GITA North America Update

and Presentation

Locate16 ~ April 2016

Mark E. Limbruner, GISP

President, GITA North America

GIS Manager, Range Resources Corporation

Update on GITA Growth

• Membership Growth 2015: >107%

• Targeted GISP Members – High Value Contributors! • 2015 Affiliate Growth +83% GITA NA has 39 Corporate, Governmental or Educational affiliates!

Growing Our Social Media Presence

+20% now >4100 members

Over 800 “likes”, help us reach 1000!

Varies between 2K to 10K reads per month, over 2700 Followers!

>23,000 Contacts

Member Focused Services

North American Strategy to Promote

GITA via Regional Conferences & Partnerships

2015-2016 GITA International Outreach Conferences, Delegate or Leadership Exchange With:

•GITA Japan, Tokyo, November 2015 (Upcoming September 2016)

•GITA ANZ, Brisbane & Perth, March 2015 (Thank You Again!)

•UN-SPIDER Workshop, Jackson Mississippi, USA, October 2015

•GoGeomatics – Canada, Coast to Coast, Autumn 2015

•GECCo / UN SPIDER, Hanoi, April 2016

GITA – Looking Forward to 2016!

•Return of the Scholarship Program

•Return of the Excellence in GIS Awards Program

•Expanded International Contacts

•Negotiating a return to the Middle East

(Kuwait or Qatar) 2016

Update on the Latest

Geospatial News from

North America

Three Words: Drones, UAVs, RPAs!

Drones Taking the Geospatial Community by Storm!

Finally.. In December 2015 the FAA released drone regulations. A few notable requirements:

• Commercial drone operators have to be licensed pilots.

• Generally, commercial drones should weigh less than 55 pounds, fly only during daylight hours and in good weather, fly no faster than 100 miles per hour, stay at least five miles away from airports, and remain within line of sight of the operator.

• Hobby drone operators, or non-commercial users, must register their drones with the FAA and have the numbers clearly visible or accessible. In case there is an accident involving a drone, authorities can use the number track down the drone’s owner. • Licensed pilots must operate drones if they’re being used for any commercial purpose, such as taking video or photos of a 5K race or music event.

Sorry No, You Cannot Use Our Drone For That! Range Resources evaluated smaller quad copter drones, our findings that our non-geospatial colleague does not understand (or more likely ignores) about drones. Limited Lifting Capabilities: • Geophysical Survey Equipment • High Altitude Magnetometers (well & pipeline recon) • Limited use in Brush or Wooded Areas • Ortho photos may be taken but require post

processing / rectification • Upfront investment / training / certification Corporate Risk: • Drones crash • PR Issues Within Suburban or Near-Suburban Areas • Corporate Liability • Privacy Issues • Trespass Issues • Public Perception

Technical Presentation:

Innovative Mapping for

Greenhouse

Emission Compliance

Co-Author: Morgan Abele, PULS Inc.

Issue: Methane Emissions from the

Oil, Gas and Utility Industries

13

Positive GHG Effects of

Shale Development

Negative Environmental and Financial

Effects of Fugitive Methane

Oil and gas companies operating on federal and tribal lands are losing enough natural gas each

year through leaks and intentional venting and flaring equal nearly $330 million at current market prices. This is

enough natural gas to meet the heating and cooking needs of 1.5

million homes.

Nationally, consumers paid at least $20 billion from 2000-2011 for gas

that was unaccounted for and never used.

US DOE / NETL Pilot Project Overview

• Pilot Project Commissioned by the U.S. Department of

Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL)

• DOE’s goal was to develop a volumetric model of lost

methane over an area of extensive pipeline facilities and

methane storage fields

• The project utilized aerial and ground based leak

detection over 135 miles of transmission and gathering

pipelines located in and around Susquehannock State

Park, Potter County, Pennsylvania

16

Project Location

Map of Aerial Methane Survey

ROWS Surveyed

Wharton Field

Leidy & Greenlick Fields

Back Story: Issues Between NETL and Utilities

• Utilities were not properly briefed by NETL on what type of

research was to be done.

• Utilities thought the research was being conducted to find

“orphan” wells.

• Two of the four utilities refused access to the ROW’s for the

ground based survey team.

• The two utilities participating had the ability to refuse the

survey team access to certain areas and operations

• NETL flew narrow flight path along existing right of ways.

• A grid type aerial survey was not utilized, which would have

more accurately mapped fugitive emissions from surrounding

gas storage facilities.

• These restrictions limited the project’s success from the start!

Surface Based Survey Equipment The equipment used for this project included:

• Honda Pioneer 700-4 UTV – Modified with larger tires, long travel suspension and custom wiring harness/battery system

• Utility Locating: – Optimal Ranging Spar 300 twin receivers

– 150 watt Vivax vLocDM transmitter

– Trimble TSC3 Data Collector

• Leak Detection: – Sensit, PMD Gas Detection System

– Sensit, VMD Gas Detection System

– Boreal Laser Gas Finder AB

– FLIR Thermal Camera

• GPS – Trimble GeoXH with Tornado external antenna*

*Original intent was to use Trimble R8 antennas, both vehicle mounted and base stations, however the

terrain and required number of set ups and breakdowns precluded the use of this system.

