Gas Detection Technology / 2026-09-24
Article Summary
Choose methane survey equipment around route access and the inspection task. Vehicle-mounted equipment supports road-based patrol; portable equipment supports work that requires personnel to approach or investigate a location. A recorded methane indication needs an agreed follow-up process. Neither the equipment format nor a route map alone proves that a leak has been pinpointed, repaired or quantified. The selection process should therefore cover both patrol equipment and the records needed by the field investigation team.
When should a vehicle-mounted system be considered?
Consider it when the planned survey follows accessible roads and operators need route-based patrol records. Review the actual vehicle, mounting and measurement configuration before treating a demonstration as representative of the proposed deployment.
- Describe the route length, road access, traffic constraints and available inspection vehicle.
- Ask how survey coverage and interruptions are recorded.
- Confirm methane-only or methane/ethane requirements and which functions are included in the offered configuration.
Where does portable follow-up fit?
A route indication and a field investigation are different work stages. Plan how personnel will revisit an indication and record the investigation outcome. Select the portable instrument for its own measurement task rather than assuming that all handheld or portable gas instruments use the same method.
- Identify areas that cannot be reached by the proposed vehicle.
- Define the handover from patrol operator to field verification team.
- If ethane identification is needed, review a separately confirmed instrument and procedure, such as the relevant EGC200 configuration.
How can competing demonstrations be compared fairly?
Use a written demonstration scope that records the route, operating conditions, equipment configuration and expected outputs. Avoid comparing a sensitivity figure from one instrument with a distance or survey-speed figure from another as if they measured the same capability.
- Request the conditions and units associated with each performance claim.
- Agree how missed coverage, repeat passes and uncertain indications will be documented.
- Review the actual exported records and the steps needed to transfer them into the utility workflow.
What information should a gas utility send?
Provide the country, route environment, proposed vehicle, current survey method and follow-up process. Specify the required location and time records, receiving platform and report format. Hanwei can review vehicle-mounted laser inspection and adjacent equipment against those requirements; final performance and certification depend on the confirmed model.
- Request a configuration list, installation responsibilities and operator training scope.
- Keep screening, investigation, repair verification and emissions quantification as explicit tasks.
- Define a pilot acceptance plan before scaling the equipment purchase.