Leak Detection Using Remote Sensing

How do you repair a leak you can’t even see?

Some leaks are easy to detect – a dripping faucet, a trickle from an oil tank – because we can actually see them. But what happens when the leak is invisible to the human eye? This has been a huge challenge facing both petroleum refineries and government agencies over the last few decades. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) leaking from refineries are hard to detect using traditional methods which are expensive, time-consuming, and not always effective. Meanwhile, these “fugitive emissions” continue to leak from facilities, threatening human health and the natural environment.

What’s the answer?

Both the private and public sector are embracing a new method in leak detection: remote sensing. To find out more about the problem of “fugitive emissions,” why remote sensing is a great solution to catching these emissions, and how it all works, check out the slide show below!

Want to Learn More?

Watch this video and fly over barges along the Mississippi River with an IR camera.
Listen to Myron Knudson describe these boats’ emissions. (Running time = 47 seconds)

Watch this video taken with an IR camera to see what escapes from the pump
when you’re filling up your gas tank. (Running time = 6 seconds)