The Montana Department of Commerce announced earlier this week that it’s recognizing Bozeman-based Bridger Photonics as the 2023 Montana Exporter of the Year.
Bridger Photonics President and CEO Peter Roos co-founded the company nearly two decades ago and says demand really took off in 2019 with their introduction of a new technology.
“I've never been a part of something like this that’s grown this fast,” Roos said. “It’s really exciting for our crew.”
Bridger Photonics produces aircraft-mounted lasers that detect methane gas emissions from oil and gas infrastructure. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that is many times more efficient than carbon dioxide at trapping heat from the atmosphere. Bridger Photonics’ technology can map more than 90 percent of it from any one production site.
“In 2019, we doubled every quarter,” Roos said. “2020, we more than quadrupled. 2021, more than tripled. 2022, more than tripled.”
Methane is released in large quantities during oil, gas and coal operations. Bridger Photonics’ gas mapping laser sensors can scan hundreds of production facilities or hundreds of miles of pipeline in a single day.
“When you find these leaks and you shove the gas back in the pipes, it saves them money, makes them money, while at the same time it's doing something really valuable and important for the environment,” Roos said.
The company analyzes the data captured in the scans and determines information like rate of release and source. Roos says their customers operate in every major basin of North America and Bridger Photonics has also exported its products and services to Australia, Canada and Colombia.
Bridger Photonics receives the Department of Commerce’s award in Bozeman Wednesday May 22, with a follow-up celebration at the company’s headquarters Thursday, May 23.
