Bridger Photonics, Inc. is an American photonics and remote sensing company headquartered in Bozeman, Montana. The company develops airborne lidar systems for methane detection and provides emissions-mapping services for oil and gas infrastructure operators.[1][2]
Bridger Photonics was founded in 2006 in Bozeman, Montana, by engineer Pete Roos.[3]
The company received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) to develop a compact aerial lidar system for methane detection.[4] Bridger's methane-imaging system, branded Gas Mapping LiDAR (GML), launched commercially in 2019 and received an R&D 100 Award the same year.[5]
In 2022, Bridger Photonics raised US$55 million from Montana-based investors to expand deployment of its methane-mapping lidar in domestic and international markets.[6]
In January 2025, founder Pete Roos transitioned from chief executive officer to chief innovation officer, and Ben Little was appointed CEO as part of a planned leadership transition.[7]
Company overview
Bridger Photonics provides airborne methane-detection and emissions-quantification services for oil and gas operators. Its work spans upstream production sites, midstream gathering and transmission infrastructure, and natural gas distribution networks.[8][9]
The company surveys wells, pipelines, compressor stations, liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities, and offshore and onshore installations.[10][11]
Bridger develops proprietary lidar-based sensors for methane detection and holds patents related to optical measurement and emissions monitoring. The company's technology appears in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency documentation and in academic studies evaluating airborne methane-detection methods.[12][13][14]
Technology
Bridger Photonics develops and operates Gas Mapping LiDAR (GML), an airborne lidar system used to detect, locate, and quantify methane emissions. The system uses a scanning laser operating near a methane absorption line, combined with imaging and navigation instrumentation, to produce geo-referenced plume imagery and emission-rate estimates.[15][16]
Peer-reviewed studies have evaluated GML's detection sensitivity, localization accuracy, and quantification performance in controlled and field deployments.[17][18][19][20]
GML has been deployed primarily from fixed-wing aircraft and, in demonstrations, from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for remote-area methane surveys.[21][22]
Applications and sectors
Bridger Photonics conducts methane-detection surveys across the natural gas value chain, including upstream production sites, midstream gathering and transmission pipelines, and natural gas distribution systems.[23][24]
The company's technology has been applied to wells, pipelines, compressor stations, LNG facilities, and offshore platforms, and surveys have been performed across varied terrain and seasons.[25][26]
Compliance and reporting
Bridger Photonics provides emissions data used in regulatory and voluntary reporting frameworks. Its airborne lidar survey method is referenced in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency documentation, including approval of Methane Alternative Test Method 2 (MATM-002) for fugitive methane monitoring applications.[27]
The company's data has been incorporated into methane-emissions analyses used for research and international reporting.[28]
Technical and analytical services
Bridger Photonics provides analysis of detected methane sources, including plume location, estimated emission rates, and temporal characteristics. These outputs support leak detection and repair (LDAR) programs, regulatory reporting, and environmental assessments.[29][30]
The system is designed to survey extensive infrastructure within short operational windows to help operators identify and prioritize high-emitting sites.[31]
Industry use
Bridger Photonics' methane-mapping services are used by oil and gas producers, midstream operators, and utilities.
In 2021, Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) signed a US$12 million agreement to deploy Gas Mapping LiDAR across portions of its system.[32]
In 2023, Colorado State University received a US$3 million U.S. Department of Energy grant for a regional methane-measurement campaign that included airborne lidar surveys conducted by Bridger Photonics.[34]
Regulation
In 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved an aerial Gas Mapping LiDAR protocol—Methane Alternative Test Method 2 (MATM-002)—for monitoring fugitive methane under the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and Emissions Guidelines for oil and natural gas operations.[35]
Media coverage
A 2016 article in The Guardian highlighted Bridger Photonics among companies developing advanced methane-imaging technologies following major U.S. gas-storage leaks.[36]
In 2023, CNBC interviewed Bridger's CEO alongside JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon in a segment on methane detection and energy-sector decarbonization.[37]
A 2025 MIT Lincoln Laboratory feature examined the scientific development of Bridger's lidar technology and its adoption among major U.S. natural gas producers.[38]
↑Kunkel, William M.; Carre-Burritt, Asa E.; Aivazian, Grant S.; Snow, Nicholas C.; Harris, Jacob T.; Mueller, Tagert S.; Roos, Peter A.; Thorpe, Michael J. (2023-08-22). "Extension of Methane Emission Rate Distribution for Permian Basin Oil and Gas Production Infrastructure by Aerial LiDAR". Environmental Science & Technology. 57 (33): 12234–12241. doi:10.1021/acs.est.3c00229.
↑Kunkel, William M.; Carre-Burritt, Asa E.; Aivazian, Grant S.; Snow, Nicholas C.; Harris, Jacob T.; Mueller, Tagert S.; Roos, Peter A.; Thorpe, Michael J. (2023-08-22). "Extension of Methane Emission Rate Distribution for Permian Basin Oil and Gas Production Infrastructure by Aerial LiDAR". Environmental Science & Technology. 57 (33): 12234–12241. doi:10.1021/acs.est.3c00229.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
