Why Site-Specific Leak Maps Matter

Summary

When a methane leak is detected, field teams need more than just a general location. To act efficiently and safely, they need visual clarity, context, and equipment-specific information. Site-specific leak maps deliver just that. By combining georeferenced plume imagery with equipment identification and up-to-date aerial photography, these maps help crews pinpoint the source and determine the best course of action fast.

At Bridger Photonics, site-specific leak maps are a core part of every emissions analytics package. From planning and safety to repairs and reporting, they provide the visual data that keeps your teams efficient, your LDAR programs compliant, and your methane strategy data-driven.

Key Takeaways

• Site-specific leak maps show methane plume imagery overlaid on up-to-date aerial photography
• They localize emissions to within approximately two meters of the source
• Leak maps give field teams clear direction, for faster, more accurate repairs
• Aerial imagery improves the contextual understanding of emissions, and supports safe planning for field access
• Each plume is linked to specific equipment and its corresponding emission rate
• Leak maps play a critical role in turning emissions data into actionable insights

What Are Site-Specific Leak Maps?

Site-specific leak maps are georeferenced visual gas plume imagery that show exactly where methane emissions are coming from, overlaid directly on up-to-date aerial imagery of your facility. These maps include:

• Plume imagery showing the distribution and intensity of detected emissions
• Equipment ID overlays that associate emissions with specific sources
• High-resolution aerial site imagery taken during the actual scans
• GPS coordinates with ~2 meter accuracy

Together, these elements give field teams a precise, real-world picture of what’s leaking, where it’s located, and what infrastructure surrounds it.

Why Do Field Teams Rely on Site-Specific Leak Maps?

When emissions data lacks location clarity, crews are forced to guess or waste time canvassing a site looking for the source. That’s costly, slow, and frustrating. Plus it’s a safety risk. Site-specific leak maps eliminate that uncertainty by giving crews the exact coordinates, visual markers, and equipment associations they need to go straight to the source.

This improves:

• Speed to resolution. No more hunting for plumes
• Repair accuracy. Crews know exactly what’s leaking
• Safety. Teams can plan access points, assess terrain, and avoid hazards
• Efficiency. Crews can batch repairs across nearby emitters or return to repaired sites for validation

The result: reduced windshield time, less wasted time, and faster emissions reduction.

How Are Site-Specific Leak Maps Created?

At Bridger, we generate site-specific leak maps as part of our standard Gas Mapping LiDAR® (GML) data package.

Here’s how it works:

1. Detection: Our aircraft-mounted sensors scan the site, capturing high-resolution methane plume data and aerial imagery simultaneously
2. Processing: We analyze the data to calculate emission rates, assign GPS coordinates, and match plumes to specific equipment
3. Visualization: Our platform builds visual leak maps with clear overlays that field teams can use immediately
4. Delivery: Maps and full datasets are provided within days and even faster through Bridger’s Snowflake-powered Data Connector

Learn more about our fast delivery process in our post on rapid data turnaround.

How Do Site-Specific Leak Maps Support Broader Strategy?

Field teams aren’t the only ones who benefit from leak maps. Environmental and compliance leaders use them to:

• Document emissions sources clearly for LDAR program records
• Validate repairs by comparing before/after imagery
• Support compliance reporting with visual evidence
• Correlate emissions trends with facility layouts and equipment models

Leak maps also pair seamlessly with emissions quantification, root cause identification, and other structured data to provide the spatial context needed for more proactive, system-level methane management.

What Do Site-Specific Leak Maps Have to Do With Actionable Emissions Data?

Site-specific leak maps are a key ingredient of actionable emissions data. When paired with quantification, fast delivery, and structured context, they make it easy to move from methane detection into mitigation decisions.

Bridger includes site-specific leak maps in every emissions report we deliver. That way, crews and compliance teams can act confidently without delay, guesswork, or gaps in understanding.

From Overhead to On-the-Ground

Methane mitigation is a team effort. Site-specific leak maps help everyone stay on the same page, with visual clarity and location precision built into every dataset.

If your teams are losing time searching for emission sources or second-guessing coordinates, Bridger can help you work faster, safer, and more effectively starting with the plume map. Want to see how leak maps improve field performance and planning? Schedule a demo.