FLIR and CleanConnect.ai enable remote tank level monitoring and gas detection in Colorado
The United States is the world's leading oil and gas producing country, and the state of Colorado is a notable producer in the U.S. market. Colorado's new regulations have mandated a higher level of emissions control and environmental protection. Colorado oil and gas producers are turning to FLIR and CleanConnect.ai for an intelligent solution that leverages thermal imaging and artificial intelligence for 24/7 remote tank level monitoring for gas detection.
TANK GAUGING AND LEAK DETECTION
There are more than 900,000 active oil and gas wells in the United States. CleanConnect.ai believes that within three years, approximately 10,000 of these facilities in the U.S. and Canada will be remotely monitored and managed by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to achieve autonomous environmental compliance, field operations and predictive optimization. With the passage of new environmental regulations, oil and gas producers in states like Colorado are looking for solutions that enable remote tank level monitoring and optical gas imaging (OGI) to mitigate emissions. Companies like Teledyne FLIR and CleanConnect.ai are at the forefront of this technology push, providing tank gauging and OGI solutions to improve operational efficiency, meet regulatory compliance and support energy independence.
APPLICATIONS TO NEW REGULATIONS
Tank level monitoring is an essential practice in oil and gas well sites. Measuring tank levels allows maintenance teams to ensure there are no overflows and to know when the tank is empty. Depending on the application, measurement can also help calculate tank flow rates and identify possible interfaces between materials that can cause buildup (mud) or emulsions.
Traditionally, operators have used guided wave radar for tank maintenance, which involves opening the "thief hatch" at the top of the tank. Opening the thief hatch is a major emitter of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which damages the environment and poses safety concerns for workers. In the state of Colorado, Senate Bill 19-181 (SB 19-181) strictly prohibits the opening of thief hatches for these reasons, with specific hydrocarbon controls through oil and gas emissions outlined in Colorado Regulation 7. All of this makes non-invasive, remotely operated tank level monitoring solutions a necessity.
Another facet of Colorado SB 19-181 is the requirement for real-time monitoring of gas emissions. Currently, many facilities employ leak detection and repair (LDAR) equipment to inspect for leaks and record the results every 30 days. But this solution can be labor intensive, as there are often hundreds, if not thousands, of components to inspect at numerous locations.
Even if operators were to hire ten times as many LDAR teams, it would be nearly impossible for the teams to provide continuous monitoring of gas emissions for the 43,000 zones in Colorado alone. This makes finding a stand-alone solution crucial to meet industry regulations, reduce operating costs and increase site efficiency.
CREATING AN INNOVATIVE SOLUTION
Following emerging environmental laws in the oil and gas market, CleanConnect.ai began developing a solution that would leverage AI and thermal imaging to help oil and gas operators achieve compliance. Looking for a thermal imaging provider, the team approached market leader Teledyne FLIR in January 2020 to collaborate on an innovative solution.
"CleanConnect.ai's COO and co-founder, David Conley," said FLIR has been excellent from the beginning. "FLIR has years of OGI experience in the oil and gas market and understood our vision. FLIR was already up to date on the latest regulations and was eager to see the project succeed."
OGI cameras provide detection from a safe distance and show gas leaks as visible clouds of smoke. This can be displayed in color or black and white as shown above.
For more than a decade, FLIR has developed industry-leading infrared gas detection cameras that visualize gas leaks of various types. A proven solution of fixed and pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) thermal imagers enables maintenance teams to calibrate tank levels, identify potential gas leaks and monitor assets. FLIR thermal imaging cameras provide superior image quality, producing analysis-optimized video that can also meet demanding leak detection requirements.
"Since FLIR introduced optical gas imaging in 2005 with our FLIR GasFindIR camera, we have worked with industry leaders globally to ensure operators have the right gas detection technology solutions for their needs." said Craig O'Neill, global director of solutions for the oil and gas industry at FLIR. "This new collaboration with CleanConnect.ai is a great way to help oil and gas leaders save money and improve the environment by keeping gas in the system."
