Middle East Petrochemical LDAR Program Cuts Emission Events by 54%

A major Middle East petrochemical refinery operating a 3.2 km² processing complex faced increasing regulatory pressure to improve its Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) program. The facility processed over 180,000 barrels per day and contained more than 45,000 potential leak sources across flanges, valves, pumps, and compressor seals — all classified as ATEX explosive atmosphere zones.

The existing LDAR program relied on quarterly manual surveys conducted by specialist inspection teams, supplemented by fixed-point gas detectors at high-risk locations. This approach was insufficient to meet tightening environmental regulations requiring more frequent monitoring, and the quarterly survey cadence meant that developing leaks could go undetected for months before being identified and repaired.

The refinery’s environmental compliance team needed a solution that could dramatically increase LDAR survey frequency without proportionally increasing inspection labor costs — and that could operate safely in ATEX-classified zones without requiring personnel to enter hazardous areas for routine monitoring.

Shaanxi Smart Innovation Future Technology deployed the RZTL-1W quadruped robot equipped with an optical gas imaging (OGI) camera and a multi-point gas sensor array covering hydrocarbon, H2S, and SO2 detection. The robot’s IP67 protection rating and intrinsically safe electronics design allowed operation in ATEX Zone 2 classified areas without requiring hot-work permits or additional safety precautions.

The deployment covered the refinery’s four primary processing units, with the robot conducting four LDAR survey patrols per day — transitioning the facility from quarterly manual surveys to continuous daily monitoring. Each patrol followed a programmed route covering all designated LDAR monitoring points, with the OGI camera providing visual gas cloud detection and the sensor array providing quantitative concentration measurements.

Within the first year of deployment, the refinery recorded a 54% reduction in reportable emission events compared to the preceding year. The increased survey frequency allowed the maintenance team to identify and repair developing leaks before they reached reportable thresholds — shifting from reactive compliance to proactive leak prevention.

The facility achieved and maintained 100% compliance with the applicable environmental regulations throughout the deployment period, avoiding regulatory penalties that had been assessed in two of the three preceding years. The continuous monitoring data also provided a comprehensive audit trail for regulatory reporting, significantly reducing the administrative burden on the environmental compliance team.