Category: Press Releases

AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SeekOps Inc, a global leader in greenhouse gas emissions detection, quantification and reporting solutions, is proud to announce that it has received approval from the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) for use as an Alternative Approved Instrument Measurement Method (Alt. AIMM) in Colorado. SeekOps is the first unmanned aerial system to be part of an approved Alt AIMM, and builds on their record of demonstrated success in quantifying emissions for oil and gas facilities worldwide.

Using their best-in-class, parts-per-billion sensitive sensors, SeekOps deploys state-of-the-art unmanned aerial systems that leverage autonomous operations for efficient, repeatable and consistent greenhouse gas emission surveys, facilitating rapid leak detection, localization and accurate quantification (LDAQ®).

“Colorado is committed to reducing air pollution to improve the health of all Coloradans and local communities. Emissions monitoring technologies, like those developed by SeekOps and others, can help us better understand air pollution emissions so we can achieve our goals to protect clean air and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change,” said Michael Ogletree, the director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Air Pollution Control Division.

Thomas Fox, President of Highwood Emissions, stated, “Highwood is proud to have supported SeekOps in securing the first-ever regulatory approval in the United States for drone-based methane leak-detection, quantification, and repair.”

Iain Cooper, SeekOps CEO, said: “I would like to thank all those at SeekOps, Highwood Emissions and CDPHE for continuing to focus on accurate, reliable and trustworthy methane measurements. This approval is an important step in Colorado’s proactive efforts to understand the state’s emissions inventory, and to adopt the latest cost-effective abatement tools.”

Read the full press release here

AUSTIN, October 16, 2023 — In a recent acknowledgment of innovative leaders driving the energy sector forward, Oil and Gas Investor Magazine has unveiled its “40 Under 40” list for 2023. Making a notable appearance on this esteemed list is Brendan Smith, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of SeekOps.

“I’m elated to celebrate Brendan’s well-deserved recognition,” says Iain Cooper, CEO of SeekOps. “His journey from the University of California Merced, through the Jet Propulsion laboratory in California, to our current headquarters in Austin, is a testament to his dedication and vision. Most significantly, the technology Brendan and his team have pioneered is now being employed across all major continents, enabling businesses globally to address, abate emissions, and streamline their path to net-zero goals.”

Brendan expressed his gratitude, stating, “I am deeply honored to be part of this distinguished group. My journey has been possible thanks to the unwavering support from loved ones, the SeekOps team, our investors, and our customers.”

In his feature, the magazine shines a spotlight on Brendan Smith’s ambitious career trajectory, which led him from working on cutting-edge methane emissions measurement technology at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to co-founding SeekOps. The interview delves into Brendan’s leadership philosophies, his views on the energy sector, and some personal insights, including his aspirations to deploy SeekOps’ sensor technology in Antarctica.

For more in-depth insights from Brendan Smith, including his mentorship experiences, career advice, and perspectives on the oil and gas industry, visit https://www.hartenergy.com/forty-under-40/2023/brendan-smith.

SeekOps deploys its industry-leading SeekIR® sensors with enterprise-grade drones, providing state-of-the-art methane Leak Detection and Quantification (LDAQ®) systems. Our solutions are rooted in automated workflows that are both consistent and cost-effective, driving the future of emissions monitoring. For more information, please visit www.seekops.com.

Technology first developed by the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) which is being used to detect offshore methane emissions is to be showcased at SPE Offshore Europe 2023.

SeekOps, the US-based sensor company, has deployed its drone-agnostic SeekIR solution, which uses technology initially created for the Mars Curiosity Rover, to gauge emissions across the North Sea.

In an energy sector first, by mounting an in-situ tunable diode laser absorption spectrometer (TDLAS) on a drone, high spatiotemporal methane emission measurement surveys have been conducted in an offshore environment. The system allows for cost-effective, safe and accurate methane emissions quantification and overcomes challenges posed by fixed wing crewed and uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV) which have restrictive flight patterns.

Measuring methane emissions is particularly difficult in offshore environments, with other methods using satellites and aircraft having low success rates due to backscatter from water, clouds being in the field of view and a lack of resolution required to quantify one asset in a region where there are multiple in proximity.

The TLDAS technology was first developed by NASA’s JPL to look for evidence of microbial life and was extremely sensitive to methane enhancements. It has since been adapted for use across the energy sector and has been validated by the Methane Emissions Technology Evaluation Centre (METEC) in Colorado.

Brendan Smith, SeekOps Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder, said: “With political, environmental and social pressures building, oil and gas operators are searching for ways to effectively reduce methane emissions. This forward-thinking solution combines two cutting-edge pieces of technology to provide companies with a modern and effective means of measuring their offshore methane emissions.”

The presentation at SPE Offshore Europe will highlight findings from surveys of five offshore assets, collecting both methane concentration and atmospheric conditions such as temperature, pressure and wind vector data.

It will form part of the Offshore Decarbonisation technical session on Friday, September 8, which begins at 10am in Conference Room 3. The event begins on Tuesday, September 5.

Kamel Ben-Naceur, SPE Offshore Europe Conference Chairman 2023, said: “As the energy transition ramps up pace, the development and adaptation of technologies to aid in the process will be key.

“This technical session will highlight a system that could have a potentially revolutionary impact on how methane emissions are measured offshore and forms part of a session which brings together the best minds in the field of offshore energy production to contribute to the development of effective strategies and solutions to reduce carbon emissions in the offshore sector.”

MERCED, Calif. – UC Merced is pleased to announce that it has received a generous gift of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipment from SeekOps Inc, a start-up company in the methane emissions management space. The equipment will be used to support UC Merced’s research efforts in environmental monitoring and conservation.