Based in Berthoud, Colorado, CleanConnect.ai was founded with the purpose of protecting the oil and gas industry while contributing to a cleaner environment. By providing high-performance AI software, CleanConnect.ai technology helps oil and gas producers increase site profitability and regulatory compliance without having to hire more staff.
PIONEERS IN ADOPTING SMART SOLUTIONS
If oil and gas producers fail to comply with Colorado's SB 19-181 standards, they can be subject to large fines, operational shutdowns, environmental hazards and worker injuries. When CleanConnect.ai approached its customers with the integrated FLIR and CleanConnect.ai solution, they were eager to implement it. In the summer of 2020, CleanConnect.ai installed the cutting-edge technology at three sites, with installation requiring only a couple of days at each site. Each site is between one and five acres in size and uses the FLIR and CleanConnect.ai solution to monitor assets including production equipment tanks, compressors, gas lift buildings, equivalent circulating densities and flares.
"The entire CleanConnect.ai system is based on a platform that can create, manage and deploy data from any IIoT device, providing real-time actionable data about operations," Conley explained.
CleanConnect.ai customers are some of the early adopters of the smart solution, bringing them one step closer to autonomous operation. These oil and gas producers also serve as a model for other oil and gas customers to emulate not only in Colorado, but also in the rest of the United States.
HOW THE SOLUTION WORKS
For optical gas imaging at these sites, the FLIR G300a camera was installed with CleanConnect.ai AI software. Most gases are invisible to the naked eye without specialized technology. FLIR produces a range of OGI cameras that can assist in the detection of methane, sulfur hexafluoride and hundreds of other industrial gases quickly, accurately and safely-without the need to shut down the system. FLIR OGI cameras allow operators to quickly scan a broad spectrum of equipment and inspection areas that can be difficult to reach with contact measurement tools alone. OGI cameras provide detection from a safe distance and show gas leaks as visible clouds of smoke.
FLIR G300a cameras were placed in pan-tilt units, allowing maintenance operators to monitor the entire property with optical gas imaging technology. Every few minutes, the detection system scans the entire site for anomalies. CleanConnect.ai's software incorporates the raw data from the cameras and runs it through machine learning algorithms to identify VOC leaks. Because the solution is connected directly to the user's supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, it provides operators with information on leak location and severity within ten minutes of identifying a leak.
FLIR G300a cameras were placed in pan-tilt units, allowing maintenance operators to monitor the entire property with optical gas imaging technology.
For tank level monitoring, the FLIR Elara™ FB-Series 0 was deployed on site to provide raw thermal images, which were then analyzed with CleanConnect.ai software. The combined FLIR and CleanConnect.ai solution can measure tank levels by observing heat changes between the exterior tank walls and produces a "% FULL" reading on each tank. The tank level telemetry data is sent directly to the SCADA system, ensuring timely, data-driven alerts for operators.
RESULTS
"The FLIR and CleanConnect.ai solution saves operators millions of dollars in potential fines and eliminates false positives associated with competing solutions," Conley noted. "With the ability to provide continuous monitoring of VOC emissions, operators see benefits across a range of indicators, preventing environmental damage and changing public perception of the industry."
These stand-alone solutions require fewer personnel, which reduces operator presence and ultimately operating costs. The system is also designed to be fully compliant with EPA 21 AWP and Quad Oa (EPA 40 CFR Part 60, Subpart OOOOOa), the current industry standard used by LDAR equipment.
Burglar hatch opening is a major emitter of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which damages the environment and poses safety concerns for workers.
For tank level monitoring, the FLIR and CleanConnect.ai solution has been proven to be as accurate as guided wave radar, without the need for operators to open a thief hatch; this eliminates thousands of metric tons of VOC gas emissions. The self-contained nature of FLIR and CleanConnect.ai systems increases the safety and well-being of employees in the workplace. It also eliminates high-risk practices through remote monitoring, ensuring that maintenance crews are no longer physically exposed to harmful gases. The result is increased efficiency, public safety, environmental health and peace of mind.
