Methane Gas Leak Detection and Monitoring at LNG Pressure Regulation Facilities Using Flir OGI Cameras and AI
In 2025, a public corporation in South Korea responsible for domestic LNG operations introduced the Flir GF77a optical gas imaging (OGI) camera to strengthen methane leak monitoring at the pressure regulation facilities of the Boryeong LNG Terminal. The solution combined real-time OGI video with an AI-based plume detection engine to support safer, more effective monitoring—particularly in outdoor, unmanned environments where conventional sensors can be less reliable.
The challenge: outdoor equipment + unmanned monitoring
LNG pressure regulation facilities are mission-critical and can be vulnerable to leakage risks. While fixed gas sensors were already installed on site, the operator faced an ongoing challenge with remote, unmanned management—especially outdoors.
As the facility manager explained:
“LNG pressure regulation facilities are extremely critical yet prone to leakage risks. While gas sensors are installed on-site for operation, unmanned remote management posed a problem: the equipment is installed outdoors, reducing the likelihood of gas sensors detecting leaks if they occur. While seeking ways to further improve overall leak monitoring and safety for outdoor gas pressure regulation equipment, we discovered that the Flir OGI camera could detect gas leaks at an early stage.”
The approach: validate methane visibility before full deployment
Pole-mounted gas leak monitoring cameras at an outdoor LNG pressure regulation facility.
Before installing the system at the LNG pressure regulation site, the team conducted an on-site test by intentionally releasing a sample methane gas to validate performance. The Flir GF77a—optimised specifically for methane detection—enabled the operator to observe the gas release pattern immediately on a monitor. Following the successful trial, the customer installed the GF77a alongside the existing CCTV infrastructure.
Solution deployment: Flir GF77a + AI-based gas leak detection
Installation location
Field of view covering the entire outdoor pressure regulation facility
Network-based installation, similar to CCTV (leveraging existing structures)
Operating workflow
The GF77a transmits real-time OGI video
An AI analysis engine detects leak/plume patterns automatically
Alarms are triggered and events are logged when a leak is detected
Operators respond immediately based on site procedures and the situation
By adopting Flir's visual gas detection approach, the customer strengthened monitoring across a wide area without deploying multiple cameras. Because the solution could be integrated with existing CCTV infrastructure, the operator avoided additional structures—helping to reduce overall installation complexity and cost.
Compared with conventional sensor-only approaches, the solution also enabled visualisation-based monitoring over a broader area, supporting earlier awareness of potential risk indicators. As an AI-powered, image-based monitoring layer that complements existing sensors, the system improved surveillance capability for outdoor, unmanned LNG pressure regulation facilities.
Operator perspective and continuous improvement
The facility manager noted both the operational value and the roadmap for refinement:
“We expect that applying both the AI-based gas detection system and the OGI camera system will enable more effective gas leak detection operations. While there are areas for improvement, such as sensitivity adjustment and environmental impact correction in the method of detecting gas leaks and visualizing their patterns, we clearly see the advantage of enhancing detection performance while supplementing existing measurement methods. Although it is in the early stages of installation, we expect it to help prevent safety accidents before they occur.”
Next steps
Looking ahead, the customer plans to:
Advance AI models tailored to site-specific conditions
Expand monitoring to broader sections for integrated facility-wide oversight
Extend automation capabilities across additional gas equipment types
Conclusion
This case demonstrates how Flir OGI cameras paired with AI plume detection can complement traditional sensor systems and raise the standard for intelligent, visual methane leak detection—supporting safer, smarter operations in LNG pressure regulation environments.
