Security of Cross-Country Oil and Gas Pipelines: A Risk-Based Model

Abstract

Pipelines are primarily instrumental for the transportation and distribution of bulk products from one part of a country to another as well as removing finished products from refineries to terminals and depots. Petroleum products, which are of high and rising value, are becoming a ready and lucrative target for pilferers attempting to tap pipelines. Any pilferage or sabotage of the pipeline leads to serious implications in the distribution of petroleum and petroleum products as well as causes a major risk to people and the environment. In India, a four-pronged security approach comprised of physical, technological, construction, and legislative measures has been in use to check pilferage. Despite the best efforts of oil and gas companies in recent years, incidents of illegal tapping could not be stopped completely. This paper presents a rational and systematic method for security management of cross-country pipelines. It is a risk-based approach that uses an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) model to determine the probability of pilferage in different sections of pipeline. This model has been applied on a 122-km-long section of a 243-km-long operating cross-country multiproduct petroleum pipeline. The method is helpful in identifying pipeline sections having higher probability of pilferage attempts and thus helps in prioritizing security arrangements.