Mobile Methane Measurements of Natural Gas Distribution and End-use Emissions in Indianapolis

Abstract:

Indianapolis is the site of the INFLUX program to investigate greenhouse gas emissions from a large metropolitan area. A key question in INFLUX is the relative contributions of methane emissions from the local gas distribution system in comparison to biogenic sources, such as the wastewater treatment system and landfills, and of end use emissions from furnaces and other combustion devices downstream of customer gas meters. During February and March, 2015, the Aerodyne van was used to measure methane, ethane, CO₂ and other trace gases during mobile sampling traverses through a number of urban and suburban Indianapolis neighborhoods. Signatures of distinct natural gas emissions, biogenic emissions, and combustion emissions were observed in small plumes. In a number of cases, these sources were identified as manhole covers in city streets, where nearby leaks can seep into the local wastewater system. Quantification of ethane and methane from 45 manholes reveal that some had emissions that were clearly biogenic while others had a distinct natural gas signature. This paper describes the results from the analysis of these mobile data in the context of the current Indianapolis methane emission inventory.