World View and Scepter to Launch Methane-Detection Balloons in Texas’ Permian Basin
Climate tech firm Scepter, Inc. has announced that it will launch a stratospheric balloon equipped with methane-detection sensors in Texas' Permian Basin in January 2023 to measure methane emissions in real time.
The balloon, manufactured and operated by World View, will gather data on intermittent methane leaks, which are thought to emit two to three times more methane than the persistent sources currently reported by conventional methods.
The company plans to deploy more regional sensors in partnership with state-run oil and gas companies in Asia and the Middle East in 2023.
Scepter's ultimate goal is to launch sensors on low-Earth-orbit satellites to monitor global emissions.
The Biden administration infrastructure law, passed last year, mandates that oil and gas companies monitor methane emissions or be penalized, with the goal of reducing emissions globally.
The announcement marks a notable advance over current methods of measuring methane emissions in the oil and gas industry, with improved quantification from an airborne view.
