Our world-class technical team has been quietly working on something very exciting… the second generation of our Gas Mapping LiDAR™ sensor, GML 2.0.
The desire to continually improve is part of our DNA here at Bridger.
We released Gas Mapping LiDAR commercially three years ago. Those years of commercial deployments and listening and working with our clients to better understand their challenges have taught us how to enhance our sensor system to work even better for our clients.
With the second-generation sensor, we’ve made considerable strides to improve Gas Mapping LiDAR in several areas.
Methane Detection Sensitivity Improvements
While we already operate with some of the best aerial detection sensitivity in the industry, we wanted to continue to refine our capabilities. We worked closely with our partners and clients in the oil and gas industry to determine the detection sensitivity needs of each sector.
For the production sector, more sensitivity isn’t needed since we already catch over 90% of emissions in typical basins. This detection sensitivity allows for a reasonable level of repairs for operators to address efficiently and effectively. However, our improved GML 2.0 sensitivity will allow us to achieve our production sector sensitivity under a broader range of operational and environmental conditions.
More sensitive detection capabilities are useful within the distribution sector and for catching abandoned or orphaned wells. We’re now testing to determine the probability of detection that the GML 2.0 sensor will achieve for methane emission sources at 0.2 kg/hr under typical conditions. Confident detection of emission sources at this benchmark level is important for uncovering Grade 1 leaks in urban gas distribution networks, and for uncovering the high-emitting abandoned wells for plugging. Will we catch leaks even smaller than this? We’ll catch plenty of leaks even below 0.1 kg/hr, but the probability of detecting leaks declines as the leaks become smaller. Learn more about detection sensitivity here.
Easier Attachment for Streamlined Aerial Deployment
The first-generation Gas Mapping LiDAR attaches to the belly of the aircraft. To reduce the installation time and streamline pre-flight calibrations and checks performed by flight providers, GML 2.0 now attaches to the strut of the aircraft. The smaller and lighter form factor also simplifies the shipment of our sensors. All this means a streamlined process for flight providers to receive, secure onto the aircraft, and verify the performance of our sensors which means more time flying!
Improved Manufacturability
The final improvement we implemented in GML 2.0 was to improve the manufacturability. All Gas Mapping LiDAR sensors are manufactured at our headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. Our small but mighty hardware team learned a lot when building and fielding our first-generation sensors. With this valuable learning under our belts, we designed our GML 2.0 sensors for extremely efficient manufacturing to meet the massive ramp-up in demand we’re experiencing. Each one of our sensors can scan tens of thousands of sites per year.
The team at Bridger is thrilled to finally share what our team has been working so hard on. GML 2.0 sensors will be rolling out throughout 2022 and beyond.
Want to Learn More About Gas Mapping LiDAR’s Methane Detection Technology?
If you have a question about Gas Mapping LiDAR or any of these exciting updates, please don’t hesitate to contact our team via this form or emailing us at info[at]bridgerphotonics.com