Opportunity: Methane Observation Networks with Innovative Techn

The Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy (ARPA-E) intends to issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled Methane Observation Networks with Innovative Technology to Obtain Reductions (MONITOR) to solicit applications for financial assistance to fund the development of disruptive new approaches to methane sensing in order to reduce associated costs to the point that widespread implementation is feasible. As described in more detail below, the purpose of this announcement is to facilitate the formation of new project teams to respond to the upcoming MONITOR FOA. The FOA will provide specific program goals, technical metrics, and selection criteria. The FOA terms will be controlling. For purposes of the Teaming Partner List, the following summarizes current planning for the FOA: The MONITOR program’s focus will be on “oil and gas systems,” from the wellhead to the end user. Cost-effective measurement of methane will facilitate detection and early mitigation from leaks and process upsets, thus reducing the overall emissions of methane from the production of natural gas. Currently, ARPA-E anticipates that the FOA will target research of: (1) complete systems, which combine methane measurement with data analytics in order to estimate methane emission rates and location of leaks; the systems should also include provisions for data quality control and digital communication; and (2) partial solutions which may demonstrate promising new approaches to sensing, but which are too early in their development to warrant incorporation into a complete system. The complexity of the task requires discussion of a measurement “system.” For example, a potential measurement system could consist of some combination of, but is not limited to: 1. Single high-sensitivity (but likely higher cost) fixed sensor; 2. Network consisting of a number of lower cost and lower sensitivity fixed sensors; 3. Systems incorporating imaging technology; 4. Sensor(s) mounted