Continuous Monitoring and Emissions Compliance

By: Bonnie Ellwood

The oil and gas industry faces new challenges with the EPA’s Methane Rules and the Waste Emission Charge. Compliance is becoming complex, requiring a strategic technology plan to optimize field operations. At Qube Technologies, we provide Continuous Monitoring (CM) technologies and support for the oil and gas industry.

Qube focuses exclusively on CM technology, offering hardware, software, and experienced technical teams. Our software and algorithms predict and place CM devices at optimal locations to maximize emissions localization and quantification.

For one multi-national operator, we optimized CM device placement and with a successful pilot, we expanded to 100 sites across three major production areas, placing CM devices for effective emissions identification and reduction based on compliance thresholds.

Beyond device placement, we set up alarms and notifications with the customer and Qube experts, enabling proactive emissions management. This process integrated into field operations, ensuring swift emissions response and reducing super emitter exposure.

Within the first year, Qube's devices demonstrated over 90% emissions reduction, with high emission events dropping from 100/month to 10/month or less. With this reduction, the amount of vehicle trips to the location was reduced by 70%. This validated Qube's CM technology's precision and efficiency in identifying and addressing emissions.

Figure 1: Emissions Reduction and Compliance Use Case

Additional Operational and Compliance Benefits

Low emission levels reduce annual operating expenses by targeting sites with actual emission issues. Continuous monitoring allows for operation by exception, per the new OOOOb regulations. With OOOOb applicable sites, mandatory field inspections will be halved as rates fall below EPA 7-day and 90-day action levels, leading to ongoing savings. Qube’s CM technology enables an active approach, redefining procedures for emissions identification and mitigation.

Qube's CM technology demonstrates the potential of proactive emissions management to ensure compliance and reduce costs. Leveraging data-driven insights and CM results in operational emissions reductions and field efficiency gains. As regulations evolve with the Waste Emission Charge, Qube remains a partner for the oil and gas industry, providing essential emissions management technology and guiding customers toward lower emissions and reduced expenses.