Kuva Systems' Continuous Optical Gas Imaging Camera for Methane Achieves Key Performance Milestones in Third Party Blind Testing

BOSTON and FORT COLLINS, Colo., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kuva Systems, a leader in methane detection for environmental, social and governance (ESG) and net-zero attainment by the oil & gas industry, announced that its infrared camera has demonstrated reliable detection of emissions both from tank tops as well as equipment low to the ground. The METEC facility, first developed in 2016 under the Department of Energy's ARPA-E MONITOR program, is a world leader in testing of methane detection technologies under real world conditions. The outdoor site consists of equipment typically found at upstream oil and gas facilities. Kuva's system was tested as part of METEC's Advancing Development of Emissions Detection (ADED) Continuous Monitoring Protocol, which was developed with funding from the US Department of Energy.

Kuva's camera, together with point sensors and cameras from other solution providers, was part of a five-month test at METEC that featured hundreds of test releases of methane at randomized times and duration. Kuva's solution demonstrated consistent detection performance both for emissions low to the ground and from high up at tank tops. Tank emissions are the leading cause of methane leaks in the upstream oil and gas industry contributing to about half of total emissions.

Kuva's detections of invisible methane are visualized with colorized images allowing for easy pinpointing of emissions to their source. The Kuva camera detects emissions independent of the wind direction and does not require wind to bring the emissions to the camera. In addition, Kuva's cloud solution provided emission detections to METEC without a single false positive detection over the entire five-month period.

"Testing at METEC is the gold standard in independent methane emissions testing, and we are pleased to have partnered with METEC to prove our technical capabilities," said Stefan Bokaemper, CEO of Kuva Systems. "Continuous monitoring of methane emissions is key to finding and fixing emissions fast. ESG stakeholders have to be sure that measurement solutions find emissions from all types of sources including tanks. Kuva has shown it can deliver."

"The protocols developed in the ADED project are designed to evaluate the performance of new methane emission detection systems under a common testing method.  Kuva's results are a great example of how detection limits of continuous monitoring systems can be assessed through controlled testing in field setting," says Clay Bell, Research Scientist at Colorado State University. "Additional systems will be conducting testing in 2022, and we hope results from the program will help inform the oil and gas industry how these systems can be adopted to meet their emission reduction goals."

Kuva's platform is the only cost-scalable continuous methane detection system that is image-based. Kuva's solution enables upstream and midstream oil and gas companies to quickly identify leaks, analyze and fix the root causes of emissions, and thereby meet ESG reporting and methane intensity goals. Kuva's systems are operating at facilities in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, North Dakota, Colorado, and Alberta, Canada.

About Kuva Systems

Kuva Systems is a leading methane monitoring technology company focused on making the invisible measurable and manageable. With offices in Boston, Houston and Calgary, Kuva's patented infrared camera and cloud monitoring solution provides oil and gas companies with timely notification of methane leaks and the ability to investigate root-causes of emissions. Kuva's solution enables upstream and midstream oil and gas companies to improve their operations and meet ESG and methane intensity goals.

For more information, visit: https://www.kuvasystems.com

About METEC

The METEC facility was first developed under the ARPA-E MONITOR program, starting in 2016.  The facility has since been extended by subsequent projects and programs, and operates as a self-funded research program. METEC was originally designed to support the testing of next-generation leak detection & quantification (LDAQ) methods.  Many next gen methods rely on wind transport of emissions to allow leak detection from a distance, using point, line, or imaging sensors.  To support LDAQ testing, METEC was designed to emulate the emissions behavior and wind transport characteristics of operational upstream and midstream oil and gas (O&G) facilities. The facility supports a range of well pad sizes, some compressor equipment, and associated access roads.

For more information, visit: https://energy.colostate.edu/metec/

Contact:
Colin Mahoney
212-220-6045
[email protected] 

SOURCE Kuva Systems