founding Partner of the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas and Dr Simon Bittleston, Chairman of the International Scientific Advisory Board for GAPSTI at Cambridge University.
You might be surprised to know that landfills are a perfectly hospitable ecosystem for life. The phrase “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure” has never been more appropriate when considering the microbiological paradise created from organic, human waste.
In a typical landfill, organic waste such as food scraps and paper decompose and release methane gas. This gas is flammable, so it must be vented from the landfill to avoid explosions. The process of decomposition is driven by bacteria that thrive in the anaerobic (oxygen-less) conditions of the landfill.
These bacteria break down complex organic molecules into simpler ones that can be used as food by other organisms in the ecosystem. In this way, a single banana peel can end up feeding countless creatures over its time in the landfill!
This cycle of breaking down and recycling organic matter is essential for life on Earth. It’s estimated that every year, microorganisms living in landfills recycle about 1 billion tons (900 million metric tons) of carbon – that’s nearly 20% of what the United States emits annually.
What is landfill gas?
The decomposition of organic waste creates ‘landfill gas’ – largely made up of methane and other greenhouse gases. Methane is a powerful, climate-warming greenhouse gas that is around 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period.
How is methane used at landfills?
The methane that makes up landfill gas is considered renewable – it is created without the use of non-renewable fossil fuels. This methane, colloquially referred to as Renewable Natural Gas (RNG), can be used just like typical natural gas – as fuel for energy production, to heat homes, or power Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles.
RNG can be used in a number of ways:
Generating electricity in a gas-fired power plant
Scrubbed and used as fuel for natural gas vehicles
Supplying pipeline-quality natural gas to homes and businesses
What are some benefits of using RNG?
Landfill sites that offer RNG production can create a valuable resource out of something that has otherwise been sitting unused. In terms of air quality, burning RNG is much cleaner than burning fossil fuels. An overall reduction in total methane emissions can help to mitigate climate warming since RNG is derived from captured methane that would have otherwise been vented to the atmosphere. Its increased use can help improve local air quality by reducing emissions of other pollutants.
RNG offers a number of benefits over traditional fossil fuels:
RNG is a cleaner burning fuel, both lowering the abundance of atmospheric methane and emitting fewer harmful particulates than coal or oil when used to generate electricity.
Using RNG can displace the use of non-renewable fossil fuels, helping to reduce our reliance on these limited resources.
Producing RNG can create jobs and economic activity at landfill sites
Many operators have already realized this and implemented gas collection wells to capture the vented gas.
Why methane emissions from landfills need to be measured
The scale of landfill methane emissions
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), landfills make up almost 17% of methane emissions in the United States (see page ES-13 of the latest GHG Inventory Report). That’s about the same environmental impact as 110 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, or 23.5 million more cars on the road. If a single person were responsible for this environmental impact, it would look like one person driving an average gasoline-powered car 271 billion miles (which is like driving around the world 11 million times)!
A way to make methane from landfills useful
While this does qualify landfills as super emitters, it also presents an opportunity by way of RNG. What would have otherwise been flared or worse released into the atmosphere can instead increase revenue for landfills and also offer social gains.
The federal government recently put a price tag on the social cost of carbon dioxide emissions of $51 per metric ton. This makes landfill methane a socially-shared burden of nearly $5.6 billion US dollars.
The solution to landfill methane measurement
In order to turn landfill gas into RNG, it’s first important to find a solution that can accurately detect and quantify the amounts of methane emitted from landfills. There is also the need to monitor these emissions on the right time scale.
Since landfills are active living biomes, their emissions change daily with newly added waste and weather conditions. An automated solution can efficiently address this problem and benefit the environment and people living near the landfills.
Methods of landfill methane measurement
A variety of methane abatement strategies exist, but all include measurement and reporting. Some measurement technologies, like fixed monitors and OGI cameras assess emissions by making continuous measurements of fugitive methane. However, those technologies are limited because the sensors are at fixed locations and require methane to pass through them to be detected. Changing wind conditions can lead to large uncertainties when using this technology alone.
Satellites can measure snapshots of larger emissions of methane that are then aggregated over long periods of time. However, due to the nature of low-earth orbit and costly revisit times, monitoring is infrequent and limited by the weather conditions at the sites. Additionally, spatial resolution limitations make distinguishing emissions from active burial regions and waste-in-place regions nearly impossible. Fugitive emissions originating from gas collection wells and upgrading systems will remain ambiguous for landfill operators.
Lidar mounted on aircraft measures column-integrated methane concentrations. Local wind measurements or synthetic modeled wind data help to map these concentrations to a source and convert to an emission rate. However, aircraft themselves have GHG emissions and a larger carbon footprint than UAV. They also have coarse resolution making localization difficult for optimizing well placement on landfills. Scheduling and planning flights can be another difficult obstacle faced by large aircraft monitoring solutions.
