LongPath Technologies first to receive federal and state approval for emissions-monitoring technology

World Oil Staff January 03, 2023

(WO) — LongPath Technologies is the first emissions-monitoring technology to be approved by both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) for use as an Alternative Approved Instrument Measurement Method (Alt. AIMM) in Colorado.

Building off LongPath's accuracy in quantifying emissions rates proven in peer-reviewed METEC blind testing and advanced work practices, LongPath is the only continuous and quantitative monitoring solution to receive approval by meeting Colorado's Regulation 7 emissions monitoring requirements for oil and gas methane leaks, aside from OGI camera approaches.

In addition to the landmark regulatory approval in Colorado, LongPath has been approved for New Mexico's ALARM, or Advanced Leak and Repair Monitoring, program. This allows the patented continuous emissions detection and quantification technology to be used for carbon accounting in that state.

LongPath also meets the continuous-monitoring criteria outlined in the EPA's proposed supplemental methane rule standards of performance for oil and gas facilities.

The draft EPA Methane Rule and Colorado's Air Quality Control Commission Regulation 7 require regular equipment inspections for methane leaks across all new and existing oil and natural gas production and compression facilities.

Colorado's Regulation 7 requirements are among the most stringent in the nation for identifying and repairing leaks of the potent greenhouse gas methane.

LongPath's approvals by Colorado and New Mexico allow oil and gas operators to use continuous and quantitative methane emissions monitoring, a more effective and efficient means for leak mitigation than time-consuming and costly manual checks imposed by existing rules.

Increasingly, regulatory standards, reporting rules, certified and differentiated gas standards and international protocols for sustainably produced gas are prioritizing valid quantification and continuous monitoring for oil and gas leaks, which can occur spontaneously across the millions of distributed assets that produce, process and transport fuels.

These leaks can contribute substantially to global greenhouse gas emissions and undercut operational efficiencies for the oil and gas industry.

LongPath Technologies is a leading provider of scalable technology to continuously monitor and quantify methane emissions. LongPath systems are uniquely flexible and allow operators to tailor measurement frequency, quantification rigor, detection thresholds, and alert modality to match facility types, operational goals, and budget constraints.

Each LongPath system offers flexible ranges of coverage, from a single site to 20+ sites across 20 square miles. LongPath is the only solution to provide operators with real-time, actionable insights via quantification and equipment-level localization capabilities vetted through a peer-reviewed blind-tested methodology.

Recent aggregated METEC results from Colorado State University ADED tests reveal that other continuous monitoring approaches using point sensors and cameras are not able to provide reliable quantification. However, peer-reviewed results from LongPath's blinded trials at METEC demonstrate high accuracy for emission rate quantification and leak-location pinpointing.

"We at LongPath are incredibly proud of the work we have done to prove the validity and utility of our methane emissions data and work practices. Together, they allow operators to maximize the efficiency of their operations and meet regulatory compliance and protocol standards. We are confident that no matter what protocols or rules come down the pipeline, from OGMP 2.0 to the evolving federal regulations, this system will be able to provide compliance-proven, high-quality data at the lowest cost for the market," said LongPath's CEO, Ian Dickinson.

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