Application: UAV Oil&Gas
Characterizing Tracer Flux Ratio Methods for Methane Emission Quantification Using Small Unmanned Aerial System - Alaba et al. 2025
This study introduces a drone-based approach using small unmanned aerial systems equipped with precision gas sensors to measure methane (CH₄) alongside co-released tracers (ethane and nitrous oxide), testing arc-shaped flight paths and alternative ratio estimation methods to enhance tracer-based emission quantification accuracy under real-world constraints. Controlled releases demonstrated that arc flights achieved stronger plume capture and higher correlations between CH₄ and tracer concentrations compared to traditional paths, with the cumulative sum method yielding the lowest relative error (as low as 3.3%) under ideal mixing, while the arc pattern overall provided the most robust performance with minimal error and uncertainty across configurations. These results highlight a practical, scalable UAV method for reducing biases in downwind plume measurements of methane emissions, particularly suited to complex environments and facility-scale applications where ground-based techniques often fall short.
Airborne in situ quantification of methane emissions from oil and gas production in Romania - Maazallahi et al. 2025
Romania, a major oil and gas producer in the EU, has substantial methane mitigation potential to support EU climate goals, yet comprehensive emission quantification has been limited. During the 2019 ROMEO campaign, we conducted aircraft-based in situ measurements with two planes and derived top-down CH₄ emission estimates using mass balance flights and atmospheric model simulations. Results reveal large variability among production clusters, highlighting the role of super-emitters and possibly differing operational or maintenance practices. Annual emissions from southern Romania’s oil and gas infrastructure are estimated at 227 ± 86 kt CH₄ yr⁻¹, in good agreement with concurrent ground-based site-level measurements. Despite challenges from low-wind conditions, comparisons of measured and simulated plumes, as well as large-scale raster and mass balance flights, indicate that emission factors from sampled clusters are representative of broader regions. These airborne findings confirm significant under-reporting of Romanian O&G methane emissions to the UNFCCC in 2019 and substantial underestimation in the EDGAR v7.0 inventory for the study domain.
A New Technique for Airborne Measurements to Quantify Methane Emissions Over a Wide Range: Implementation and Validation - Dooley et al. 2024
Methane (CH₄), a potent greenhouse gas with 84 times the 20-year global warming potential of CO₂, originates from biogenic (e.g., wetlands, ruminants) and thermogenic (fossil fuel) sources. Thermogenic emissions, dominant in the oil and gas sector, are identifiable by co-emitted ethane (C₂H₆). We developed an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) — a vertical-takeoff hexarotor UAV equipped with a fast (1 Hz), sensitive (1–2 ppb s⁻¹) CH₄ & C₂H₆ sensor and ultrasonic anemometer — capable of vertical profiling to 120 m and plume sampling over 1 km scales. The system enables direct quantification of point and distributed sources (0.04–1500 kg h⁻¹), simultaneous CH₄/C₂H₆ and wind measurements for source classification (biogenic vs. thermogenic), and emission rate determination without atmospheric modeling or wind assumptions. Deployed across the Southwest United States, the UAS has validated performance and quantified sources at or below the detection limits of aircraft and satellite methods, providing complementary high-resolution data for regional surveys and local monitoring.
Advanced Leak Detection Methods for Belowground Natural Gas Pipeline Leaks: Evaluation under Diverse Environmental and Operational Conditions - Gundapuneni et al. 2026
Advanced leak detection (ALD) methods improve natural gas infrastructure safety and reduce methane emissions. While effective for aboveground leaks, they struggle with belowground leaks due to complex subsurface migration and diffuse surface plumes.This study evaluated walking, driving, and simulated UAV-based surveys at controlled leak rates (0.5, 5, and 10 slpm) over two years at METEC and FERL, testing varied conditions like gas composition, soil moisture/permeability, urban geometry, sloped terrain (5% grade), and snow cover.Probability of detection (POD) varied widely (0–100%) by method and conditions.
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Walking surveys excelled, achieving >90% POD in most scenarios, including snow, moist soils, and slopes.
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Driving and UAV surveys reached up to 100% POD in dry, open areas but dropped sharply (>80 percentage points) in snow or urban settings.
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Gas composition affected results: DJ and Permian Basin gases (with heavier hydrocarbons) boosted walking POD but reduced it for driving/UAV compared to distribution-grade gas.
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Low soil permeability cut driving POD by up to 36 pp; moist soils reduced UAV POD by up to 79 pp.
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In urban areas, UAV POD fell 88 pp at 15 m downwind and detected no elevated CH₄ under snow.
These results highlight ALD performance's strong dependence on environmental/operational factors, informing better protocols and strategies.Measurements utilized the Aeris MIRA Strato CH₄/C₂H₆ analyzer for high-sensitivity CH₄ and C₂H₆ detection.
Impacts of mixed hydrocarbon compositions on the probability of detection of belowground pipeline leaks using mobile survey methods - Kolodziejet al. 2026
Natural gas (NG) is mostly methane (CH₄), but hydrocarbon ratios (ethane, propane, etc.) vary by basin and supply chain segment. This variability affects subsurface transport, surface expression, and atmospheric release from belowground leaks, complicating detection. This study tested four controlled 5 slpm belowground releases at METEC (Colorado State University), using: distribution-grade NG (85% CH₄), a 70% CH₄ control, and blends mimicking Permian Basin and Denver-Julesburg (DJ) Basin gases. Measurements utilized the Aeris Technologies MIRA CH₄/C₂H₆ analyzer for high-precision, simultaneous methane and ethane detection.
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Walking surveys: DJ and Permian compositions yielded POD 2.5× and 0.8× higher than distribution-grade, likely due to heavier hydrocarbons increasing vapor density, enhancing lateral migration and larger surface plumes.
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Driving and SUAV surveys: showed negligible, non-significant differences from distribution-grade; variations were more likely environmental than composition-driven.