Maintenance programmes succeed or fail based on repeatability, and leak detection plays a larger role in that outcome than many teams realise. Across downstream oil and gas and chemical facilities, leaks are rarely a single event, and when detection methods are inconsistent, leaks persist longer than expected, increasing both risk and cost.
By Lance James- Business
Development Manager, Distran USA Corp.
Maintenance campaigns depend on leak detection reliability
The hidden cost of leaks
Industry studies consistently show that 20 % to 40 % of fugitive emissions at operating facilities come from unknown or previously unidentified leaks. These are not leaks operators choose to ignore... they are leaks that go undetected due to access limitations, time constraints, or ineffective verification methods. From a cost perspective, the impact adds up quickly:
• A mid-sized refinery can lose USD 1-5 million per year in product loss, rework, delayed startups, and additional labour related to leaks.
• Chemical plants report that unplanned leak related repairs account for 5 % to 10 % of annual maintenance spend.
• During turnarounds, leak related delays can cost $ 100,000 to $ 500,000 per day when startup timelines are pushed.
These numbers do not include safety exposure, regulatory risk, or the cost of putting crews back into hazardous areas to rework connections that were assumed to be tight.
Unknown leaks create repeated exposure
The most expensive leaks are not always the largest ones. They are the leaks no one knew existed. Unknown leaks drive repeated inspections, additional flange breaks, and extra time spent working at heights or in congested areas. Each return to the same piece of equipment
“
Finding a leak is only half the equation.
Verifying that it has been fully repaired is what closes the loop.”
increases risk to personnel and erodes confidence in the maintenance process. When teams cannot reliably confirm that a repair was successful, they often compensate by over inspecting or delaying startup. Both approaches carry cost and safety consequences.
What reliable detection changes
Facilities that improve leak detection reliability during maintenance and repair activities consistently report measurable benefits:
• Leak recurrence reduced by 30 % to 50 % after implementing consistent verification methods
• Shorter startup timelines, often saving days per event
• Reduced maintenance rework, lowering labour hours and contractor exposure
• Lower emissions and improved LDAR performance, supporting compliance and ESG goals
Just as important, teams gain confidence that repaired assets are actually ready to return to service.
Verification is as important as detection
Finding a leak is only half the equation. Verifying that it has been fully repaired is what closes the loop.
34 Valve World November 2026 www. valve-world. net