The gift from SeekOps Inc includes a number of state-of-the-art UAVs, as well as the necessary software and hardware to operate and maintain the equipment.

“We are incredibly grateful to Seek Ops Inc for their generous gift,” said Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz. “The equipment will greatly enhance our research capabilities in environmental monitoring and conservation, and will enable our researchers to better understand and address the challenges facing our planet.”

SeekOps Inc is a rapidly growing start-up company that specializes in applied methane detection and quantification technology. The company’s mission is to provide accurate, reliable, and cost-effective solutions for methane monitoring and mitigation in the energy industry, including traditional oil & gas and renewable natural gas production (e.g., dairy biodigesters, landfills, etc.).

“We are thrilled to support the important work being done by UC Merced researchers,” said Brendan Smith, CTO of SeekOps Inc. and UC Merced Alumni. “We believe that our technology has the potential to make a real difference in the fight against climate change, and we are proud to partner with UC Merced in this important effort.”

The gift from SeekOps Inc is part of a larger effort by the company to support research and innovation in the environmental sciences. SeekOps Inc is committed to advancing the science of methane management, and to working collaboratively with partners across academia, government, and industry to address the urgent challenges posed by climate change.

About UC Merced

UC Merced, the newest campus in the University of California system, opened its doors in 2005 with the mission of providing a world-class education to students from California’s San Joaquin Valley and beyond. Located in the heart of California’s Central Valley, UC Merced is dedicated to research and teaching that advances the fields of science, engineering, humanities, social sciences, and the arts.

About SeekOps 

SeekOps deploys its industry-leading SeekIR^® sensors with enterprise-grade drones to provide field-proven measurement systems for methane Leak Detection and Quantification (LDAQ^®), through repeatable, consistent and cost-effective automated workflows. For more information, please visit www.seekops.com.

See the full press release here.

JGC Holdings Corporation has announced that the JGC Group joined the Aiming for Zero methane emissions initiative on February 14 of this year. As a project of the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI, an international organization leading oil and natural gas industry responses to climate change), Aiming for Zero is focused on reducing methane emissions from the industry. The JGC Group is the first Japanese participant in the initiative.

Developments in methane emission reduction

A common greenhouse gas (GHG), methane has a greenhouse effect 28-84 times greater than that of CO₂. Reducing these emissions would have a significant impact in efforts to curb global warming, which is why global efforts to reduce methane emissions are accelerating.

OGCI is a CEO-led initiative of 12 companies (including Aramco, ExxonMobil and Shell) that has spearheaded a variety of climate change activities in the oil and natural gas industry since January 2014. This particular project, launched in March 2022, aims for zero methane emissions from the oil and natural gas industry by 2030. Among the members are more than 40 European and American companies that provide solutions for methane measurement, reporting, verification (MRV), and reduction, who are taking proactive measures to eliminate emissions.

Background and goals of JGC participation

In addition to supporting the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) in establishing guidelines for calculating GHGs linked to LNG, hydrogen, and ammonia production, JGC Holdings has conducted GHG emission measurements at an ammonia production site in Indonesia and worked to develop MRV systems and improve techniques. Our participation in Aiming for Zero builds on such activities to date. Ongoing concerted efforts by JGC Holdings, including this initiative to reduce industrial methane emissions, reflect our belief that this reduction is a key step on the path toward decarbonization, and we will be accelerating efforts aimed at carbon neutrality by 2050.

In addition, the Japanese government’s policy to clean up the liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply chain, in particular, has been discussed at the “LNG Producer-Consumer Conference ” held by the Japanese government, and our efforts are in line with such policies of the Japanese government.

New JGC activities to reduce methane emissions

At the JGC R&D Center in Oarai, Ibaraki, JGC Holdings has also recently constructed a facility for evaluating methane emission measurement techniques. Domestic and overseas measurement equipment manufacturers can evaluate detection capabilities and develop technology for methane emission measurement, a field that is taking shape around the world. This broad collaboration will enable improved measurement capabilities and a more effective response to methane emissions.

With JOGMEC support, JGC invited five domestic and foreign companies possessing detection technologies to the facility in mid-February to test methane emission measurement. Specifically, in addition to Konica Minolta^※1 and All Nippon Airways^※2, U.S.-based SeekOps^※3 and Europe-based The Sniffers^※4 and Aeromon^※5 conducted technical evaluations of their methane measurement. Results will be compiled by the end of March, yielding insight on usefulness and accuracy.

Read the full press release here

AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SeekOps Inc., a global leader in providing best-in-class sensors and actionable analytics to support both traditional and renewable energy sectors in their decarbonization efforts, today announced the addition of Paal Kibsgaard to their advisory board.

“It is my pleasure to welcome Paal to our advisory board,” said Iain Cooper, President and CEO of SeekOps. “Paal brings with him a wealth of experience in both deploying and managing operations on a global scale, in addition to a broad and influential network across all levels of the Energy business. Paal was instrumental in catalyzing Schlumberger’s efforts in the energy transition during his time as CEO, and this is reflected in this focus with SeekOps as we embark on our growth strategy.”

Paal Kibsgaard is currently a Partner with Veritec Ventures, an Early Stage Venture Capital company addressing the energy transition. He was previously Chairman and CEO of Schlumberger Ltd in addition to holding other senior management and operational positions. Mr. Kibsgaard was also Chairman of Borr Drilling, and holds a Master’s degree in petroleum engineering from the Norwegian Institute of Technology.

“I am excited to join the SeekOps Advisory Board as the company enters a new phase, focused on scaling up the operations and bringing their unique technology and answer products to a fast growing, global customer base.”

Paal joins Advisory Board Members David Cox, Founding Partner of the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas and Dr Simon Bittleston, Chairman of the International Scientific Advisory Board for GAPSTI at Cambridge University.

Read full press release here.