Diversified Energy Company PLC (LSE:DEC, OTCQX:DECPF) has hired Bridger Photonics as part of its expanded approach to the detection of methane gas emissions and leaks.
Bridger will deploy precision laser imaging, detection and ranging (LiDAR) equipment to perform multi-year aerial scans of the company's natural gas production and distribution assets starting with the Appalachian region, it said in a statement.
Earlier this year, in a trial programme, Bridger aerially detected fugitive natural gas emissions in a large segment of pipeline acquired by the company in Appalachia, with the LiDAR technology seeing leak well below the threshold set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) threshold of 500 parts per million.
DEC is now increasing its investment in the tech, spending US$3mln of the company’s US$15mln annual budget for the emissions reduction campaign. It will initially focus on the Appalachian portfolio of wells and will later be expanded to cover the Central region wells.
"Today's commitment to invest US$9mln over the next three years into advanced LiDAR technology supports our near-term goal to reduce our 2020-level methane emissions by 30% by 2026 on the way to net-zero by 2040,” said DEC chief executive Rusty Hutson.
“Adding aerial emissions detection to the handheld devices we've placed in the hands of our skilled well tenders further enhances our ability to detect and repair fugitive emissions across our asset base.
“Our partnership with the Bridger team is another important milestone as we continue to evaluate other investments that will support our methane-reduction initiatives."
Bridger chief executive Pete Roos, meanwhile, added: “Our gas mapping LiDAR technology will efficiently detect, pinpoint, and quantify typically more than 90% of basin emissions to inform and streamline Diversified's repair and maintenance activities.”
DEC also noted that it continues to evaluate emission reduction investment opportunities, reflecting its ongoing commitment to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance.
It additionally noted that the company remains committed to documenting and publicly disclosing the results of its emissions detection and repair activities, all of which are designed to meet or exceed the requirements of state and federal regulators.