By Tim Novick Methane leaks can be expensive. If a spark ignites gas leaking from a compressor and the engine catches fire, the cost to repair or replace equipment easily can reach $1 million or more, even after accounting for insurance. Although maintenance can minimize such events, they remain common enough that many upstream and midstream companies are looking for better ways to find leaks. This quest is driven in part by a desire to preserve the environment and stay ahead of evertighter regulations. Because methane is 84 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, minimizing methane emissions is a priority for regulators and environmentally-minded investors. But for many oil and gas companies, the biggest driver of leak prevention efforts is safety. Personal monitors and sniffers can detect hazardous concentrations of methane, but they generally do so only after someone already is standing in a dangerous cloud of the odorless gas. MARCH 2024 49