Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is an ongoing challenge for all industries, and a particular focus for Australia’s future energy exports. Decarbonisation of the energy industry requires effort across the whole value chain, including production and processing, in addition to capturing combustion emissions. Throughout the LNG ecosystem, so-called fugitive emissions can result from incomplete combustion, venting and methane slip. The ability to measure the magnitude and location of these fugitive emissions is crucial to efficiently allocating resources for mitigation.
Previous projects through the FEnEx CRC have tested the methane detection capability of individual apparatus including a FLIR GFx620 camera (Teledyne FLIR), GMP02 QOGI Camera (Konica Minolta), GFM 2.0 High Volume Sampler (Add Globe) and Semtech Hi Flow 2 Sampler (Sensors Inc). These tests were initially conducted at the laboratory scale, for methane release rates up to 10 slpm (0.4 kg/hr). More recently, an enhanced testing capability at a pilot scale outdoors facility has been developed.
This facility is presently located at UWA’s Shenton Park campus and designed to handle release rates up to 2000 slpm (80 kg/hr) and test the ability of detection technologies to accurately characterise these leaks. This project proposal seeks to expand and scale-up the existing facility, as follows:
1) Conduct further testing on the FLIR GFx620 camera from Teledyne with the addition of its tethered tablet, to identify any resultant improvement in quantification performance.
2) Develop a test-bed for sensors capable of monitoring cost-effectively (relative to process GCs) the composition of gas being routed to flare. A test campaign will be based around two recently released sensors: the XMTCpro from Baker Hughes and the T1000 Natural Gas Analyser from Tunable.
3) Develop a plan for relocating to extended facility to the Kwinana Energy Transformation Hub as the space becomes available.
The intent is for this extended testing facility to act as an independent, Australian based verification capability for local industry in assessing technologies for detection of methane emissions, both in terms of leaks and assessing flare systems. This will assist local industry in transitioning to Method 2 for fugitive emissions accounting under Australia’s National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting.
Partners: The University of Western Australia, Woodside Energy Ltd, INPEX Holdings Australia Pty Ltd
Project Researcher: Dr Bruce Norris
Duration: 1 year