DOE - Fossil Energy Techline - Issued on:  June 5, 2000

Research Airship to Collect Air   Pollution Data Over Central California

A remotely piloted airship took to the skies over central California today in a first-of-a-kind project to gather data this winter on air emissions from nearby oil and gas fields.

	The Clean Airship 1 research craft will track air emissions from oil and gas field equipment in California's San Joaquin Valley.

The 30-foot long, 8-feet in diameter, lighter-than-air research craft, dubbed Clean Airship 1, is designed to float in stagnant air, gathering information on pollutant levels without disturbing natural air patterns, something virtually impossible to do with conventional airplanes. It will also be capable of collecting data during periods of heavy fog when zero visibility would ground other aircraft.

The airship was unveiled today at a news conference at the Chandler Downtown Airport in Fresno, California.

The unique research craft was designed and built with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, Western States Petroleum Association, and Tracer Environmental Sciences & Technologies, Inc., of San Marcos, CA. It will be used in a series of air quality studies to measure the concentrations of airborne particles and ozone in California's Central Valley.

The studies are part of two projects - the California Regional PM10/PM2.5 Air Quality and the Central California Ozone Studies - that together will invest $44.5 million to understand better the sources and movement of air pollutants. The studies are being carried out by the Central California Air Quality Coalition, a group that represents state, federal and local air quality agencies along with agricultural, oil and gas, and other industry organizations.

"PM10/PM2.5" stands for particulate matter either 10 or 2.5 microns in diameter. PM2.5 particles are so small that 30 of them would barely equal the width of a human hair. These microscopic particles are emitted as tiny solid particles from various ground sources or are formed in the air when gaseous pollutants condense into solid matter. Ozone is created from nitrogen oxides or hydrocarbons that are emitted from internal combustion engines and other combustion processes. At low altitudes, ozone can contribute to smog and haze, while particulate matter can also cause visibility and respiratory problems.

A key goal of the new research project is to determine how emissions from regional oil and gas fields contribute to overall atmospheric concentrations of these pollutants. A better understanding of the sources and behavior of these emissions will provide more scientifically-sound data for regulatory decisions. It will also allow oil and gas field operators to adjust their operations to minimize adverse impacts on air quality.

The data will be especially valuable during winter months when stagnant air conditions and fog often result in high concentrations of pollutants.

Clean Airship 1 is equipped with an advanced global positioning system and state-of-the-art air monitoring equipment customized for an especially lightweight flight package. The airship will be capable of taking readings at altitudes of up to 2000 feet and transmitting the data to ground-based computers. Onboard detectors will be able to measure pollutant concentrations as low as five one-hundredths of a part per billion.

Included in the air collection and monitoring equipment is a special miniaturized electron capture detector. The detector will allow the airship to analyze tracer plumes released from the ground. Tracers are special substances that have a unique chemical "signature." By releasing the tracers from oil and gas field operations, researchers will be able to track their movement and learn more about the fate of pollutants from specific ground sources. Computerized mapping software will allow researchers to display the plume in three dimensions.

Once flight readiness tests are completed, data collection flights are planned over the San Joaquin Valley during winter season from December 2000 through February 2001.

The Energy Department's Office of Fossil Energy contributed $100,000 to equip Clean Airship 1 with the air collection and monitoring equipment. Western States Petroleum Association provided $50,000, and Tracer Environmental Sciences & Technologies, Inc., contributed $25,000.

- End of Techline -

For more information, contact:
William Hochheiser, DOE Office of Fossil Energy, 202-586-5614, e-mail: william.hochheiser@hq.doe.gov