Advanced Surveillance

techniques for Pipeline

Integrity
 Thiyagarajan S:
Sr. Engineer – Pipeline Dept. HQO,
HPCL Mumbai
 Sudipto Basak :
Deputy Manager – Pipeline Dept. HQO
HPCL Mumbai

ICEPIM 2017, Jan 19th & 20th - 2017

 Sequence of Presentation
Introduction

ROU Surveillance : Manual &

Electronic

Electronic Surveillances

UAVs : Opportunity, Hurdles &

Feasibility

Conclusion
 Threats to Petroleum pipelines

PILFERAGE THIRD PARTY DAMAGES CONSEQUENCES

Hazard to
environment

Damage to
life and
ENCROACHMENTS SABOTAGE
property

Loss of good
will for the
company
 Pipeline Security

Pipeline Security
Main Station/
IP/ CPSV Pipeline ROU
Stations
• 4 Meters • Manual &
High Walls Electronic
with Surveillance
Concertina
Coils
• 24X7
Security
• CCTVs

2000 kms of Pipeline in vulnerable belt of Haryana, Punjab, UP & Rajasthan

 ROU Surveillance

Manual Electronic

Line GPS
Patrolling Based
Tracking

OFC
Surprise Based
Checks Intrusion
Detection

Security/
Village Arial
Meets
GPS Based Tracking

GPS Corridor Marked

Linewalker movements
tracked based on GSM-
GPS tech
 OFC Based Intrusion Detection (PIDS)

Standard multi- or single-mode optical fibre

T1 T2 T3 T4 ……….

Back Scattered light carries the signal 
for vibration

The fiber acts like a sensor

Vibrations are sensed and based on algorithms alarms are generated
Alarms for Mechanized digging, Manual digging with exact Chainage
Only Advance warning system for pipeline security
 PIDS – HPCL Experience

First in Industry to implement

Overall System costs around Rs 6 Lakhs per KM of pipeline

Implemented in 70 Kms of MPSPL, 80 Kms of RBPL and 160 Kms of RKPL in

most vulnerable sections
Implementation in progress for entire RKPL, RBPL and RBhPL

Requires calibration & stabilization

 Aerial Surveillance Techniques

Air Surveillance

Balloon Satellite imagery based

Drone Based
Reconnaissance change detection for
pipeline corridor

 Area of coverage can  Area of coverage  Area of coverage

be changed fixed fixed
 Range is flexible  Range is ~50  Range is >150 Kms
based on requirement Kms  Immediate eyes in
 More time to reach  Immediate eyes in the range
the affected areas the range  Monitoring in fixed
 Continuous real-time  Continuous real- intervals
monitoring of time monitoring of  Frequent
vulnerable spots not vulnerable spots maintenance not
possible  Frequent required
 Frequent maintenance not
maintenance required required.
 Balloon Reconnaissance
 A helium based balloon is tethered to one of the station at 10-15K
feet
 The balloon contains two types of cameras infrared and optical
 The balloon is tethered with a winch and mooring system
 The winch and mooring arrangement contain a tethering rope and
an optical fiber
Balloon Senses the change in 
ALARM IN CONTROL  thermal signature
ROOM

Optical Fiber IP Station
Dispatch Station
Tether Rope

Pipeline

SV Station
 Aerial Surveillance Techniques

Drone Based System

PAYLOAD PROPULSION INFO – CAPTURE &

What they Can MANUVERING RETRIVAL
Carry How they Can Carry Recording & Retrieval
 Aerial Surveillance Techniques

UAV’s can be broadly classified as per their end use in the following
categories.
 Target and decoy - Provide ground and aerial gunnery a target that simulates
an enemy aircraft or missile
 Reconnaissance UAV’s– providing battlefield intelligence / Ground Scenario.
 Combat – providing attack capability for high-risk missions
 Logistics – Cargo Delivery
 Research and development – Improvement in UAV technologies
 Civil and commercial UAVs – Agriculture, Aerial photography, Data collection,
Infrastructure planning.

