German oil refinery to use gas detection cameras

An oil refinery based in Germany has installed gas detection cameras for its leak detection and repair programmes.

Bayernoil, the largest refinery in southern Germany, has decided to employ the cameras made by Swedish firm FLIR due to a lack of regulations specifying the frequency and degree to which firms should find, repair and report leaks of unstable organic compounds.

The company hopes to discover the optimum levels for monitoring leaks by collating feedback from other users of gas detection cameras.

John Stapleford, health, security and environment manager at the Bayernoil plants, said the main reason for adopting the gas detection technology was to minimise hydrocarbon gas discharges from piping systems - and especially leaks near flange baskets.

"The gas detection camera contributes to reassuring process safety," he said. "It is particularly interesting to inspect high pressure systems as they are the most susceptible to leaks".

Meanwhile, a gas leak shut down portions of a US highway in Snellville, Atlanta, earlier this week after a construction crew broke a gas line.

Written by Claire Manning