Scientists who detected massive Pemex methane leak say 'no way' they made a mistake

[rangerrebew]

Scientists who detected massive Pemex methane leak say 'no way' they made a mistake
By Stefanie Eschenbacher - Yesterday 7:54 PM
 
 
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Scientists who detected a massive methane leak at an offshore platform run by Mexico's Pemex said Tuesday there was "no way" they had made a mistake, roundly rebutting claims by the state oil company that the emissions were smaller and less polluting.

Pemex, which is under increasing international pressure over its environmental record, last week issued a statement calling the study published in the Environmental Science & Technology Letters journal incorrect, arguing it had mistaken nitrogen - also a colorless, odorless gas - for methane in its calculations.
 
But in a response sent to Reuters, the scientists behind the study dismissed Pemex's position saying the sensors they used to detect the methane leak at the Ku-Maloob-Zaap oil field cluster in the Gulf of Mexico cannot see nitrogen.

 https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/scientists-who-detected-massive-pemex-methane-leak-say-no-way-they-made-a-mistake/ar-AA11NmkU?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=89b91410e72b4526bc7c03ffb93ec4ad

[Smokin Joe]

If the flare wasn't lit, the gas was vented. Not the same as a leak.
Claiming they 'burned' nitrogen just doesn't work.

[GtHawk]

If the flare wasn't lit, the gas was vented. Not the same as a leak.
Claiming they 'burned' nitrogen just doesn't work.

I'm surprised that they didn't argue that it wasn't methane because the gas self identified as nitrogen on that day.

[DefiantMassRINO]

Are they sure the gas wasn't from oil platform workers eating beans for lunch?

[Hoodat]

Pemex . . . last week issued a statement calling the study published in the Environmental Science & Technology Letters journal incorrect, arguing it had mistaken nitrogen - also a colorless, odorless gas - for methane in its calculations.

Bullshit.  Analyzers don't confuse CH₄ with N₂.  They disconnected power to their HC gas analyzers, and then suppressed all alarms.  I'm interested to know what SIS they are using.

[Hoodat]

If the flare wasn't lit, the gas was vented. Not the same as a leak.
Claiming they 'burned' nitrogen just doesn't work.

Flare should have a flow meter and a flame detector.  The data historian should show trending of those values over the last year or more.

[Hoodat]

The bottom line here is that this is what happens when you turn industry over to government.  Pemex is owned by the Mexican government.  They have zero incentive to maintain environmental and safety checks.  Pollution is an externality.  It profits them nothing, yet also costs them nothing.  So they don't care.

It is no different than a government-run nuclear reactor such as Chernobyl or Savannah River.  Government has no incentive to build a containment dome over its own reactor, so they don't.

[Kamaji]

Bullshit.  Analyzers don't confuse CH₄ with N₂.  They disconnected power to their HC gas analyzers, and then suppressed all alarms.  I'm interested to know what SIS they are using.

[Smokin Joe]

Bullshit.  Analyzers don't confuse CH₄ with N₂.  They disconnected power to their HC gas analyzers, and then suppressed all alarms.  I'm interested to know what SIS they are using.

N2 causes a drop in readings (much like CO2, it's inert for all practical purposes to the detector), CH4 reads 'hot' in every gas detector I have used. (Filament, catalytic bead, FID, Mass Spec)  No way N2 would be confused with CH4 if the equipment is working and there's flow from the source to the machine in any of those, or the IR units, for that matter.