Controlled Methane Release Test Facility
CMC provides a brand-new facility for fugitive methane emissions research and testing. The CMC Atmospheric Fugitive Emission (CMC-AFE) is a new test pad featuring mock oilfield equipment groupings fitted with release points, centralized gas conditioning and flow control capabilities, automated gas release with broad range of flow rates, and meteorological data collection. CMC-AFE simulates the complexities of upstream oil and gas operations, with multiple release points to accommodate a variety of test objectives for methane emissions detection and quantification technologies.
To learn more about CMC-AFE or to inquire about scheduling a technology for testing, contact michelle-c.unsworth@cmcghg.com.
Methane Protocol for Canada
Emissions experts at Carbon Management Canada have authored the Methane Detection and Quantification Testing Protocol. The document draws on CMC’s experience supporting alternative methane detection and quantification (MDAQ) technologies, as well as being the owner-operator of the AFE test facility that conducts controlled releases of methane. The intended use is for those that work in upstream oil and gas, in addition to other related industries, including downstream oil and gas, pulp and paper, biogas, landfill and agriculture. The protocol provides a standardized framework to controlled release testing in Canada as industry works towards better fugitive methane emissions management.
This protocol ensures stakeholders, including technology developers, researchers and regulators, have a robust, standardized framework to controlled release test design, execution and evaluation. Key infrastructure requirements and capabilities of test facilities are also detailed in the documents to ensure that a realistic simulation of real-world operating conditions is achieved. The processes outlined apply to a wide range of methods, including handheld and mobile survey tools, aerial screening technologies and continuous monitoring.
The protocol is available to applicable test facilities in Canada that are committed to a transparent and scientifically defensible framework for technology evaluation. It was developed to have equivalency with the Emission Detection and Quantification Controlled Test Protocol developed by the Methane Emissions Technology Evaluation Center (METEC) at Colorado State University, however tailored to domestic regulatory and operational frameworks.
This project was made possible through a grant from by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).
Alberta program
CMC, together with the Sundre Petroleum Operators Group, was selected as delivery agents for a three-year, $17.6 million funding initiative to support the development of Alternative Fugitive Emissions Management Programs (Alt-FEMPs) and new methane detection technologies.
Funded by the Government of Alberta through the Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) fund, the program is intended to reduce methane emissions in the oil and gas sector. It will also support regulatory reviews, improve understanding of emissions sources, reduce the costs to the industry and assure best practices for methane detection and management.
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