Fugitive emissions may not sound like a boardroom issue—but they are.
These invisible leaks are costing the oil and gas industry billions in lost product, regulatory fines, downtime, and reputational damage. And as emissions reporting tightens and ESG expectations grow, ignoring them is no longer an option.
So what are fugitive emissions, exactly?
Fugitive emissions are the unintentional release of gases—like methane and VOCs—from pressurized equipment. Think valve stems, flanges, and connectors. These leaks aren’t supposed to happen... but they do. And they happen a lot.
In fact, the EPA reports that over 75% of fugitive emissions come from valves and connectors. And, about 60% of all fugitive emission leaks occur at one specific point: the valve packing around the stem.
We’ve thrown everything at this problem—better gaskets, smarter packing, tighter specs. These solutions are improvements, no doubt. But they’re still band-aids. Even the best-engineered dynamic seals will leak eventually. That's why low-E (low emissions) isn’t enough anymore.
It’s time to move from Low-E to No-E.
Here’s where it gets exciting. Magnetically Actuated Valves (MAV) are changing the game. MAVs removes the root cause of fugitive emissions. Instead of relying on a dynamic seal that’s destined to fail, magnetic valves encapsulate the stem entirely. There’s no dynamic seal, no packing, and no leak path. Torque is delivered through a magnetic coupling outside the pressure boundary.
The result? Zero detectable emissions. Even with small molecules like hydrogen and helium. Even at cryogenic temperatures and 3500 psi. In fact, NASA validated MagDrive's MAV on a project for their Morpheus lander. Helium (the smallest atom on the periodic table) couldn’t escape, even at supersonic flow rates.
Now imagine what that means for methane and oil & gas producers.
No packing means no leaks. No leaks means lower operational costs and fewer technicians entering hazardous environments. Plus, you can extend run-time, reduce planned maintenance, and simplify compliance with new EPA regulations like NSPS OOOOa, b, and c.
Some regulators may even treat magnetically actuated valves as “NDE” (Non-detectable emission) components, exempt from constant monitoring. That’s a big win for ESG performance and Scope 1 reduction goals.
And here’s the best part: this isn’t R&D. Magnetic actuation has already passed the harshest API fire tests, torque trials, and live deployments in high-stakes process environments.
Why should you care?
Because fugitive emissions aren’t just an environmental problem—they’re a profitability problem. And magnetic actuation isn’t just a cool technology—it’s a business solution.
At MagDrive, we’re not just sealing leaks. We’re sealing the future of clean, efficient, and reliable energy infrastructure.
