A new project in collaboration with industry partners and the University of Calgary aims to improve the efficiency, quality, and safety of methane leak detection and repair
December 7, 2021, CALGARY, ALBERTA – Calgary-based IoT connected worker platform pioneer SensorUp is pleased to announce it has received funding through Alberta Innovates to tackle one of the most pressing issues facing the oil and gas sector: improving the efficiency, quality and safety of methane leak detection and repair.
A potent greenhouse gas, methane leaks can be found in agricultural operations, landfills, oil and gas production, as well as urban distribution pipes for natural gas. Frequently these leaks can go undetected for months or years.
According to estimates from the IEA the oil and gas sector emitted around 70 Mt of methane (approximately 2.1 Gt CO2-eq) in 2020, equivalent to just over 5% of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions.
“Methane emissions represent a monumental threat to our climate. There is no single methane sensing technology that meets the accuracy, spatio-temporal resolution, and low-cost requirements to detect emissions. Current methane emission management solutions are fragmented and are developed without standards, ultimately leading to a complex network of incompatible sensing solutions that should interrelate but don’t,” explains Steve Liang, CTO of SensorUp.
Working with industry partners and researchers from the University of Calgary, SensorUp plans to leverage its current IoT connected worker platform to integrate and aggregate disparate existing and new methane sensing technologies, such as satellites, drones, fixed-wing fly-overs, vehicle-based systems, continuous in-situ monitoring stations and handheld devices. Then in partnership with the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), create a new international open standard designed specifically for methane data exchange, based on existing well-adopted sensor web standards.
“Alberta’s innovative companies are creating new technologies, solving key industry challenges and pushing the limits of scientific development. This project is a perfect example of a shovel-ready project that will accelerate innovation in our province, reduce GHG emissions, increase long-term economic competitiveness, create high-value jobs, and stimulate growth within key sectors of Alberta’s economy.” says Doug Schweitzer, Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation.
SensorUp
SensorUp provides industry leaders with the standards-based, real-time industrial-grade digital nervous system that unifies any data, any sensor, and any format. We empower the connected worker of the future by applying intelligent automation for productivity, safety, quality, and job satisfaction. With the SensorUp platform, heavy-asset industries including oil and gas, construction, utilities, logistics, public safety, and military are fortified to make real-time decisions and identify often overlooked hidden patterns and predict outcomes—resulting in millions of dollars in cost savings while increasing worker health, safety, and job satisfaction. Learn more at www.sensorup.com
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For further information
Ellyn Winters-Robinson
Ignition Communications (North American PR for SensorUp)
Mobile: 519-574-2196
Email: ellyn@ignition.ca