ExxonMobil and San Francisco-based climate tech firm Scepter said Monday they will work together to deploy advanced satellite technology and proprietary data-processing platforms to detect methane emissions. In phase one, they will design and optimize a plan for satellite placement and coverage to capture methane emissions from ExxonMobil’s operations in Permian Basin. Scepter will deploy satellites in 2023 and increase coverage to more than 24 satellites in three years. Scepter’s satellite detection technology has shown the ability to accurately collect data on methane and also identify sources of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur oxide and other greenhouse gases.
Bart Cahir, senior vice president at ExxonMobil, said, “This collaboration will enable multiple industries to identify the sources of methane emissions around the world in real time so that leak repairs or mitigation solutions can be deployed rapidly.” ExxonMobil said use of satellite emission detection technology could expand to other industries, including agriculture, manufacturing and transportation. Scepter said its ScepterAir platform uses a five-step process: detect, quantify, inform, abate and certify.