California Baseline Methane Survey: Identification of Large Fugitive Methane Emitters from the Natural Gas Sector
Identifying potential super emitters using instrumented research aircraft
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Recipient
Washington, DC
Recipient Location
$600,000
Amount Spent
Completed
Project Status
Project Result
The research team conducted a comprehensive survey of facilities and components in California using an airborne imaging spectrometer capable of rapidly mapping methane plumes. The work spanned all sectors, resulting in the detection, geolocation, and quantification of 562 strong methane point sources. Estimated emissions from them contribute more than a 33% of the State's methane inventory for 2016. Super-emitter occurred in every surveyed sector. This work highlights the potential for point source monitoring to enable mitigation of a broad class of super-emitters, representing a significant contribution to California's climate stabilization targets, reduced natural gas product loss, and early warning of potentially hazardous leaks. CARB is using the findings to inform their oil & gas emission regulation and GHG inventory.
The Issue
Knowledge of the sources and distribution of fugitive methane emissions is critical given the importance of this high global warming potential greenhouse gas and ozone precursor. Methane emissions from the natural gas system can substantially degrade the climate benefits of natural gas in comparison with other fuels. Preliminary evidence suggests that a small number of emitters contribute a large portion of total emissions in the natural gas system. To mitigate the climate impact, it is critical to quickly and accurately identify these emission sources.
Project Innovation
This project delivered a database of methane point source candidates with spatial coordinates, plume imagery, and a summary report, including attribution analysis. Researchers conducted a systematic survey of California methane point sources of the natural gas system. The results help identify large methane emitting facilities. This product can both inform near-term decision-making by California agencies such as the Air Resources Board (CARB) and natural gas facility operators, and it can serve as a baseline to enable potential future monitoring and verification of mitigation efforts by CARB.
Project Benefits
This project provided new insights into California's methane inventory. Specifically, the research team has conducted the first systematic assessment of the relative contributions of methane point sources including their distribution by space, time, and sector. This work also highlights the potential for efficient point source monitoring techniques to directly enable mitigation of a broad class of methane super-emitters, representing a significant contribution to California's climate stabilization targets.
Environmental Sustainability
The project provided an effective method to quickly identify large methane emitters from California's natural gas system. It also generated a database of emitting sources. The results help state and local agencies and stakeholders to prioritize mitigation efforts of the large contributors.
Key Project Members
Andrew Aubrey
Subrecipients
Twin Otter International
