What Is Actionable Emissions Data?

Summary

Actionable emissions data goes beyond simple leak detection. It delivers accurate location, leak size, and operational context, so operators can respond quickly, prioritize repairs, and reduce emissions. With high-resolution localization, fast data delivery, and accurate quantification, actionable data helps oil and gas companies move from isolated leak detection to better system-wide methane management. It supports faster field response, improved compliance, and long-term planning based on real emissions trends.

Key Takeaways

• Actionable emissions data combines location, speed, and quantification to guide smart decisions
• Leak locations are pinpointed to within ~2 meters and tied to specific equipment
• Bridger’s data arrives fast with immediate alerts, preliminary reports in 1 day, full reports in just a few more
• Quantification is accurate, with third-party-tested, best-in-class +8.2% aggregate quantification error
• Leak maps and aerial imagery give field teams clear, visual direction
• Structured data reveals patterns for root cause analysis and planning
• Integration-ready data delivery fits into your existing workflows securely

When it comes to methane emissions mitigation, simply knowing that you have leaks isn’t enough. You need actionable emissions data, meaning it’s granular enough to know where the leaks are, how big they are, and what piece of equipment they are coming from, so field teams and operations managers can act quickly for repairs and understand trends to make informed decisions and prevent future emissions. 

At Bridger Photonics, we work with oil and gas professionals across upstream, midstream, and downstream operations. Time and again, we’ve seen the difference it makes when emissions data includes the necessary specificity and context to be transformative for our customers—empowering fast and targeted repairs, better decision making, and measurable emissions reduction. 

In this blog, we’ll take a close look at actionable emissions data: what it is, why the distinction matters, and how it better supports practical, measurable methane management.

So, What Makes Emissions Data “Actionable”?

Emissions data is considered actionable when it includes accurate, context-rich information that enables operators to respond quickly now and plan strategically for the long term. Not all emissions data supports strategic decision-making, especially if it lacks detail and context. 

For example, a dataset might confirm that methane is present in a basin or at a facility, but without pinpointing the exact source (like a specific site or piece of equipment) or indicating the severity of the leak, it falls short of being actionable.

To be considered actionable emissions data, the data has to offer three things:

1. Location Accuracy: Detection accuracy with pinpointed emission sources (a process known as localization) ensures crews know which piece of equipment needs attention, what tools are needed for mitigation, and whether the solution can be handled remotely by operations or requires a ground crew. Bridger’s data pinpoints emission sources down to within approximately two meters (~six feet), plus it provides equipment ID overlays, so crews can go straight to the source.
2. Data Delivery Speed: Timing matters. Delays in reporting mean lost product for fugitive emissions that require repair. We’ve found that rapid data turnaround is one of the most important enablers of timely intervention. Bridger offers immediate high-threshold alerts, preliminary reports within 24 hours, and full reports and datasets within just a few days or sooner when you’re plugged into Bridger’s Data Connector, powered by Snowflake.
3. Quantification: Emission quantification refers to the process of calculating the emission rates of methane leaks. Instead of just identifying the presence of a leak, quantification determines specifically how large the leak is. Bridger’s tech is third-party tested and shown to have an industry-leading aggregate emissions quantification of +8.2%, so you can confidently prioritize leaks to achieve the greatest impact when averaged across your inventory of leaks.

When all three elements are present, the data becomes actionable—your ticket to taking decisive, strategic action.

How Does Actionable Emissions Data Help Oil and Gas Operators? 

Actionable emissions data is the key to data-driven decision-making and driving impactful methane reduction results for oil and gas operators. Methane management is complex, especially for operators that manage hundreds (or thousands) of assets across vast geographic areas such as Texas, the Permian Basin, Alberta, and Appalachia. The challenge isn’t just detecting emissions; it’s knowing where to start, how to respond, and how to track and prove progress—that’s where actionable emissions data comes in.

Operators use it to:

• Prioritize repairs based on proximity to critical infrastructure, leak size, and persistence.
• Reduce unnecessary site visits by dispatching crews only when and where they’re actually needed, eliminating guesswork and reducing operating costs.
• Predict and prevent future emissions by moving from individual leak detections to system-wide intelligence, scaling insights to drive broader operational improvements.

At the organizational level, this data also supports compliance and performance tracking. Accurate quantification helps operators meet LDAR requirements and build defensible records for regulators, including for all levels of the U.S. EPA’s OOOOb compliance. Over time, the same data feeds into emissions performance benchmarking, supporting the calculation of accurate emissions inventories and building trust with investors and the public via transparent reporting.

We’ve also seen our data support root cause identification, helping operators uncover systemic issues tied to specific equipment, processes, or facility types. These insights translate directly into capital planning and infrastructure upgrades.

With site-specific leak maps showing actual plume imagery alongside up-to-date aerial imagery of the site at the time of the flyover, field crews can move quickly, safely, and confidently. This granular data is collected across hundreds of assets per day across thousands of square miles. Leadership teams can build more effective mitigation planning support strategies grounded in actual emissions trends, not assumptions or averages.

In short, actionable emissions data creates clarity, guides strategy, and makes progress measurable. 

What Does It Take to Move from Detection to Decision?

At Bridger, we start by conducting aerial scans using advanced Gas Mapping LiDAR® (GML) sensors mounted on small aircraft. These sensors detect path-integrated methane concentrations to accurately map methane gas plumes. Our sensors also capture high res aerial imagery of the site at the time of the scan for added context. We process that raw data using proprietary algorithms that calculate emission rates, generate methane plume maps, and add equipment ID overlays. Our team quality-checks every result, then delivers full detailed reports and datasets within several days—so you can act fast. 

And because our data is integration ready (like with the Bridger Data Connector), the data enters your workflows seamlessly as each site is processed, all while ensuring enterprise-grade security.

Each delivery includes:

• Methane gas plume imagery: High-resolution imagery showing the distribution and intensity of methane plumes
• Quantified emission rate: The rate at which methane is being emitted from each detected source
• Emitter location GPS coordinates: Exact GPS coordinates of each detected methane source down to approximately 2 meters (~6 feet)
• Intermittent/persistent designation: Data indicating whether an emission source was detected multiple times to determine if it is continuous
• Aerial photography: Up-to-date aerial imagery of your sites, showing exactly what they looked like on the day of the scan
• Maximum path-integrated concentration: A measurement of the maximum path-integrated methane concentration detected across each plume

Trusted by nine of the top ten U.S. natural gas producers, and over 50% of the top ten midstream operators in the U.S., Bridger’s focus on speed, clarity, and context through exceptionally high quality data helps ensure that the emissions data you receive from us is truly actionable. If your methane program is flooded with data but short on direction, let’s change that. Learn more about Bridger by subscribing to our newsletter: