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Methane monitoring is an important consideration at underground natural gas storage facilities, particularly around wellheads and other potential leak sources. However, adding fixed-point gas detection is not always straightforward.
At established brownfield facilities, the locations that require additional monitoring may be far from existing power, communications wiring or conduit. Extending that infrastructure can require considerable engineering, electrical work and construction, making a conventional wired detector costly or difficult to install.
A United Electric Controls case study demonstrates how the UE Vanguard WirelessHART® Fixed-Point Gas Detector helped a natural gas storage operator add methane monitoring around remote wellheads in days rather than months.
The Challenge: Expanding Methane Monitoring Around Storage Wells
The customer operated an underground natural gas storage facility that had originally been a producing natural gas field. The field was converted into a storage reservoir by reinjecting natural gas underground.
Additional wells were drilled to support faster gas withdrawal from the reservoir. Because these wells represented potential sources of methane leakage, the operator wanted to increase monitoring around the wellheads.
The challenge was the facility’s existing infrastructure.
Many of the desired monitoring locations were difficult to access and lacked convenient power and signal wiring. Adding conventional wired detectors could have required new conduit and cable installation across the brownfield site.
The cost and project schedule would therefore involve much more than purchasing the detectors. Electrical design, trenching, wiring, construction and commissioning could all add time and expense.
The facility needed a way to increase methane detection coverage without undertaking a major infrastructure project.
The Solution: Self-Powered Wireless Methane Detection
The operator selected Vanguard wireless methane detectors from United Electric Controls.
Vanguard is a self-powered fixed-point gas detector that communicates through a WirelessHART® network. It is designed for applications where installing conventional signal and power wiring may be difficult, disruptive or cost-prohibitive.
The wireless design allowed Vanguard units to be positioned around selected wellheads without extending new conduit and cable to every monitoring location.
The detectors transmitted methane readings to a compatible WirelessHART gateway, allowing gas concentration data and detector information to be communicated through the facility’s wireless network.
This gave the operator a practical way to add fixed-point methane monitoring in locations where a conventional wired installation presented significant challenges.
Confirming Detector Placement with Optical Gas Imaging
Wireless technology can simplify detector installation, but proper placement remains critical.
A fixed gas detector can only respond when gas reaches its sensor. Detector locations must therefore be selected with consideration for potential release points, wind conditions, equipment arrangements and the expected movement of a gas plume.
For this application, optical gas imaging technology was used to help position the Vanguard detectors around the wellheads.
A controlled methane release was introduced under known wind conditions. The Vanguard units were positioned to detect the resulting methane plume.
According to the case study, the detectors reliably identified both the presence and absence of methane as the plume moved through the monitored area. The units also reported the concentration of the passing plume through the WirelessHART network.
Optical imaging cameras were used to verify the reported methane concentration and confirm detector response under the evaluated conditions.
This process helped demonstrate that the selected detector locations could identify the controlled methane release while also highlighting an important point: wireless installation flexibility does not eliminate the need for proper gas detection planning.
Case Study Results
The Vanguard installation allowed the operator to increase methane monitoring without waiting for a large-scale electrical infrastructure project.
United Electric Controls reported the following results:
Deployment in Days Rather Than Months
The wireless detectors were installed and operating in days. Avoiding extensive power and signal conduit work significantly reduced the time required to add the new detection points.
Significant Installation Savings
The self-powered wireless design reduced the need for electrical construction, cabling and related installation work. This resulted in substantial monetary savings compared with adding conventional wired detectors at the same locations.
Greater Flexibility in Hard-to-Access Areas
Because the detectors did not require a wired connection at each location, the operator had more flexibility when positioning units around remote wellheads.
This allowed the facility to add monitoring where it was needed rather than limiting detector locations to areas near existing infrastructure.
Verified Methane Detection
The Vanguard units reliably detected the presence and absence of methane during the controlled release. They also accurately reported the concentration of the passing methane plume, as verified using optical gas imaging cameras.
Five Years of Operation Without Battery Replacement
United Electric Controls reported that the Vanguard units could monitor methane emissions for five years without requiring battery replacement in the case study application.
Battery life should be confirmed for the selected detector configuration and operating conditions.
Where Does Vanguard Fit?
Vanguard is not intended to replace conventional wired fixed gas detectors in every application.
Wired detectors remain an effective solution when suitable power and communications infrastructure is already available. They may also be preferred where the site’s control, communication or alarm requirements call for a wired installation.
Vanguard provides another option when installing a standard wired detector is difficult because of the location, infrastructure requirements or project timeline.
It may be particularly valuable for:
- Remote wellheads located far from existing power and signal wiring
- Underground natural gas storage facilities with widely distributed monitoring points
- Brownfield sites where trenching or conduit installation would disrupt operations
- Congested areas with limited cable tray or electrical capacity
- Hard-to-access equipment where running new cable is impractical
- Projects that require additional fixed-point monitoring without a lengthy construction schedule
The suitability of a wireless detector must still be evaluated for each location.
Considerations Before Selecting a Wireless Detector
Before installing Vanguard, facilities should review the complete application rather than focusing only on the absence of wiring.
Important considerations include the target gas, measurement range, environmental conditions and hazardous area requirements. The detector configuration must be suitable for the expected operating conditions at the site.
The facility must also have a compatible WirelessHART gateway and adequate network coverage at the proposed detector locations. A network assessment may be required to confirm that the units can communicate reliably.
Detector placement should be based on potential release sources and the expected movement of methane through the area. Wind direction, ventilation, obstructions and equipment layout can all influence whether gas reaches the sensor.
Facilities must also determine how detector readings and status information will be monitored and incorporated into their alarm and response procedures.
Although a self-powered detector reduces installation wiring, it still requires routine inspection, sensor verification and maintenance according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
A Practical Option When Wired Detection Is Difficult
The underground natural gas storage case study demonstrates how wireless fixed-point gas detection can help solve a specific infrastructure challenge.
The operator needed additional methane monitoring around remote wellheads, but installing new power and signal conduit would have been costly and time-consuming.
By using Vanguard WirelessHART detectors, the facility was able to:
- Deploy methane detection in days rather than months
- Reduce the cost of adding new monitoring points
- Install detectors in hard-to-access locations
- Verify detector response using optical gas imaging
- Communicate methane readings through a WirelessHART network
- Operate the units for five years without battery replacement in the documented application
For Canadian natural gas storage, production and processing facilities, Vanguard can provide a practical fixed-point detection solution when a conventional wired detector cannot be installed easily or economically.
Learn more about the UE Vanguard WirelessHART® Fixed-Point Gas Detector.
How Westech Industrial Can Help
Selecting a gas detector requires careful consideration of the target gas, potential release location, environmental conditions, hazardous area classification, communication network and facility response strategy.
Westech Industrial can help Canadian energy operators determine whether a conventional wired or wireless fixed gas detection solution is appropriate for a specific monitoring location.
Our team can assist with Vanguard product selection, application review and technical support. Westech also provides service capabilities to help support gas detection equipment throughout its operating life.
For projects requiring more than a standalone detector, our Custom Fabrication team can support the integration of instrumentation, control panels, enclosures and packaged systems based on the requirements of the application.
Contact Westech Industrial at 1-800-912-9262 or email us at [email protected] to discuss wireless methane detection for underground natural gas storage facilities, remote wellheads and other hard-to-access monitoring locations.
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