Sensitivity of Fugitive Methane Detection from Coal Seam Gas Fields

Three years of continuous methane and carbon dioxide measurements collected at the 'Arcturus' monitoring station in the Bowen Basin, Australia. The data was used to simulate and statistically analyze the sensitivity of atmospheric techniques for detecting fugitive emissions from a simulated coal seam gas field. The work was presented by Geoscience Australia and CSIRO at the American Geophysical Union meeting in December 2013.

Use Cases

• Modeling the sensitivity of atmospheric detection for fugitive methane emissions based on simulated emission rates and distances.
• Developing a time series model for methane baseline signals to assess detection likelihood and false alarm rates.
• Statistical comparison of perturbed and baseline methane signals to test for the presence of fugitive emissions.
• Establishing a comprehensive baseline for atmospheric monitoring in regions with mixed methane sources like cattle, landfill, and gas production.

Strengths

• Three years of continuous atmospheric methane and carbon dioxide measurements provide a substantial baseline.
• Simulations are based on parameters typical of Australian CSG fields, including well density, production volumes, and field size.
• Statistical analysis provides an indicative minimum fugitive methane emission rate detectable by a single station.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is associated with a 2013 study; freshness should be verified for current applications.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia and CSIRO Marine & Atmospheric Research

Collection Method

Continuous atmospheric measurements at the 'Arcturus' monitoring station, coupled with simulations using the TAPM meteorological and air pollution model.

Time Range

Three-year baseline measurement period (specific years not stated).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-30 13:54:31.059124; freshness should be verified

Geography

Bowen Basin, Australia