Reducing Methane Emissions with Picarro’s Natural Gas Asset Management Solution 

Picarro is the industry leader in advanced leak detection and emissions quantification for natural gas distribution. Picarro’s Asset Management Solution is a hardware-enabled data analytics platform that combines mobile methane emissions measurements and other data sources with powerful analytics, enabling natural gas operators to manage their networks to be more safe, clean and cost-effective than ever before, increasing capital efficiency while simultaneously reducing risk in their infrastructure.

For leak surveys, analytics rank leak indications by potential risk which allows utilities to focus on the most important leaks, keeping backlogs under control and maximizing the risk reduction impact per dollar of expense. For Distribution Integrity Management Program (DIMP) models, pipe segments are ranked by emissions and predicted leak density to better inform capital pipe replacement priorities, providing significant operations and maintenance (O&M) cost avoidance due to avoided leaks. Emissions are reduced by targeting the highest-emitting leaks within the infrastructure.

KEY APPLICATIONS

Emissions Quantification & Reduction

Five percent of "super emitter" leaks in gas networks account for 50% of emissions within a gas infrastructure. Using Picarro’s solution, these can be identified for accelerated repair. More than 2/3 of large leaks, also known as super emitter leaks, are hazardous. Identifying them is critical and repairing them provides an instant system risk reduction.

Advanced Leak Detection & Compliance Leak Survey

Traditional surveys have been shown to have a 66% false negative rate for finding hazardous leaks. Picarro’s solution using proprietary Risk Ranking Analytics increases safety by finding 3 times more hazardous leaks in half the time, at the same leak survey and repair budget. Odor calls can be reduced by 15% annually.

Pipe Replacement Optimization

Using Picarros’ solution, 1.5 times more leaks can be remediated through pipe replacement. This could mean up to $35,000 in additional O&M costs avoided per mile of pipe replaced than with existing risk models. A utility with 10,000 miles of mains, replacing 1% annually, could see up to $3.5M recurring annual O&M cost avoidance.

Overview Video: Picarro’s Natural Gas Asset Management Solution

Additional case studies:

• Measuring Whole-Facility Emissions
• Meeting Emission Reduction Requirements

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