The high rate of false alarms in standard pipeline leak detection systems can force system operators to waste labor chasing down problems that don’t exist. In some instances, false alarms are so prevalent that operators in the field view the detection system as the boy who cried wolf and simply turn the system off. Fortunately, newer technology provides an alternative.
In some cases, natural gas flows are not corrected for variations in pressure and temperature. Where this occurs, the meter used to charge customers may read zero flow (“high-zero”) even when a small volume of gas is flowing through the meter.
