Complete service provider for the energy industry, IKM Testing UK, has developed a pioneering technology to support operators in complying with the EU’s stringent new methane emissions regulations.
The new methane rules target monitoring and cutting emissions throughout the oil, gas and coal supply chains across borders. These rules apply regardless of whether the energy is produced outwith the EU, and are imposed across exploration, production, storage and distribution.
In response to the growing requirement to accurately measure and reduce methane emissions from offshore assets, Westhill-headquartered IKM Testing has developed and launched a service incorporating patent-pending technology.
Verified by academic researchers and deployed in operations with TotalEnergies E&P UK (TEPUK), Source Level Identification and Quantification (SLIQ) enables the precise quantification of methane emissions at component level, achieving a higher sensitivity than established methods.
The leading technology, which is unique to IKM Testing, has been verified by academic specialists in environmental sensing and monitoring at Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon University (RGU). The validation entailed RGU researchers witnessing a number of controlled tests using IKM Testing’s bespoke test rig, before reviewing methods and results to validate the data released by the company.
Scott Morton overseeing the SLIQ process.
Driven by their leadership in methane emissions measurement, global integrated energy firm, TotalEnergies, is an early industry adopter of the technology. They have appointed IKM Testing to conduct Methane Emission Quantification (MEQ) surveys for their Elgin, Alwyn, Culzean, and Ailsa assets in the UKCS, as well as Shetland Gas Plant. These surveys will involve bottom-up fugitive emissions measurements using IKM Testing’s SLIQ methods.
Scott Morton, Energy Transition Business Manager at IKM Testing outlined the background to this development.
He said: “Methane emissions have long been overshadowed by carbon dioxide in climate discussions, but they are a major contributor to global warming, accounting for around 30% of temperature rise over recent decades. The EU’s methane regulations represent a bold move to reduce these emissions, and for businesses in the energy sector, they bring both challenges and opportunities. Navigating these new requirements will be critical to ensuring compliance, but as demonstrated by Totalenergies, they also offer an opportunity to lead the way in environmental responsibility.
“The development of our methane emissions quantification technology has been fuelled by our commitment to deliver services and products in an ethical, environmentally conscious and socially responsible manner. We are as dedicated to supporting our partners and clients in their endeavours to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as we are to achieving our own targets.
“Our expertise and cutting-edge technology not only help operators to achieve compliance, but lead the industry as it strives to meet global climate change targets. With the implementation of the EU regulations now well underway, it’s vital that operators take steps now to achieve compliance and avoid any potentially severe penalties.”
The firm also provides the Aerial Source Quantification (A.S.Q.) system. Complementing the SLIQ method, it uses advanced drones and sensors to detect and quantify emissions across entire sites. The system is sensor agnostic, allowing the use of whichever sensor is proven and industry leading at that point in time.