LDAR Is Not One Size Fits All

Management of component leaks is a multi-faceted element facing operations (OPS), engineering (ENG), maintenance (MNT), and environmental (ENV) personnel; therefore, it requires a well-coordinated multi-faceted strategy to identify and mitigate.?It has heightened importance with: 1) increased regulatory oversight (recent Appendix K update), 2) inclusion of alternative monitoring technologies in recent rulemaking accounting for the continual emergence of new and improved leak detection technology, and 3) increase in NGO utilization of this technology for their own proactive surveys.?

The tremendous technological strides made by the likes of ChampionX, OpGal, FLIR, Kuma, Minolta, SeekOps, Bridger, Kairos, Encino, GHGSat, Flyability, and others now give all parties more proverbial tools to address this issue.?Pollutant quantification has been a glaring gap, but even that is slowly narrowing with these advances.?Hand-held, mobile CEMS, and aerial surveys (drone, airplane, or satellite) have their own detection, operational and cost limitations, so it’s not a one-size fits all combination for everyone. Now, I’m still old school and enjoy conducting the hand-held OGI surveys at the ground-level.?However, I understand that a combination of monitoring strategies is needed if the true goals of risk mitigation, improved performance and emission reductions are to be achieved.?

?As we all know, finding the leak is just the first step.?Leak mitigation is the next step and that is where all programs are a continual “work in progress”.?This is where the coordination among OPS, MNT and ENV and a mutual agreement on the path forward are pivotal.?The aforementioned technological combination can drive improvement through more accurate root-cause analyses of the leaks.?

·????????OPS will help identify: 1) operational parameters and/or practices, 2) added/improved alerts notifications, 3) improved operator checklists.?

·????????MNT as it can evaluate and update maintenance procedures and frequencies, particularly if specific components are repeat offenders.?

·????????ENG can review P&ID’s, design and process flows to identify potential improvements or retrofits for current equipment and future projects.?

Goal Zero is attainable if we work together to think out of the proverbial “box” and?leave no stone unturned.?Just my two cents.??