Methane Abatement in the Oil and Gas Sector: Leak Detection and Repair

The document examines the implementation of Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) programs to reduce fugitive methane emissions, focusing on ground-based Optical Gas Imaging (OGI) surveys. It analyzes the relationship between inspection frequency and emission reductions, providing cost estimates for in-house versus outsourced detection models. The analysis highlights that abatement costs vary by country based on the value of salable gas and local market constraints, with some regions achieving negative marginal abatement costs. Key barriers to deployment include a lack of local technical capacity, logistical constraints in remote areas, and high costs associated with imported equipment.

• The effectiveness of LDAR programs is directly linked to the frequency of inspections, with assumed emission reductions of 40% for annual, 60% for biannual, and 80% for quarterly inspections compared to no regular LDAR.
• Marginal abatement costs for LDAR vary significantly by country and can be negative when the value of recovered salable gas outweighs implementation costs; all analyzed options remained below the low-cost threshold of 596 USD/tCH4.
• Countries like Algeria demonstrate high abatement potential at negative costs due to a high share of salable gas and low import costs, whereas Argentina and Libya face higher costs and lower potential due to reliance on expensive external providers and high import costs for equipment like OGI cameras and drones.
• Implementation costs for LDAR vary by model: in-house detection requires capital expenditure (CAPEX) for equipment ($100,000 - $500,000 per team) and training, while outsourced detection avoids CAPEX but incurs contractor fees ($100,000 - $1,000,000).
• Widespread LDAR deployment is hindered by limited local technical capacity, operational challenges in remote or offshore locations, and administrative burdens related to importing detection technology.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Methane Abatement in the Oil and Gas Sector: Leak Detection and Repair. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/22155120/Methane-Abatement-in-the-Oil-and-Gas-Sector-Leak-Detection-and-Repair.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Methane Abatement in the Oil and Gas Sector: Leak Detection and Repair. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/22155120/Methane-Abatement-in-the-Oil-and-Gas-Sector-Leak-Detection-and-Repair.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Methane Abatement in the Oil and Gas Sector: Leak Detection and Repair |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/22155120/Methane-Abatement-in-the-Oil-and-Gas-Sector-Leak-Detection-and-Repair.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforcendmethane, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Methane Abatement in the Oil and Gas Sector: Leak Detection and Repair}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/22155120/Methane-Abatement-in-the-Oil-and-Gas-Sector-Leak-Detection-and-Repair.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }