Residents had expressed concern about the impact on the landscape and a planning application for a test mast was turned down in 2011.

BBC: Copmanthorpe wind turbine plan is 'suspended'

The firm said it also intends to submit an application for a test drill in Somerset but would not reveal where this would take place.

BBC: Keynsham fracking plans put on hold by UK Methane

Although carbon dioxide is the more important greenhouse gas, methane measurements will be a more practical early application to test the market for this sort of data.

ECONOMIST: Greenhouse-gas monitoring