Systems and methods for determining a gas leak detection survey area boundary

An apparatus comprising

• a gas concentration measurement device configured to measure one or more gas concentration values at one or more measurement points along a survey path travelled by a moving vehicle conducting a gas leak detection survey, the vehicle carrying the gas concentration measurement device;
• a positioning device configured to determine one or more geospatially referenced locations of the one or more measurement points;
• a wind direction determination device configured to measure one or more wind direction values, wherein the one or more wind direction values are measured within a time interval during which the one or more gas concentration values are measured, the time interval being less than or equal to 2 minutes;
• and
• at least one hardware processor coupled to the gas concentration measurement device, the positioning device, and the wind direction determination device, the at least one hardware processor being configured to:
• convert the one or more measured wind direction values to data representative of wind direction relative to ground,
• determine a maximum detection distance value for the one or more measurement points, the maximum detection distance value being determined according to the data representative of wind direction, wherein the maximum detection distance value is representative of an estimated maximum distance from a potential gas leak source at which a gas leak from the potential gas leak source is detectable by the survey at the one or more measurement points, and
• determine a boundary of a survey area for the gas leak detection survey according to the maximum detection distance value;
• wherein the boundary of the survey area is determined such that if the potential gas leak source is located in the survey area and has a rate of leakage meeting a minimum leak rate condition, then an estimated probability of detection of the gas leak at the one or more measurement points satisfies a probability condition.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoding instructions which, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to:

• receive one or more gas concentration values measured at one or more measurement points by a gas concentration measurement device carried by a moving vehicle along a survey path;
• receive one or more geospatially-referenced locations of the one or more measurement points determined using a positioning device carried by the moving vehicle;
• receive one or more wind direction values measured using a wind direction determination device carried by the moving vehicle, wherein the one or more wind direction values are measured within a time interval during which the one or more gas concentration values are measured, the time interval being less than or equal to 2 minutes;
• convert the one or more measured wind direction values to data representative of wind direction relative to ground;
• determine a maximum detection distance value for the one or more measurement points, the maximum detection distance value being determined according to the data representative of wind direction, wherein the maximum detection distance value is representative of an estimated maximum distance from a potential gas leak source at which a gas leak from the potential gas leak source is detectable by the survey at the one or more measurement points;
• and
• determine a boundary of a survey area for the gas leak detection survey according to the maximum detection distance value;
• wherein the boundary of the survey area is determined such that if the potential gas leak source is located in the survey area and has a rate of leakage meeting a minimum leak rate condition, then an estimated probability of detection of the gas leak at the one or more measurement points satisfies a probability condition.