GasFinderAB Airborne Monitoring Platform

Many of the world's natural gas transmission pipelines cross undeveloped and sparsely populated land. Natural vegetation quickly grows back after a pipeline has been laid, making it practically impossible to implement ground based survey programs to detect leaks. Yet that doesn't negate the need for periodic leak detection surveys. Leaking natural gas can cause both loss of life and loss of revenue. The obvious environmental hazard of leaking gases is compounded by loss of product. In some parts of the world, it is estimated that such losses exceed 15% of gas transmitted.

Boreal Laser's GasFinderAB system makes it possible to routinely and inexpensively survey pipelines for leaks. Mounted on either a fixed-wing aircraft or helicopter, GasFinderAB can immediately detect the presence of elevated levels of methane in the air above a pipeline. GasFinderAB was developed to be used within normal visual inspection flight parameters. Sampling 3 times per second, measurements are updated for every 10m of pipeline covered at a ground speed of 108 kph, or every 15m at a ground speed of 162 kph. Synchronized GPS precisely locates elevated methane readings.

Applications

The primary application for GasFinderAB has been the monitoring of natural gas pipelines for leaks. In service since 1997, Boreal airborne methane lasers have seen numerous pipeline leaks which otherwise would have gone undetected. In the event of an accident, pipeline owners can demonstrate due diligence by producing a computer disc record of the last flight over the affected place in the pipeline, showing the methane content of the air at that place at that time. Pipeline operations subject to vandalism or sabotage in addition to naturally-induced leaks can benefit greatly by the more frequent monitoring made economical by GasFinder AB. Besides CH4, GasFinderAB can be outfitted to detect H2S, HF, NH3, or CO2.