AUSEA: A Tool for Reducing Methane Emissions
Methane is a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential 28 times higher than that of CO2 and a much shorter atmospheric lifetime*. That makes fighting methane emissions a priority in efforts to attenuate global warming. As a pioneer in detecting and quantifying its emissions in real world conditions, TotalEnergies has joined with its partners to develop AUSEA**, an innovative, high precision technology.
Unique TotalEnergies technology
Developed with France’s National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the University of Reims Champagne Ardenne, AUSEA consists of a miniature dual sensor that can detect and measure methane and carbon dioxide emissions and identify the source of those emissions. The drone mounted, ultralight technology can reach hard to access emission hotspots and take highly precise readings at any type of industrial site, both onshore and offshore.
Deployment of AUSEA drones: From estimates to accurate methane measurements
As part of our emissions reduction program, TotalEnergies has been deploying the AUSEA technology at all of our operated oil & gas sites, refining facilities and gas fired power plants worldwide since 2022. It can be tailored to the distinct nature of each site to target specific sources of methane, including venting, flaring, fugitive emissions and incomplete combustion. It represents a major advance over conventional techniques for detecting and quantifying methane emissions, such as infrared cameras, ground based sensors and satellites, which can only detect very sizable leaks***.
Achieving net zero emissions calls for a collective effort by industry
TotalEnergies is a member of the United Nations Oil & Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP 2.0) and intends to play a leading role in combating methane emissions. The Company has signed cooperation agreements with national oil and gas companies such as Brazil’s Petrobras, SOCAR in Azerbaijan, Sonangol in Angola, Nigeria’s NNPCL and ONGC in India to deploy campaigns for detecting and measuring methane emissions at their oil and gas facilities using the AUSEA technology.
Zero methane and tangible objectives for emissions reduction
Having halved methane emissions at its operated sites between 2010 and 2020, TotalEnergies has set ambitious goals for redoubling its efforts and reducing its methane emissions by further 50% by 2025 and ideally a year earlier, by 2024 and by 80% from 2020 levels by 2030.
TotalEnergies is encouraging other national and international oil companies to adopt the OGMP 2.0 reporting framework.
In addition, the Company has been awarded OGMP Gold Standard status for three consecutive years.
“For the Oil & Gas industry, cutting methane emissions from operations is a priority as technologies are available. The first step is to measure emissions, asset by asset. By making our AUSEA technology available to our partners, TotalEnergies is taking a concrete step to encourage the whole industry, including national companies, to aim for zero methane emissions.”