Improving Plant Safety through IR Gas Cloud Imaging

Loss of containment in the oil and gas and chemical process industries can have undesirable safety and environmental consequences. If leaks are not discovered at an early stage, they can accumulate into dangerous gas clouds that can ignite and create explosions or inflict harm as toxic agents. A recent report by British Petroleum estimates a single cavity pressure vent at an unmanned offshore platform released approximately 500 m (18 mcf) of hydrocarbon gas per day or the equivalent of ₤10,000 ($19,900) over a four week period. The same report estimates the oil and gas concern loses about 4,000 tons of natural gas per year due to fugitive emissions.