Case study by SPH Engineering · Methane Detection · Pipelines
Drone methane detection on a cross-border pipeline corridor
SPH Engineering partner Acre Mexico ran a demonstration survey on a gas pipeline corridor in Juárez, on the Mexican side of the Mexico-US border. It used two complementary drone sensors, Falcon Plus and Flux Aero, to find methane readings for follow-up checks.
The challenge
Gas pipeline corridors run through city streets, industrial areas and valve stations. Inspection teams need both quick screening along the line and closer checks around specific assets. In this survey:
- methane dispersion depended on wind speed and direction;
- flight lines had to be set to give the best chance of crossing a plume;
- streets, fences and station areas called for flexible data collection;
- results had to be easy to read and useful for ground follow-up.
The goal was detection, not emissions quantification: find readings and possible leak zones that ground crews could then check.
The solution
- Falcon Plus scanned wider corridor segments. It uses tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) along the laser path between the drone and the ground, and reports integrated readings in ppm·m.
- Flux Aero measured methane concentration directly at its inlet, in ppm. It was used for close checks near valves, joints, vents and areas that are hard or unsafe to reach on foot.
- Both sensors were integrated with SkyHub. Missions were planned and flown in UgCS Expert.
- Data was processed and visualised in DroneGIS, producing methane maps annotated with latitude, longitude and methane value.
The results
- Methane readings were detected in real field conditions.
- Falcon Plus gave a fast overview and plume indications across the corridor, suited to first-pass screening.
- Flux Aero confirmed and localised readings at specific points near infrastructure.
- Results were mapped by location, so ground crews could go straight to the areas with elevated readings instead of walking the whole corridor.
SPH Engineering places this kind of aerial screening within leak detection and repair (LDAR) programmes, as a way to triage long corridors before sending crews with handheld analysers or optical gas imaging cameras.
Where this applies in India
The same two-sensor workflow suits:
- city gas distribution networks running through residential streets;
- cross-country gas pipelines and their valve and pressure-reducing stations;
- refineries, terminals and compressor stations with fenced or hard-to-reach equipment;
- LDAR service providers who want to prioritise ground inspections.
SPH Engineering's methane detection training is also available through HobiTech.
The equipment, available from HobiTech
| Methane detector (TDLAS) | Falcon Plus TDLAS methane detector |
| Methane sniffer | Flux Aero methane sniffer |
| Onboard computer | SkyHub by SPH Engineering with the SkyHub methane detector software and SkyHub methane sniffer software |
| Flight planning | UgCS EXPERT (used in this project). See UgCS - Drone Flight Planning Software. |
| Processing | DroneGIS (used in this project) |
Case study by SPH Engineering, published June 2026. This page summarises it in our own words; the survey was carried out by Acre Mexico, not by HobiTech. Read the original case study on SPH Engineering ↗
Need to screen a gas pipeline from the air?
Tell us the corridor length, the assets and the access conditions. We will recommend the sensors, drone, SkyHub and UgCS setup, quoted in rupees with a GST invoice.