GAIL India Ltd is India’s largest gas transporter with a vast network of pipelines. Recently, the company deployed drones to secure its 15000 kilometers pipeline asset.  The director of pipelines, Ashutosh Karnatak said that the company hired a drone with a pilot for air surveillance of the pipeline at Chambal Ravines. Based on the success of this surveillance, they may decide to make this a permanent strategy used in monitoring their pipelines.

The drone was used to patrol and look out for any abnormal activity, including trespassers and any kind of encroachment on the pipeline property. When you consider the difficulty usually encountered when patrolling pipelines in remote areas, this was an easy surveillance job.  Usually, monitoring pipelines entail accessing areas in the forest, rivers, and other hard to reach regions. So the decision to use a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) is a welcome change and an affordable option for GAIL.

In 2014, an accident occurred at one of their pipelines located at Andhra Pradesh. The accident caused the loss of 18 lives and since then, the company has taken several initiatives to improve safety standards in all its pipeline locations.  There are other safety measures in place, such as the use of satellite surveillance and a pipeline intrusion detection system. It goes to show how much the company has to lose if another accident occurs, or if there is a loss due to structural failure.

Also in 2014, a government probe revealed that GAIL had several security lapses. The company received a penalty from the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB). Apparently, they are no longer taking any more chances with safety regulations.   Of all the applications that drones have been used for, this is one that we hope becomes more commonplace in the industry. Hopefully, with the success experienced by GAIL, other companies in the same sector will begin protecting their assets with the use of drones and UAVs.

Even though the drone currently does not detect leakage yet, it will, however, be useful in detecting trespassers around the pipeline. GAIL will continue to use security patrols and sensors for pipeline leaks.  The company has been using foot patrol to detect if people have been accessing or tampering with their pipes and will continue to do so. The drone will fly over the area capturing photos and videos with its built in camera, and relay the data back to base for review.

In the petroleum and gas industry, pipeline vandalism and sabotage is a major issue across the world. In many 3rd world countries it is the cause of heavy revenue loss to governments and companies. Some big oil companies have suggested the possibility of using space technology, but now with the use of drones, monitoring pipeline applications has been made easier, and more affordable. Using drones to monitor petroleum and gas pipelines will serve a preventive tool and will help protect companies from theft, accidents or loss of property.