Leak Detection & Repair in Gas Systems

Mitigating potent methane emissions, enhancing environmental, operational, and economic benefits

What’s the challenge?

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that can be emitted during the production and transportation of oil and natural gas. This occurs both accidentally from imperfections in equipment and intentionally from operations and maintenance procedures, as well as from equipment designed to bleed methane for operational purposes.

The challenge methane presents is its global warming potential (GWP). GWP gauges the climate impact of a greenhouse gas in comparison to CO2. This is commonly evaluated over a 100-year span, although different timeframes are also applicable. Over 100 years, methane has a GWP around 28 times that of CO2, but this figure escalates to 81 over a 20-year span, underscoring methane’s dangerous short-term climate effects.

In 2022 alone, 135 million tonnes of methane were released into the atmosphere, making its mitigation a vital priority in our response to the climate emergency.

Close-up of weathered industrial gas piping with manual valves.

How does Leak Detection & Repair work?

Leak detection and repair (LDAR) refers to the systematic process of identifying and fixing leaks in natural gas grid and refinery systems. This encompasses production, processing, transportation, storage, and distribution facilities to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. By implementing LDAR programs, companies can demonstrate measurable reductions, that can be quantified and verified to generate carbon credits according to established protocols and standards.

Co-benefits of this methodology

Implementing LDAR programs offers a range of co-benefits, beyond reducing the amount of greenhouse gases and harmful substances released into the atmosphere. They also deliver:

Environmental Benefits
- Reduced air pollution and improved air quality by reducing harmful airborne chemicals.
- Water and soil protection by preventing toxic chemicals that are often found with methane from seeping into soil and water resources.

Operational Benefits
- Enhancing operational efficiency by optimising resource use, saving energy, and reducing the need for additional gas extraction or production.
- Cost savings by preventing the loss of product through gas leaks and reducing the need for additional extraction or production.
- Improved maintenance and reliability due to regular monitoring and repairing leaks that lead to better-maintained equipment.

Economic Benefits
- Creation of environmental jobs through the implementation and maintenance of LDAR programs.
- Higher market competitiveness of companies with effective LDAR programs, which may give them a competitive edge by operating more efficiently and sustainably, which appeals to consumers and investors.

Which Leak Detection & Repair methodologies have the Integrity Council approved

A full list of CCP-Approved Leak Detection & Repair methodologies, along with those still in assessment and any relevant conditions can be found in our assessment status table.

What percentage of credits do CCP approved Leak Detection & Repair methodologies represent?

As of January 2024, Leak Detection & Repair credits represent ca. 1.3% (or about 23 million credits) of total credits issued in the voluntary carbon market. Almost all of these credits have been assessed as of August 2024.