Utah OED awards grants for flyover Uinta Basin methane leak detection

The Utah Office of Energy Development (OED) has announced grants totaling $90,000 to Caerus Uinta LLC and XCL Resources LLC under the Uinta Basin Aerial Leak and Repair Detection (UB ALaRD) program.

UB ALaRD is a grant program established by OED with funds from the federal State Energy Program and a grant from Utah Clean Air. The program will use aerial flyover technology with cutting-edge sensors to identify methane leaks in oil and gas pipelines and infrastructure. Using aerial technology allows surveyors to identify a greater number of leaks than other methods because it covers more miles of pipeline and infrastructure in a shorter period of time. Although efficient in its ability to spot more leaks and thereby reduce more emissions, aerial technology can be prohibitively expensive for smaller operators like those in the Uinta Basin. OED’s UB ALaRD program helps offset those costs and improve air quality in the basin, OED said in a release.

An additional award of $10,000 will be made to the Uinta Basin oil and gas operator whose project makes the most significant impact in reducing methane leaks.

The data collected through the program, which will be anonymous and non-regulatory, includes the volume of cubic feet surveyed, the number of wells per area, the total volume of leaks identified and the number of successful repairs made. Together, the operators will survey a combined total of 2,883 wells, 1,639 locations or facilities and cover 1,235 miles.

“We are happy to be making awards through the Uinta Basin Aerial Leak and Repair Detection program,” said Dusty Monks, OED’s acting director. “The basin’s geography makes improving air quality a challenge, but with this grant, we’re able to help small and mid-sized operators reduce emissions. We achieve the best results when we work with our partners in government, industry and the community. The UB ALaRD program is proof of that.”

With OED helping to offset the expense of an aerial leak detection program, Caerus Uinta and XCL Resources both plan to commit additional resources, OED said. Caerus will conduct two surveys every year for a total cost of $186,000 and XCL Resources will conduct nine surveys over the next year for a total cost of $112,000.