Equipment as Deployed

Spar 300 Units GPS Antenna Boreal Laser

GasFinder AB

Sensit PMD

Sensit VMD

Honda Pioneer 700-4

Project Timeline • November 11, 2015 – First day in the field, review of safety processes, field procedures, work on

Utility 1 Y-M7 line, and we got stuck

• November 12, 2015 – Mounting of Red Hen systems into UTV and meeting with Utility 2

• November 13, 2015 – Began work on Utility 2 storage line TL383

• November 14, 2015 – Began work on Utility 2 storage line LP-1

• November 15, 2015 – Began work on Utility 1 Y-M53 transmission line

• November 16, 2015 – Repairs to UTV and meetings with Utility 1

• November 17, 2015 – Continued work on Y-M53 transmission line

• November 18, 2015 – Continued work on Y-M53 transmission line and began work on Y-M52

transmission line

• November 19, 2015 – Continued work on Y-M52 transmission line, began work on Y-FM100 and

Y-M7 transmission lines

• November 20, 2015 – Meeting with Utility 1, completion on Y-M53 transmission work and

completion of all authorized work

Map of Completed / Prohibited Work

Potter County Tioga County McKean County

Cambria County Clinton County Lycoming County

Pipeline Not Authorized.

Owner: Utility 4

Storage T383 Pipeline Complete; Owner: Utility 2

Pipeline not completed, in blow down; Owner: Utility 2

Pipeline not completed, not authorized by the owner, the #50 line, intermediate pressure (1,500psi); Owner: Utility 2

Pipeline Not Completed, escorts from Utility 2 felt there were very few safe locations to access the line with the UTV; Owner: Utility 2

LP1 Storage Pipeline Complete; Owner: Utility 2

Y-M53 Pipeline is complete. Utility 1

Y-M52 Pipeline is complete. from Ayers Hill Road to compressor “A”.

Owner: Utility 1

Y-M52 Pipeline area ,from the apex south to Ayers Hill Road was not authorized. Owner: Utility 1

Pipeline Not Authorized.

Owner: Utility 1

Pipeline Not Authorized. Owner: Utility 3

Results of Survey • Due to the restrictions placed on the survey team by both

Utility 1 & 2, and the lack of access to the Wharton Gas Field,

the number of potential leaks that could be found was limited.

To that end the survey team was restricted to completing 85

miles of the original 135 miles.

• In the entire project the team found only one leak that could

be tied to a discreet location.

• Methane Leak at 2” blow off located on RP81 valve attached to the Utility 2, storage line TL383

• Location: 41.531823, -77.639565 • Readings: 20ppm at Blow off

Results of Survey - Continued

• Transmission Y-M53 (east

side of methane survey),

this showed elevated

methane levels on the

aerial survey but none

were detected on the

transmission main

• Detected elevated methane

levels near the

compressor stations

• Detected elevated methane

levels along, but not on

Utility 2 storage pipeline

Lessons Learned:

• Planning and preparation are everything • Everything does not always go as planned

Lessons Learned - Continued • Having permission and having access are two different

things. In-person meetings with gas company are

necessary prior to any work.

• Have a thorough understanding of the pipelines and

systems prior to the start of the project.

• Have a thorough understanding of the terrain and your

ability and your equipment’s ability to traverse it.

• Carry field repair equipment in the UTV as well as more

complete field repair equipment in the support vehicles.

• Have a listing of locally available suppliers and repair

service providers prior to arriving on site.

Lessons Learned – Part III • For every 8 hours in the field, assume approximately 2 hours of

repair, cleaning and preparation for the next day’s work.

• Assume that you will not have cellular phone coverage and plan

accordingly: – First aid kit

– Winch, come-along and pulling cables or ropes

– Cold weather gear / emergency blankets

– Compass and map

– GPS independent of a cellular phone (both handheld and vehicle mounted)

– Water and food sufficient for the night

– Means of signaling and starting a fire

• Have more than one means (and equipment) to access an area

area; fallen trees, washouts, streams and other hazards may

prevent you from accessing the area from you primary route.

Conclusions • Government agencies MUST fully brief the utilities (or other stakeholders) on

proposed surveys, and obtain “buy in” on project goals

• Although only one actual leak was found, the survey crew did pick up dozens

of fugitive methane hits sometimes >10 ppm. These were attributed to facilities

and assemblies that the utilities did not grant access to.

• The lines that were permitted to be surveyed were newer and well maintained

lines, that no hits were expected to be found on.

• Hits recorded by the aerial / ground based survey were attributed to:

– Farming

– Bio-organic Methane

– Leaking Oil & Gas Wells

– Seepage From The Gas Storage Fields / Surface Facilities

Ongoing / Additional Projects • Utility No. 5: Two Gathering Systems. The pipeline

location, size, year of installation is known on 350 miles of

pipeline. Survey work has been completed, this system

allows for relatively inexpensive access to leak sites.

• There are an estimated 100,000 miles of low pressure gas

gathering lines in Pennsylvania, oil & gas companies are

attempting to stay ahead of the regulations by researching

various methods to locate and detect leaks along these

lines.

• PULS is working with industry groups, the Pennsylvania

DEP, DCNR and PUC to provide candidate gathering

systems.

Thank You to GITA ANZ

Thank you again to GITA Australia –

New Zealand

for your generous invitation

and hospitality!