FLIR Enables Environmental Services Company Vertex to Provide Emissions Management Services Quickly and Safely

Vertex is a leading North American provider of environmental and industrial services, serving clients in the oil and gas, petrochemical, renewable energy, utilities, agriculture, forestry, and similar sectors. The equipment that Vertex uses to support their clients includes FLIR optical gas imaging (OGI) technology. Dani Urton, manager of the Emissions Management group at their Calgary location, shares how their relationship with FLIR enables Vertex to provide timely solutions for their clients.  

Vertex Emissions Management services support oil and gas operators with emissions detection, quantification, and reduction solutions. Dani Urton manages the leak detection and repair programs, as well as fugitive emissions monitoring programs, for clients in the Alberta BC and Saskatchewan provinces. For this critical work, her team frequently uses FLIR OGI cameras, which can visualize gas leaks quickly and safely.

Having now worked closely with FLIR for many years, the team at Vertex has been continually satisfied with the service they receive from FLIR. “We've been grateful for all the support that we have gotten from FLIR. We're an ongoing customer, so it's really great to have that relationship and to know that we'll get that quality support whenever we need it,” says Urton.

The team at Vertex usually uses FLIR GFx320 cameras, which are designed to visualize fugitive hydrocarbon leaks at hazardous locations such as natural gas well sites, off-shore platforms, or liquid natural gas terminals. Urton says that the GFx320’s certifications for use in hazardous locations (Class I Div 2) helps them out significantly while at work on certain sites.

The FLIR GFx320 allows operators to visualize leaks and pinpoint the exact source of the emissions at a safe distance.

In addition, the team also uses the FLIR QL320 quantitative optical gas imaging (QOGI) system, which allows surveyors to measure the leak rates for methane and other hydrocarbon emissions. The QL320 does not require close contact with the gas in order to measure emission rates, making it a safer solution for quantifying difficult-to-measure gas leaks.

Vertex sends their cameras to FLIR for service and for annual calibration, and Urton has appreciated how responsive the FLIR support team is to their needs. When a camera was found to have a problem and sent in for service, for example, the FLIR service team sent Vertex a camera to borrow until their own camera was repaired.  

Vertex also rents additional OGI cameras from FLIR according to their clients’ needs, and Urton has been impressed by the fast response from the FLIR sales manager they work with. “Generally when we need something it's on a quick turnaround—whether it's buying a camera or renting something—he's always really responsive and helpful in terms of getting us what we need in the timeline that we're looking for.”

As an example, Urton reports that recently the team needed to rent two cameras on three days’ notice at a time when the regional FLIR office only had one camera available to rent. The FLIR sales manager contacted other companies in the province he knew had purchased OGI cameras, and quickly found one willing to rent out their camera to Vertex for the week, allowing the environmental services company to fulfill their client’s needs even with the short lead time.

The oil and gas industry is a sector where safety and adaptability are paramount. Vertex provides exceptional support and solutions for their clients, and FLIR is proud to help them provide those solutions quickly and maintain safety on site. For more information about FLIR OGI cameras, head to www.flir.com/instruments/optical-gas-imaging/