Data Quality and Sample Planning to Develop Credible Emissions Estimates

Catalyst by GTI Energy

July 27, 2023

Companies and governments worldwide are facing mounting pressure to reduce emissions from methane, a potent climate pollutant. Yet, the landscape of methane emissions monitoring is rapidly evolving, unveiling numerous innovative technologies — from satellites to handheld sensors. These tools hold the promise of developing more accurate estimates of actual emissions, shifting away from conventional inventory calculations toward measurement-based inventories. As the energy industry embraces these transformative monitoring technologies, a flood of measurement data is being amassed at an unprecedented pace. Amidst this wealth of information, an important question arises: Is more data necessarily better or more meaningful than quality data?

While direct measurements are necessary for creating measurement-based inventories, they are not sufficient to develop credible measurement-based inventories. Unlocking insights from new technologies depends on the deployment method, quality control, and approach to analysis. A thoughtful and systematic approach that includes data quality and sample planning is essential for developing reliable, accurate inventory estimates from monitoring and measurement data.