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Root cause analysis workflow overview

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Welcome to Root Cause Analysis

When an emission is detected on your assets, determining its root cause is critical for effective environmental management and regulatory compliance. This guide will walk you through the systematic process of investigating emission events to identify their underlying causes and determine the most appropriate follow-up actions.
Time Required: 15-20 minutes for your first analysis What You’ll Learn:
  • How to navigate and use the asset-level emission analysis interface
  • How to correlate spatial, temporal, and operational data for investigations
  • How to prioritize and take action on emission events
Common Pitfalls:
  • Starting analysis without understanding the full temporal context - always review the timeline first
  • Focusing only on large emissions and missing patterns in smaller, recurring events

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Your First Root Cause Analysis

1

Access Your Asset's Emission Events

Navigate to the emission events section and select the specific asset you want to investigate. The system will present you with three integrated views: a map showing spatial relationships, a timeline displaying temporal patterns, and a detailed table of events.Look for the emission events represented as dots on the map - larger dots indicate higher emission volumes that may require immediate attention.
2

Assess the Spatial and Temporal Context

Begin your investigation by examining both when and where events occurred:
  • Review the Timeline: Look for concurrent events that might be related. Events occurring close together in time could indicate a common cause.
  • Examine the Map: Check if multiple detections appear in the same location, which could suggest a persistent leak or recurring operational issue.
  • Check Event Patterns: Use the timeline to identify if emissions coincide with operational activities or appear randomly.
The system automatically shows emission plume imagery when available, helping you understand wind direction and potential emission travel paths.
3

Investigate with Operational Context

Click on any emission event from the map, timeline, or table to open detailed information. The system provides integrated operational data (“Clues”) that include:
  • Maintenance notifications and work orders
  • Venting, flaring, and blowdown logs
  • Equipment operational status
  • Nearby asset activity (including assets you don’t own)
This operational context helps you determine if emissions were from planned events or unexpected leaks.
4

Focus Your Analysis

Use the filtering capabilities to narrow down your investigation:
  • Geographic Focus: Zoom in on the map to automatically filter the timeline and table to specific areas
  • Time Period Focus: Zoom in on the timeline for a more granular view of events that occurred close together
  • Event Type Filtering: Filter by detection type (continuous monitoring, flyover surveys, etc.) to understand how different systems are observing the same emissions
This focused approach helps you identify patterns and correlations more effectively.
5

Determine Root Cause and Take Action

After analyzing the spatial, temporal, and operational context, determine the most likely root cause and execute appropriate follow-up actions:
  • For Equipment Issues: Group related events and request an optical gas imaging (OGI) inspection
  • For Operational Events: Verify if emissions were from planned activities like maintenance or venting
  • For False Alarms: Mark events appropriately and check for nearby assets that might be the actual source
  • For Patterns: Create work orders for recurring issues or schedule preventive maintenance
Analysis Complete!✅ You’ve reviewed spatial and temporal relationships✅ You’ve examined operational context and clues✅ You’ve identified the most likely root cause✅ You’ve initiated appropriate follow-up actions

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Quick Analysis Tips

Prioritize by Impact

Focus on: Large emission volumes and persistent patterns Time: 2-3 minutes to identify high-priority events

Look for Correlations

Focus on: Events occurring at the same time or location Time: 3-5 minutes to identify related events

Check Operational Context

Focus on: Maintenance windows and operational activities Time: 5-7 minutes to correlate with work orders

Verify with Multiple Detection Types

Focus on: Comparing continuous monitoring with survey data Time: 3-5 minutes to cross-validate detections

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If You Get Stuck

Start with the largest events first - these often have the clearest operational context. Use the magnitude filtering to focus on significant emissions, then gradually expand your analysis to smaller events once you understand the major patterns.
Use the map to examine nearby assets and their activity. The system shows operational context for surrounding assets to help you determine if emissions were incorrectly attributed. Look for wind direction in the plume imagery to trace potential sources.
This is normal - different detection methods (continuous monitoring vs. aerial surveys) have different capabilities and timing. Use the timeline to understand the sequence of detections and focus on the most reliable data source for your specific situation.

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What’s Next?

Once you’re comfortable with basic root cause analysis, explore these advanced capabilities:

Event Grouping & Management

Learn how to group related emission events and manage them through their complete lifecycle from detection to resolution.

Advanced Analytics & Insights

Discover how to use trend analysis and summary insights to identify long-term patterns and optimize your emission management strategy.

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Feedback & Support

Found an issue with root cause analysis tools? Contact your system administrator or use the feedback option in the platform to report problems with data accuracy or system functionality.