To manage methane emissions at gas and oil production facilities, companies like BP use a process called flaring, or the controlled burning of gas during production, to eliminate hydrocarbons that cannot be recovered or recycled. However, some unburnt methane, the main component of natural gas and a potent greenhouse gas, can escape into the environment during this process.
To help measure and manage these emissions, Lockheed Martin is using imaging technology developed for tactical fighter jets to develop an infrared camera that uses video imaging spectral radiometry (VISR) to measure how efficiently flaring can consume these emissions.
The VISR flare monitor is the first monitoring platform that measures methane gas emissions entering the environment. BP has used the camera at production sites in Angola and Alaska and is dispatching them to four additional facilities this year.
A three-company team manufactures the VISR flare monitor. Lockheed Martin manufactures the infrared sensor at its Santa Barbara facility. Surface Optics designed and manufactures the VISR multispectral camera, while a team from Providence Photonics provides software that analyzes the IR imagery to help optimize the flaring process.
In addition to monitoring flare stacks, these cameras can help companies continuously optimize combustion as part of a permanent system. This will aid environmental efficiency and help maintain compliance with EPA regulations.