The last method of methane measurement can characterize vertically resolved concentrations of methane in a way that is both flexible and timely. A sensor that uses Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (TDLAS) has been developed by SeekOps, Inc. and is mounted on small UAVs.
UAVs offer many advantages for methane sensing. They are lower cost, have shorter deployment times, and can fly in areas that are difficult or dangerous for manned aircraft. In addition, the data they collect is high-resolution and can be rapidly analyzed to provide actionable insights.
A summary of some of the commonly assessed pros and cons of existing technologies offering methane mass flow quantification is shown in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of different methane detection technologies. *Adapted from Fox et al. (2019). ** Adaptability refers to the mobility of the technology
SeekOps’ unique solution to quantifying methane gas at landfills
SeekOps monitors active methane sites throughout the country. At a recent site they were able to identify methane emissions that could have been making the site ~$30,000 per day in RIN credits (See case study in Figure 1). In this way, accurately measuring methane used for landfill RNG products is a win-win for both the landfill and the environment.
Figure 1 shows that the opportunities for RNG (specifically from landfills) are about 2-fold compared to those from Oil & Gas
An industry that has been an early adopter in quantifying methane is oil & gas. While the potential for methane mitigation and efficient energy production from oil & gas sites is great, the potential benefit from landfill sites is larger. RNG projects from landfills will have a huge impact on sourcing our global energy needs from renewable sources instead of non-renewable fossil-fuels.
SeekOps aggregated emissions data from surveys in the RNG and Oil & Gas sectors. They found that the RNG sector is leading mass flux emissions by about 2-fold. In other words, landfills emit about twice as much methane as Oil & Gas sites, even after accounting for size differences.
SeekOps service at a landfill site
The scope of landfills creating renewable natural gas
Landfills can be a great way to generate biogas and RNG revenue and provide a substantial alternative to gas from fossil fuels. The EPA shows in Figure 2 that there are currently over 60 landfill RNG projects ongoing in the US.
To this end, accurate monitoring should be the focus to maintain a close watch on lost methane. Unquantified emission rates could result in thousands of dollars of potential revenue lost each day, so special attention choosing an appropriate monitoring strategy is needed.
Figure 2: RNG operations for both Ag Digesters and Landfills (adapted from US EPA)
Landfills in the US emit around 4.4 million metric tons of methane (GHG Inventory, pp ES-13). If all of this methane were captured and traded in for RIN credits, this would amount to almost $10 billion USD per year. That equates to an average of $8 million USD annually to each of the 1,269 landfills currently operating in the US! Combining these savings with reduced operating costs originating from power generation from on-site RNG would greatly improve landfill operating efficiency in terms of dollars spent.
Why UAVs and highly-accurate sensors are the perfect fit for detecting landfill methane
Weather conditions and surface appearance at landfill sites can change by the minute, which makes accurately localizing methane emissions a difficult task. SeekOps uses UAVs to fly a wide array of patterns that capture the most accurate emissions for that snapshot in time(see Figure 3 for one example of this).
Figure 3: Schematic of a downwind flight pattern for quantifying landfill emissions. This illustrates a UAV “fluxplane” flight path along the entire downwind-edge of the landfill site. Repeat visits can happen as often as the landfill manager needs and as long as the wind direction is favorable.
For the TDLAS technology and the SeekOps service teams, there is no methane leak too small or too tall – as the UAV can fly vertical patterns up until methane is no longer observed. In other words landfill sites can benefit by understanding exactly the impact their operations are having on the surrounding environment while also equating that escaped methane to income by way of RIN credits.
Landfills are large and have dynamic topology as new waste is added every day to active disposal sites. An autonomous and repeatable flight program by UAV means sites can be monitored as frequently as the operators see fit.
Accurately understanding emissions will help to make on-site biogas and RNG programs more efficient in the future. By offering a solution that optimizes measurement frequency, spatial resolution, and flexibility, SeekOps’ technology can help landfill sites quantify and capture emissions to improve their environmental footprint and operational efficiency.
Get in touch with SeekOps
SeekOps has ever-growing operations around the world and continues to add more locations across oil & gas and RNG. If you have a landfill operation that could benefit from actionable and accurate methane localization and quantification, reach out today.
SeekOps service operations as of Dec. 2022
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Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Cookie
Duration
Description
_ga
2 years
The _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
_ga_TN19KLJ25T
2 years
This cookie is installed by Google Analytics.
CONSENT
2 years
YouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Cookie
Duration
Description
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE
5 months 27 days
A cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface.
YSC
session
YSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages.
yt-remote-connected-devices
never
YouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
yt-remote-device-id
never
YouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
yt.innertube::nextId
never
This cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.
yt.innertube::requests
never
This cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.
