Oil patch bits: ChampionX launches new infrared emissions detecting camera

Petroleum News

As reported by Hart Energy Jan. 12, ChampionX soft-launched its newest handheld emissions-detecting camera at a Jan. 10 event in Houston.

Developed in part by ChampionX Emissions Optical Gas Imaging group Chairman David Furry, the latest generation camera is equipped with navigation and an integrated computer. Furry holds the patent for the first OGI camera used in the oil and gas industry, a device he built more than a decade ago on his kitchen table.

Saurabh Nitin, ChampionX’s senior vice president for emissions technologies, said the Aura OGI camera was developed in such a way that “even an untrained operator can provide the best possible optical gas imaging surveys in a fairly fast and efficient manner.”

The portable midwave infrared camera is different from the other OGI cameras on the market, Furry said.

“The first thing about this camera that stands out is that it has four times the resolution of any other camera,” he said.

It also has a “high sensitivity mode,” or gas enhancement mode, and the ability to overlay that onto an infrared camera image. Anything moving “it paints green, so it makes it easy for you to see the gas,” Furry said.

When the product is officially launched in third-quarter 2023, it will be Class One, Div Two certified, meaning it can be used in areas where hazardous materials are present. The camera also offers an ingress rating of 67 - one of the highest levels of protection offered against dust, airborne particles and water and liquids.

“It’s built tough,” he said.

A senior operator can set up a “smart route” that ensures the survey complies with regulations, and a junior operator can carry out the survey, Furry said. The camera’s antennas, navigation system and Wi-Fi capability ensure the Aura OGI knows its location and where to target infrastructure that needs to be surveyed. For more information visit www.hartenergy.com.