Close Menu
TechBrunchTechBrunch
  • Home
  • AI
  • Apps
  • Crypto
  • Security
  • Startups
  • TechCrunch
  • Venture

Subscribe to Updates

Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news

Subscribe my Newsletter for New Posts & tips Let's stay updated!

What's Hot

iOS 19: All the rumor changes that Apple could bring to the new operating system

June 7, 2025

The Trump administration is aiming for Biden and Obama's cybersecurity rules

June 7, 2025

WWDC 2025: What to expect from this year's meeting

June 7, 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
TechBrunchTechBrunch
  • Home
  • AI

    OpenAI seeks to extend human lifespans with the help of longevity startups

    January 17, 2025

    Farewell to the $200 million woolly mammoth and TikTok

    January 17, 2025

    Nord Security founder launches Nexos.ai to help enterprises move AI projects from pilot to production

    January 17, 2025

    Data proves it remains difficult for startups to raise capital, even though VCs invested $75 billion in the fourth quarter

    January 16, 2025

    Apple suspends AI notification summaries for news after generating false alerts

    January 16, 2025
  • Apps

    iOS 19: All the rumor changes that Apple could bring to the new operating system

    June 7, 2025

    WWDC 2025: What to expect from this year's meeting

    June 7, 2025

    Trump Mask feud was perfect for X and jumped on the app store chart

    June 6, 2025

    iOS 19: All the rumor changes that Apple could bring to the new operating system

    June 6, 2025

    WWDC 2025: What to expect from this year's meeting

    June 6, 2025
  • Crypto

    xNotify Polymarket as partner in the official forecast market

    June 6, 2025

    Circle IPOs are giving hope to more startups waiting to be published to more startups

    June 5, 2025

    GameStop bought $500 million in Bitcoin

    May 28, 2025

    Vote for the session you want to watch in 2025

    May 26, 2025

    Save $900 + 90% from 2 tickets to destroy 2025 in the last 24 hours

    May 25, 2025
  • Security

    The Trump administration is aiming for Biden and Obama's cybersecurity rules

    June 7, 2025

    After data is wiped out, Kiranapro co-founders cannot rule out external hacks

    June 7, 2025

    Humanity appoints national security experts to governing trusts

    June 6, 2025

    Italian lawmakers say Italy used spyware to target immigrant activists' mobile phones, but not for journalists

    June 6, 2025

    Humanity unveils custom AI models for US national security customers

    June 5, 2025
  • Startups

    7 days left: Founders and VCs save over $300 on all stage passes

    March 24, 2025

    AI chip startup Furiosaai reportedly rejecting $800 million acquisition offer from Meta

    March 24, 2025

    20 Hottest Open Source Startups of 2024

    March 22, 2025

    Andrill may build a weapons factory in the UK

    March 21, 2025

    Startup Weekly: Wiz bets paid off at M&A Rich Week

    March 21, 2025
  • TechCrunch

    OpenSea takes a long-term view with a focus on UX despite NFT sales remaining low

    February 8, 2024

    AI will save software companies' growth dreams

    February 8, 2024

    B2B and B2C are not about who buys, but how you sell

    February 5, 2024

    It's time for venture capital to break away from fast fashion

    February 3, 2024

    a16z's Chris Dixon believes it's time to focus on blockchain use cases rather than speculation

    February 2, 2024
  • Venture

    Why investing in a growing AI startup is risky and more complicated

    June 6, 2025

    Startup Battlefield 200: Only 3 days left

    June 6, 2025

    Book all TC Stage Exhibitor Tables before ending today

    June 6, 2025

    Less than 48 hours left until display at TC at all stages

    June 5, 2025

    TC Session: AI will be on sale today at Berkeley

    June 5, 2025
TechBrunchTechBrunch

Orbio Earth discovers methane leak that could cost oil companies $9 billion this year

TechBrunchBy TechBrunchMarch 13, 20244 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Telegram LinkedIn Tumblr WhatsApp Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Telegram Email


When it comes to greenhouse gases, people tend to focus on CO2, which is responsible for most of global warming. However, according to the IEA, it is methane that is causing about 30% of climate change. This is a big enough threat that this year the U.S. government plans to fine polluters $900 for every ton they release. By 2026, it will be $1,500 per ton.

Methane, the main component of natural gas, is a powerful greenhouse gas that causes 83 times more global warming than one molecule of carbon dioxide. Leakage is one of the main sources from both aging natural gas infrastructure and oil and gas fields.

However, the leak of the odorless and colorless gas was difficult to trace. Reporters were able to track down more than 1,000 so-called superemitters, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. In the United States alone, he says, there are over 4 million active and inactive oil and gas wells, some of which may be leaking as you read this article.

