{"id":259698,"date":"2025-09-22T17:15:39","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T22:15:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mfe-is.com\/?p=259698"},"modified":"2025-09-22T17:18:06","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T22:18:06","slug":"detect-lw-ogi-tank-inspection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mfe-is.com\/fr\/detect-lw-ogi-tank-inspection\/","title":{"rendered":"Acuren Partners with MFE for EPA-Compliant, Drone-Based Gas Leak Detection"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Acuren Partners with MFE for EPA-Compliant, Drone-Based Gas Leak Detection<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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When a client needed to validate repairs on methane storage tanks, Acuren turned to MFE Inspection Solutions for support. Using a DJI Matrice 350 equipped with MFE\u2019s Detect LW\u2014the first long-wave, uncooled OGI (optical gas imaging) camera designed for drones that complies with EPA OOOOa\/b\/c\u2014Acuren quickly identified a faulty vent that was still releasing methane, an issue that could have gone undetected with traditional methods.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Benefits<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Safer Gas Leak Detection \n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDrones eliminated the need for workers to climb tanks with handheld gas monitors, reducing risk by keeping personnel out of hazardous environments.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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EPA OOOOa + Appendix K Compliance<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Detect LW OGI camera is validated under EPA 40 CFR Part 60 Appendix K within Quad O (OOOOa\/b\/c). This gives operators report-ready data while helping reduce fugitive emissions, avoid fines, and capture lost methane.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Immediate Leak Detection<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAcuren identified a faulty vent within minutes of flying over the tanks, validating repairs in real time and giving the client confidence in its maintenance work.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Introduction<\/h2>

When a client needed to validate repairs on several methane storage tanks, it turned to Acuren for help using optical gas imaging (OGI) compliant with the EPA\u2019s OOOOa and Appendix K.<\/p>

Methane leaks pose serious risks. They endanger worker safety, inflate regulatory compliance costs, create environmental liabilities, and cut into revenue by releasing valuable methane into the air. Detecting these leaks quickly and accurately is crucial for protecting both operations and compliance.<\/p>

But ensuring that repairs are successful isn\u2019t easy. Traditional inspections with handheld monitors require workers to climb tanks, exposing them to hazards while only providing limited coverage.<\/p>

To overcome these challenges, Acuren\u2019s client wanted to find a new way to do gas leak detection.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Challenge<\/h2>

In validating the repairs on its client\u2019s methane storage tanks, the stakes were high for Acuren and its client.<\/p>

Even a small leak can compromise safety, release methane directly into the atmosphere, and trigger costly fines for fugitive emissions. Acuren\u2019s client needed assurance that recent repairs\u2014welded seams and a newly installed vent\u2014were holding.<\/p>

But traditional methods weren\u2019t ideal. Handheld monitors offered only partial data and put workers at risk, while aerial options like helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft were too expensive, imprecise, and unsafe in congested refinery airspace.<\/p>

And because the EPA\u2019s OOOOa points to Appendix K for OGI performance and operating envelopes, the client needed inspection data that would hold up to regulatory standards\u2014not just imagery from an inspection camera.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Solution<\/h2>

To tackle the challenge, Acuren turned to MFE Inspection Solutions for guidance.<\/p>

Together, they selected MFE\u2019s Detect LW OGI camera for deployment on a DJI Matrice 350. The setup gave inspectors the ability to identify methane leaks remotely from the air, in real time.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The workflow required careful planning. The Acuren team set flight parameters\u2014monitoring wind speed, temperature, and distance to the asset\u2014to ensure valid results under EPA Appendix K. By capturing each tank from multiple angles, the drone-mounted OGI camera could reveal visible methane plumes that traditional methods might miss.<\/p>

This approach promised clear advantages over conventional leak detection:<\/p>