Intermittent Emissions from Oil and Gas Operations: Implications for Detection Effectiveness from Periodic Leak Detection Surveys

Effective mitigation of methane emissions from oil and gas (O&G) operations requires accurate detection strategies that reflect the true temporal characteristics of emissions. Regulatory leak detection and repair (LDAR) programs have traditionally assumed that methane leaks are persistent, which has supported the use of periodic inspections, such as optical gas imaging surveys and aerial overflights, as effective mitigation tools. However, many O&G facilities do not operate in a steady state, and substantial emissions can occur intermittently due to routine operational processes like well cycling and fluid handling. Using field observations from continuous monitoring systems (CMSs), we generate synthetic two-year time series to evaluate how quickly intermittent emissions would be detected by randomized periodic inspections conducted monthly, quarterly, semiannually, or annually. Our findings show that most intermittent emissions remain undetected during the first year of such inspections, regardless of survey frequency or duration. While CMSs do not detect emissions all of the time from all equipment due to operating constraints or environmental conditions, it is likely that they would detect emissions much more rapidly than periodic surveys. These results underscore the need to reconsider current LDAR paradigms and highlight the critical role of CMSs in reducing methane emissions more effectively and responsively.