CERAWeek Day IV & V: Tech-enabled methane emissions monitoring

The Oilholic writes this blog while taking in a view of Downtown Houston's Discovery Green from the Hilton's fourth floor glass windows with CERAWeek 2024 having concluded. There were loads of interesting deliberations, panels and debates aplenty on day(s) IV and V. 

Alongside these, several emerging energy and cleantech technologies were showcased. But if yours truly were to pick one out for 2024 - then it was perhaps the delivery of near real-time methane monitoring services from high-altitude balloons and satellites that stood out. 

For context, the scientific community is united in its belief that methane is a more potent greenhouse gas than CO2. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, methane has more than 80 times the warming power of the latter over the first 20 years after it reaches the atmosphere. 

So in order to tackle it, the technologists and energy sector players are coming together with effective monitoring being a key pillar of this drive. Over the course of the week, CERAWeek delegates heard how ExxonMobil is collaborating with Scepter and Amazon Web Services (AWS) on near real-time methane monitoring via satellites and high-altitude balloons and satellites.  

According to ExxonMobil, this collaboration has the potential to "redefine methane detection and mitigation efforts" and will contribute to broader satellite-based emission reduction efforts. Such moves will do wonders in terms of improving global methane detection and quantification.  

It was heartening to note at CERAWeek that the ExxonMobil, Scepter and AWS partnership is just one of the many methane monitoring and mitigation initiatives. Industry peer Chevron, and pipeline operator Williams are also among those making similar moves. 

Williams for its part said it had launched two satellites to detect methane leaks, and the company's CEO Chad Zamarin said he was in favour of round-the-clock methane monitoring. It gives one absolute confidence that emissions tech is booming. 

Elsewhere, Bill Gates was in the CERAWeek House talking cleantech too and representing his two energy companies –  Breakthrough Energy, which is accelerating sustainable energy solutions and pursuing innovations in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; and TerraPower, which acts as a technology design and development engineering company for nuclear reactors.

Much to the delight of America's oil and gas capital over a business luncheon, Gates told CERAWeek Houston has the potential to become the Silicon Valley of energy and a dominant hub in the global energy transition.

Finally, over 8,100 delegates attended CERAWeek 2024. The tally caps 9,400 when counting staff, vendors, etc. The figure broke the previous record of over 7,200 delegates at CERAWeek 2023. The delegates hailed from over 80 countries who listened to some 1,400 speakers. And on that note, its time to say goodbye to H-Town and board the flight back home to London. More musings to follow soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

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© Gaurav Sharma 2024. Photo: Discovery Green and Downtown Houston, Texas, US © Gaurav Sharma, March 2024.