Application

Pipeline Projects: Project Route Identification, Detailed Route studies, Pipeline

Network planning.

Pipeline Operations: Surveillance of operating pipelines to thwart pilferage

attempts, ensuring network safety.
 Aerial Surveillance Techniques
Applicability in Pipeline Projects
 Route Identification and finalization.
 Urbanization Pattern providing a vivid picture of aiding
to judicious route Fixation.
 Identifying potential ROU risks and also keep the
pipeline safe from third party intruder access.

Currently the conventional tools using GIS based

mapping (using Google earth) and on ground
verification is the identified route, ground reality
checks from execution point of view are in place.

UAV System - Potential to reduce the time

taken for route finalization enabling lessened
project life cycle.
 Aerial Surveillance Techniques
Applicability in Pipeline Operations
UAVs have found its role more in operations where in the prudent use of technology
is claimed to thwart pilferage attempt and do ensure pipeline safety.

The real challenge is to safeguard the pipeline against miscreants who try to pilfer on
the pipeline for economic gains.

It can be learnt that the Haryana, UP

and Rajasthan Border is the most
vulnerable section.

Note that the region operates

pipelines of close to 1000 Kms from 3
refineries namely Panipat, Mathura
and HMEL.
 Aerial Surveillance Techniques
Companies Operating in India in UAV Space:
IdeaForge Technology Pvt. Ltd.
Aeronautic Ltd. (Israel) in Partnership with UAV Solutions (India).
Delair-Tech SAS (France) in Partnership with General Energy-Management
Systems Pvt. Ltd.(India).
Aurora Integrated Systems
DRDO – ( Defense Technology)
Samhams Technology (Defense Technology)
IAI (Israeli Aerospace Industries) -HAL NRUAV (Naval Rotary UAV)

Aeronautics Orbiter 3B STUAS Del Air Tech UAV
 Aerial Surveillance Techniques
Pitfalls in the current offer:

 The players holding the technology are from foreign land and their business
model is “Infrastructure / Platform as service”.

 Most of the UAV’s have a limited range of 100 kms of single flight while the
industry members expect a much broader range of flight distance.

 Most of the pilferage occur during the night and these UAV’s have limited night
vision capability.

 Only a few party offer Thermal Imagery and is very expensive.

 The system records raw data and it mandatorily required supplier’s platform for
metadata segregation and data processing for useful interpretation.
 Limited / no expertise in user front to exploit the data fully.
 Specific purpose application. Costs are on a much higher side than intended
benefits.
 Aerial Surveillance Techniques

Regulatory Hurdles:
Currently no specific guidelines in force for using these surveillance drones / UAVs.
Utilizing the air space even at reasonable height of 100-900 m from the ground
needs DGCA approval.
DGCA has come up recently with the draft guidelines.

All unmanned aircraft intended to be operated in India shall require a Unique

Identification Number (UIN) issued from DGCA. The UIN can be granted
only to:
a) A citizen of India; or
b) A company or a body corporate provided that:
i) It is registered and has its principal place of business within India;
ii) Its chairman and at least two-thirds of its directors are citizens of India;
and,
iii) Its substantial ownership and effective control is vested in Indian
nationals;
 Aerial Surveillance Techniques
Possible Inferences:

1. Registering the UAV’s with DGCA which requires joint effort of both the service
provider and the recipient.
2. The route and restriction of the air space depends on the issuing authority and
the applicant have no say in it.
3. Other aspects include maintenance of UAV’s, Training for remote pilot, Disposal
of UAV’s, Strict Operational Requirements and other technical restrictions during
flight.
4. Restrictive Practices makes foreign players unviable to succeed in the current
space as it is and needs a targeted approach.
5. The economies of Scope of the offering is restrictive.

Collaborative Model
Way Forward JV / Technical Partnerships
Customize Offerings / Price / Service
Thanks for Listening