Real-time Pipeline Vandalism Detection Using Open-Circuit Technique

Abstract

Pipeline vandalism has been a problem to Nigeria for many decades, Nigeria suffered loss of oil revenue as a result of lingering menace of oil pipeline and oil theft. Aside the loss of money from oil theft and leak, cost of pipeline repairs and damage to the environment and ecosystem are other devastating negative consequences posed by pipeline breaks, whether naturally occurring or caused by man. Many of the techniques proposed by researchers are infeasible and very costly. In this research, we propose a moderately cheap, environmental-friendly, and simple method of monitoring pipeline. Pipelines are independently coated using socket switching and proximity sensors. Attempts to open the enclosure or break the pipeline will first trigger the proximity sensors, which in their normal state have a HIGH signal. By triggering the alarm when there is no obstruction detected, the proximity sensors used operate in reverse. Independently, if the pipeline breaks inside an open-circuit is created which triggers the annunciator. Through the proximity sensor, this technique will be able to detect an attack before occurrence based on the notion that to access the pipeline the protective layer must first be removed. Ultimately, the real-time location of ongoing vandalism will be tracked and transmitted. The system has shown promising result in attempt to combat pipeline vandalism and oil theft.