Using Satellites and AI to Monitor Pipelines in the Future

With over 3 million kilometers of constructed pipelines worldwide, constant monitoring and maintenance of infrastructure activities are necessary for the early detection of hazards and damage prevention.

FREMONT, CA: The oil and gas business began adopting digital technology in the 1980s, with the first 'big' technologies used in the mid-20th century. Computer technology enabled the widespread use of 3D seismic testing, which allowed the drilling of many previously inaccessible wells and paved the way for future O&G digital exploration operations. Digitalization has created new chances for industries and users to operate more efficiently than ever before. Entire sectors and global landscapes are being transformed by digital technologies, with pipes and valves increasingly being recognized as intelligent technologies. While digital adoption is a foregone conclusion, the oil and gas industry has been somewhat sluggish to adapt.

Given the projected growth in global energy consumption, the industry must begin leveraging the benefits of digital technologies immediately. Businesses increasingly relying on data-driven initiatives can experience the possible benefits: more excellent reliability, cost savings, reduced production, increased productivity, sustainable resource management, and asset integrity.

Monitoring pipeline integrity management operations: While the energy business is not unfamiliar with monitoring the security and integrity of pipeline operations, it is worth mentioning that the digitization of such operations or processes is increasingly becoming a focal focus of the industry's transformation and digital innovation development. The energy industry may save billions of dollars by embracing digital technology to improve pipeline safety as many TSOs begin to focus on the digital environment. At the moment, monitoring approaches vary by country. Local governments have created their laws; however, the execution steps and obligations necessary to maintain the proper operation of pipeline networks lie nearly entirely on TSOs. The most often employed surveillance tactics are foot patrols and aerial observation using small planes or helicopters. Although efficient up to this point, traditional monitoring techniques have several disadvantages: they generate a lot of pollutants, and due to prohibited flight zones in specific places, aerial surveillance systems have a restricted geographic reach. Even the employment of small planes for short visual inspections complicates costs and, in some cases, risks frequent surveillance of vast and isolated areas. These approaches provide inadequate security protection, ineffective monitoring, and decreased reliability for integrity digs. Investing in an accurate, consistent, and frequent monitoring solution will help mitigate the industry's high capital intensity.

AI and Satellite-based Pipeline Monitoring: By utilizing high-resolution and frequent satellite photos, a significant increase in effectiveness is realized.