Platform · layer 03 of 08
Aftermine Methane
Technology-neutral methane management
Measure, control, recover where feasible, treat what remains, and verify continuously. The route is chosen by the gas, not by the brochure.
What it covers
- Measure methane flow and composition
- Locate and control emission points
- Recover useful methane where feasible
- Treat dilute or residual methane biologically or through controlled oxidation
- Continuously verify performance
How it works
Concentration decides everything. Above ≈35% CH₄ a gas engine can run; rich gas without an offtake goes to an enclosed flare; the long dilute tail is diluted below the ≈1.5% oxidiser feed ceiling and destroyed by regenerative or biological oxidation; and the 5–15% explosive band is never handled raw. The methanotrophic packed-bed bioreactor is one treatment option in this toolkit — matched to suitable dilute streams, not stretched into a company identity.
The gas decides the route
| State | Band | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Rich gas | ≳35% CH₄ | Gas engine / CHP The >35% CHP gas-quality requirement (UNECE No. 64, Table 4.1) — for a wellhead-mounted unit this, not the 30% transport floor, is the binding number. |
| Rich gas, no offtake | ≳35% CH₄ | Enclosed flare — destruction without a grid connection CDM default destruction efficiency 90%; CARB allows 99.5%. |
| Margin & lean gas | ≈0.2–35% CH₄ | Dilute below the ≈1.5% RTO feed ceiling → regenerative or biological oxidation Raw use inside the 2–30% safety margins is ruled out (UNECE BPG); sealed dilution is the only path through. |
| Explosive core | ≈5–15% CH₄ in air | No raw handling — sealed systems only, dilute before processing The band every system is engineered never to expose. |
From the field study
The Methane prototype, live: the containerized adaptive abatement unit — general arrangement, valve logic, the Coward explosibility chart with live readout, and the drag-to-orbit 3-D walkthrough.