“The key question about why there are so many emissions is that there is no truly global measurement technology that can actually operate at the scale of the oil and gas industry,” said Orbio Earth co-founder and chief executive officer. CEO Robert Huppertz told TechCrunch.

And the EPA's new methane rules finally create an economic incentive for development.

The IEA said in a report released Wednesday that the company was able to observe a significant portion of the United States' estimated oil and gas methane emissions. Orbio estimates that approximately 10 million tonnes of methane will be released from onshore oil and gas exploration and production in 2023. If this pace continues this year, oil and gas companies could face fines of up to $9 billion. In 2026, the amount will increase to he $ 15 billion.

Orbio's pitch is that it's cheaper to pay startups to find leaks so oil companies can shut them down. This is a business model that is attracting attention from investors. Orbio has raised a $4 million seed round from the European Space Agency, Initialized Capital, and Y Combinator. The startup was part of the accelerator's Spring 2023 cohort.

There are two basic approaches to measuring methane emissions: bottom-up and top-down. A bottom-up approach would likely involve installing sensors at key points in the oil and gas infrastructure. They give fairly accurate numbers, but can be very expensive to install. Top-down approaches use one or a small number of sensors that can monitor large areas of the Earth. The results will be less accurate, but the cost will be significantly lower.

Orbio Earth, one of the entrants into the emerging methane tracking market, is taking the latter approach. Huppertz and his co-founder Jack Angela have developed a series of algorithms that use freely available satellite data to detect methane emissions.

Although the satellite Sentinel-2 used by Orbio was not designed to detect gas, the results are impressive. Researchers who tested various methane reporting methods, both commercial and academic, found that Orbio caught all of their leaks except one. That was less than 1 ton per hour.

Until the successful launch of MethaneSAT last week, no satellite existed specifically for detecting methane. In fact, just a few years ago, experts believed that general purpose remote sensing satellites like Sentinel 2 would not be able to extract enough signal from the noise to detect methane leaks. This is because methane and water in clouds are difficult to distinguish.

To differentiate, Orbio monitors the entire surface of the Earth, looking for anomalies over time. When an anomaly occurs, we determine whether the anomaly is likely a methane release and, if so, whether the source is an oil and gas facility. Orbio provides emissions data to end users within 48 hours, Huppertz said, but often less. The startup processes 10-20 terabytes of data every day.

Orbio's customers subscribe to its data products and analytics for a variety of reasons. Oil and gas companies may want to monitor their own assets, while investors may want to evaluate the performance of their own portfolios or benchmark their competitors' portfolios. Thanks to the satellite data Orbio uses, Orbio's data dates back to 2016.

The startup is working on applying its algorithms to other satellite data to begin assessing other greenhouse gases. “Natural gas is going to be very necessary for the energy transition,” Huppertz said. “So ensuring that methane and natural gas stays within the infrastructure and does not leak into the atmosphere is always critical until every last drop of natural gas is used up.”



Source link

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Related Posts

7 days left: Founders and VCs save over $300 on all stage passes

March 24, 2025

AI chip startup Furiosaai reportedly rejecting $800 million acquisition offer from Meta

March 24, 2025

20 Hottest Open Source Startups of 2024

March 22, 2025

Andrill may build a weapons factory in the UK

March 21, 2025

Startup Weekly: Wiz bets paid off at M&A Rich Week

March 21, 2025

Wayve CEO shares his key elements for scaling autonomous driving technology

March 21, 2025

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Top Reviews
Editors Picks

7 days left: Founders and VCs save over $300 on all stage passes

March 24, 2025

AI chip startup Furiosaai reportedly rejecting $800 million acquisition offer from Meta

March 24, 2025

20 Hottest Open Source Startups of 2024

March 22, 2025

Andrill may build a weapons factory in the UK

March 21, 2025
About Us
About Us

Welcome to Tech Brunch, your go-to destination for cutting-edge insights, news, and analysis in the fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cryptocurrency, Technology, and Startups. At Tech Brunch, we are passionate about exploring the latest trends, innovations, and developments shaping the future of these dynamic industries.

Our Picks

iOS 19: All the rumor changes that Apple could bring to the new operating system

June 7, 2025

The Trump administration is aiming for Biden and Obama's cybersecurity rules

June 7, 2025

WWDC 2025: What to expect from this year's meeting

June 7, 2025

Subscribe to Updates

Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news

Subscribe my Newsletter for New Posts & tips Let's stay updated!

© 2025 TechBrunch. Designed by TechBrunch.
  • Home
  • About Tech Brunch
  • Advertise with Tech Brunch
  • Contact us
  • DMCA Notice
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.