SeekOps methane emissions detection and quantification

Originally developed by NASA for ultra-sensitive methane measurement on Mars as part of the Curiosity Mars Rover mission, the SeekIR Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectrometer (TDLAS) sensor has been optimised for field use closer to home. Lightweight enough at 0.6kg to be easily carried by a drone, the device is sensitive to less than ten parts per billion of methane. Measuring methane concentration in the air passing through the sensor ten times per second allows a detailed concentration profile along the flight path to be obtained and transmitted to a ground station in real time. On-site wind data is simultaneously recorded. 

The drone-agnostic system is fully self-contained and can be deployed by most enterprise-grade UAVs.  Missions can be executed manually or autonomously and repeated easily and efficiently.

Proprietary processing is performed on the concentration data to create a cross-section of the methane plume which is then combined with wind data to yield a mass flow rate. Further processing can help localise the source to the equipment group level. This result allows users to meet requirements for top-down site/facility level methane measurements for internal and external use, for example to meet OGMP 2.0 Level 5 standard. Proven in multiple independent trials the service can be used at onshore and offshore oil and gas facilities, biogas facilities and landfills.