What are the true risks and losses of pipeline gas leaks? 


This article was originally published in the Bakken Oil Journal, Spring 2020

The costs are real, and money is just the beginning. 

LaSen, Inc. has been in the aerial LiDAR leak detection business since 2002 flying our innovative laser sensor over 500,000 miles of pipelines and detecting 40,000 leaks. Our own R & D and database of scanned customer assets tells us that, on a typical day in North America, in any 500 mile stretch of pipeline, 10 leaks need attention. That may not sound like a big problem—that is unless it’s your pipeline. 

Consider the costs to your gas company if, for example, a 1/16” leak (considered small) spews at 400 psi at a retail gas price of $2.00. If undetected for 1 year, this mini leak will cost your company $28,000 in revenue. That’s a lot of money literally vaporizing. Loss of revenue in one year for 500-mile segment (average 10 leaks per 500 miles), which could be a fraction of your total pipeline, comes to $280,000.

Saving your pipeline saves everything.

An airborne pipeline leak-detection system saves your revenues, saves your resources, improves public safety, and protects the Earth from renegade hydrocarbons. Faulty pipelines are a significant contributor of greenhouse gases. Millions of miles of oil and gas pipeline snake across the nation, with much of that infrastructure built 30 to 50 years ago. Corroding pipes and small leaks are often the precursor to preventable events…on your watch.

So, what can you do?  

Find the leak fast. Fix the leak fast. But here’s the challenge. Traditional leak detection for pipelines and facilities relied on human senses. The rancher, landowner, or leaseholder looked for changes in vegetation and soil substrate while listening for telltale hissing.

Fortunately, technology advanced providing the operator with multiple techniques: flame ionization detectors, gas sniffers, laser detection, and OGI cameras. These are all fine techniques but hand held devices and vehicle mounted devices are subject to human error. Walking and driving pipelines is a time-consuming strain on your resources. 

 

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To win, take to the skies

Aerial superiority, united with state-of-the-art tech is the only way to win the fight. LaSen uses aerial LiDAR leak detection with aerial methane detection sensitivity. Sounds complicated but it's actually quite simple. LaSen has developed a payload that employs a laser tuned to the absorption bands of methane and other hydrocarbons. The system is mounted to an airborne platform: helicopter, airplane, or UAV. Laser energy is projected at the asset from a calculated altitude. When the laser passes over any emitted methane the gas absorbs a finite quantity of laser light. The laser return is diminished and the exact location of the methane and the leak is marked precisely with GPS coordinates. The location of the leak is also marked on a map with pictures of the indication. The next business morning following the survey, LaSen comprehensive reports are available to our pipeline operators who can then deploy ground technicians directly to the indications to verify and fix the leak quickly and efficiently. 

Geeking out over ALPIS 

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The laser in ALPIS is tuned in the mid IR region at 3200 nm. The absorption band of methane at 3200 nm is 100X stronger than the absorption bands in the near IR region. ALPIS is the only available system that operates at 3200 nm. All other aerial laser detection technologies operate in the near IR (~1650 nm) making ALPIS 100X more sensitive than any airborne or ground based technolgies.

LaSen reports will quantify leaks down to 5 ppm. The operator can prioritize LiDAR by eliminating large leaks. Of course, small leaks will eventually manifest themselves into larger leaks and it is imperative to be cognizant of ALL existing leaks. 

  • The ALPIS laser footprint is 1600 sq ft. 

  • LaSen owns and operates 5 Bell 206 jet rangers located across the country. 

  • All technicians are OQ trained to locate encroachments, AOCs, and anomalies. 

  • All pilots and technicians are employed full time by LaSen. Their focus is to fly pipelines and Oil and gas facilities.  

LaSen’s goal is to save people, resources, and the earth. 

 Let’s go find it.

  • Minimize harmful methane emissions 

  • Prevent revenue and resource losses 

  • Reduce risk to your communities

  • Save the Earth

Troy Dominy