Reducing volatile organic emissions for compliance, safety and profit.

The article reports on the development of a technology for detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that leak during oil and gas production. A camera has been developed that can show various sources of emission like small leaks from valves, pipe threads or pneumatic devices on a component-by-component basis. Although the camera does not differentiate between various hydrocarbon gases, but it does give some clues. Through the camera, the velocity of the escaping gas appears greater with increasing flowrates which help in making qualitative judgments regarding the source of leakage. However, there is a limitation with the camera, it is the ability to see leaks depends on good weather conditions as bad weather can obscure the image.