Executive summary

With the latest EPA regulations endorsing the use of approved advanced technologies for methane emissions monitoring, Sensirion Connected Solutions is preparing applications for EPA approval of Nubo Sphere as an advanced methane detection technology, both as a continuous monitoring solution and as a periodic screening technology. This article focuses on Nubo Sphere’s use as a continuous monitoring solution in line with EPA regulations.

There are key differences between approval for continuous monitoring and periodic screening. To learn more about Nubo Sphere’s use for periodic screenings, see this article.

Continuous methane emissions monitoring with Nubo Sphere equips oil and gas operators with year-round oversight of oil and gas assets, quick detection of fugitive methane emissions and actionable insights in support of LDAR activities. The EPA has introduced standards for using continuous monitoring aimed at reducing emissions without unduly increasing operators’ workloads. At the heart of these standards, they have provided work practices based on calculating rolling averages of site-level emissions rates.

There’s a crucial implication for operators here: immediate follow-ups are not required. Follow-ups are only required if fugitive emissions are of a size or duration significant enough to exceed thresholds set by adding site-specific baselines to predetermined 7- or 90-day action levels.

This article provides in-depth guidance to working with these regulations, focusing on work practices for continuous monitoring as applied in compliance with NSPS OOOOb and GHGRP Subpart W. Operators interested in upcoming regulations of sources built, modified, or reconstructed before December 6, 2022, can expect similar standards to those found in NSPS OOOOb, but only after state laws have been created in line with the EPA’s EG OOOOc. For more information on EG OOOOc or any part of the latest raft of EPA regulations on methane emissions from the energy sector, read this article.