Time-Bounding Large Release Events with Continuous Monitoring
Overview
Many LDAR techniques provide a snapshot of emissions events. While accurate, it does not provide information on the nature of the emissions including duration. In other words, when did the emissions event start and when did if finish. Knowing this information provides the operator with the ability to quantify the volume of emissions released and verify repairs were successfully completed. Importantly, it can provide a better understanding of the type of emission event:
Is it constant or intermittent?
Does it fluctuate during certain times of the day?
Can it be linked to operational or maintenance activities?
Continuous monitoring can help provide the answers to these questions with 24/7 real-time monitoring. The video below highlights the benefits of continuous monitoring for time-bounding large release events and compares the data produced by continuous monitoring with satellite survey data from third-party monitoring.
How to Time-Bound Large Release Events
Here, we walk through a large release event captured by Qube’s continuous monitoring that was also detected by Carbon Mapper. The methane rate climbs as the release begins, plateaus during the peak, then declines as the source is addressed. The dashboard marks the start and end times, calculates duration, and localizes the source area on site. That combination of start time, end time, duration, and location turns a single detection into a complete operational record that supports faster localization, quantified release and verifiable repairs.
From Detection to Action
In the video, Qube’s system flags an anomaly and points to the likely source area based on site-level modeling and wind data. Automated alerts notify the right people. Once the fix is made, the time series drops, and the dashboard records the new end time. This creates an auditable trail that shows the event was detected, assessed, addressed, and resolved, with the total active time clearly bounded.
Why Time-Bounding Matters
Satellite or aerial surveys provide a precise snapshot of where a plume is visible at one point in time. Continuous monitoring fills the gaps between aerial inspections by showing when an event starts, how long it lasts, and when it stops. With this context, teams can prioritize the highest-impact events, verify the effectiveness of a fix, and document closure with data. When a third-party map appears, operators can reference a full timeline rather than a single dot on a map.
What is Carbon Mapper?
Carbon Mapper is a nonprofit that uses aircraft and satellites to detect, pinpoint, and quantify methane and CO₂ super-emitters at facility scale, and it publishes these detections on a public data portal. You can view it here.
With Qube’s continuous monitoring, operators track trends and detect large releases in real time. The system localizes the source and sends automated alarms so teams act quickly and resolve emissions before third-party callouts. By proactively monitoring and addressing emissions, operators reduce the likelihood of appearing as a super-emitter on Carbon Mapper’s map and maintain auditable records that support compliance.
Reach out to learn more about Qube Technologies’ continuous monitoring solution and talk to one of our specialists today.
Interested in more operational examples how Qube Technologies is driving emissions reduction and sustainability in the oil and gas sector? Explore our other resources and case studies or reach out directly.