Each month Tim Stark introduces a new technical topic for discussion and possible action. This month’s topic is: “Methane Containment and Detection”. This topic generated significant discussion with the main “take-aways” listed below:

Methane Detection Applications

-            Landfills
-            Biodigesters
-            Oil and gasproduction
-            Common in Europe

Methane Detection

-            Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) – Attend May, 2024 FGI Webinar by Art Mohr
-            Hand-held gas meter – FLIR GF320
-            Neighbors are best detectors – of other gases b/c methane is odorless but usually accompanies landfill odors
-            Larger issue in eastern portion of USA than western portion, e.g., Colorado
-            Newer drones detecting other contaminants besides Methane
-            Satellites also being used to detect methane–
-            Safety issues –H₂S gas
-            Infrared gas meters in Europe – FLIRGF320 in Europe - https://www.flir.com/discover/instruments/gas-detection/biogas-facilities/ or Gas Detection Cameras | FLIR Industrial | Teledyne FLIR 

Methane Containment

-            Manufacturers investigating geomembrane durability subjected to Methane and other factors – see GRI GM-35 material specification
-            Use temporary geomembrane covers to control methane release – significant leakage around gas wells, i.e., final cover penetrations
-            Also use temporary geomembrane covers for leachate control as well as methane capture
-            Methane capture is proving lucrative, so temporary covers are gaining interest
-            Should FGI develop test method and criterion for methane/odor transmission through flexible geomembranes? Decided that methane geomembrane transmission is small compared to current leakage points so focus on leakage points - https://www.fabricatedgeomembrane.com/articles/methane-gas-migration-through-geomembranes
‍-            EVOH based geomembrane appear more effective than HDPE based geomembranes in containing landfill odors and methane
-            European regulations on methane control are available at https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/oil-gas-and-coal/methane-emissions_en