IndianOil has repaired the section of its Panipat-Delhi pipeline where a pilferage attempt was made by miscreants and restored pumping operations on Wednesday night. The Delhi Police have apprehended an accused allegedly involved in digging a tunnel to pilfer petroleum products from the pipeline at Kakroli village near Dwarka in Delhi on Tuesday.
BACKGROUNDER
Cross-country pipelines are the underground energy highways that transport large volumes of crude oil and petroleum products over long distances.
Leak Detection System
IndianOil has installed leak detection systems on all its pipelines, which work on the principle of volume balance, i.e., the net volume pumped into the pipeline should be equal to the net volume taken out of the pipeline. Any change in pipe volume due to pressure and temperature changes is detected by the system and conveyed to the Control Room. On the basis of variations observed in the flow and pressure due to the leak, the system also gives the approximate location of the leakage, within a 2 to 5-km range, in the running pipeline for taking immediate action.
Patrolling of Pipelines
IndianOil has a patrolling/monitoring system for curbing pipeline pilferage on its pipelines. It broadly includes:
• Foot patrolling by ex-servicemen, also called DGR Guards, on specified pipeline Right-of-Way (RoW) at random hours twice a day
• Night patrolling of all critical locations en route the pipelines by DGR guards and gunmen on vehicles.
• Frequent surprise patrolling during day or night by IndianOil officers on critical stretches of pipelines.
All DGR guards and patrolling vehicles are GPS-enabled and their movement is monitored centrally at the respective stations.
IndianOil also conducts joint patrolling with police officials for monitoring vulnerable points. Senior police officials are also briefed at regular intervals for support in curbing the menace of pipeline pilferage.