Monitoring methane emissions has emerged as one of the biggest challenges in the energy field. Since methane has a Global Warming Potential (GWP) many times higher than that of carbon dioxide over the 20 year period, the identification, quantification, and mitigation of so-called ‘fugitive emissions’ has now become a high priority globally for operators, regulators and other stakeholders. 

In recent years, RINA has gained invaluable experience in the use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and numerous applications to continuously monitor methane emissions over complex industrial facilities. RINA has developed an effective methodology that integrates advanced drone technologies, specialist gas sensing instrumentation and highly skilled personnel to deliver safe, efficient and high-quality data with limited disruption to operations. 

One example of this experience is RINA’s collaboration with TotalEnergies where methane detection and monitoring was successfully conducted in operational energy production sites.  
 
The majority of projects utilized drones outfitted with specialized methane sensors that are able to perform remote inspections on infrastructure that would otherwise require labour-intensive access processes. 
 
UAS technology allows inspecting vertical assets like elevated structures, pipelines, processing equipment, storage systems and other critical assets at a safe distance from areas that pose risk.  
 
With meticulous flight operations, methane concentration data was acquired alongside geo-referenced imagery to deliver actionable data to operators for use in maintenance planning and emission reduction. 
 
In addition to the operational advantages, drone-based monitoring greatly reduces the time taken to conduct inspections and the number of personnel deployed to areas with difficult access. With TotalEnergies, the collected data additionally helped improve the understanding of overall asset health and the potential sources for leaks, thus supporting more informed decision making processes. 
 
With the experience gained with these projects, RINA is now ready to start a new methane monitoring initiative with Società Gasdotti Italia (SGI, Italian gas transmission company). The forthcoming project will be focused on the ongoing validation of drone-enabled methodologies for gas transportation infrastructures, in order to improve early detection solutions to mitigate methane leaks and protect operational integrity, as well as meet Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) environmental compliance. 

The operations will build on lessons learned in previous field deployments, combining advanced sensing, together with strict operational procedures and data analysis methodologies. Emphasis will be placed on measurement assurance, campaign repeatability and the incorporation of collected data into the clients’ asset management environment. 
 
With the ongoing transition of the energy sector into more sustainable and environmentally responsible operations, new technologies like drone-based methane monitoring are needed now more than ever.  
 
RINA has actively helped energy operators reach their drivers for emissions reductions while improving safety and operational performance through our multidisciplinary expertise in inspection, certification, engineering and digital innovation. 
 
In addition, the tools developed in major energy company projects show how innovative UAS solutions can enhance environmental monitoring of energy infrastructures, enabling more transparency, efficiency and sustainability.