WVU students study methane leaks by taking a sample of vent emissions from a shale gas liquid storage tank to test it with a gas chromatograph
Researchers at West Virginia University have received a $5.5 million grant from the U.S. EPA to study methane leaks from liquid storage tanks--how they happen and ways to potentially stop leaks from happening in the future. The researchers will sample and monitor plumes from storage tanks located in the Marcellus Shale region. The study will measure methane, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and hazardous air pollutants emitted from liquid storage tanks located “upstream” at drilling sites as well as “midstream” at various pipeline sites along the routes that oil and gas take on their way to refining and processing facilities.
