REPOST: Critical facilities security 'top priority' in oil and gas markets

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This Info4Security.com article talks about the importance of structural security in oil production facilities.

 Frost & Sullivan's latest market report suggests the perceived vulnerability of oil and gas infrastructures worldwide continues to drive investment in security.

The security of critical facilities remains the uppermost priority for the global oil and gas industry. Escalating demand for oil and gas, the construction of new facilities and physical and cyber threats to these installations have led to growth in the oil and gas infrastructure security market.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, published in a report entitled: 'Global Oil and Gas Infrastructure Security Market Assessment', finds that the market earned revenues of $18.31 billion in 2011 with estimates suggesting this figure will reach $31.27 billion in 2021.

However, the potential vulnerability of oil and gas infrastructures to various threats – both physical and cyber – is a matter of great concern for operators. That concern is causing them to invest heavily in security.

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Driving the requirement for security solutions

“Global oil and gas companies are investing capital in new infrastructure projects, driving the need for security solutions at these facilities,” noted Frost & Sullivan's aerospace, defence and security senior research analyst Anshul Sharma. “With increasing awareness of threats, companies are adopting a security-risk management approach and implementing risk assessment of their facilities to ensure security Return on Investment (ROI).”

There's a growing preference for total solutions, it seems, with the flexible integration of individual security systems like access control, video surveillance and intrusion detection on one platform.

Heavy investments in cyber security are also projected due to various attacks on energy facilities in the past five years.

“The threats may vary from information theft to a terrorist attack, but the economic impact and financial damage in case of an attack will be much more significant,” explained Sharma. “It would also depend on the motive of the attacker. For example, a cyber attack to remotely control a SCADA system can have more serious consequences than a cyber attack to steal information.”

The cost of advanced security technologies, the lack of resources for managing security, compliance and operations, and low spending on cyber security threaten market prospects.

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Design of integrated security provision

“Suppliers of security systems should aim at designing an integrated security solution that proactively identifies, assesses and mitigates risks and threats originating from within the facility as well as from well beyond it,” advised Sharma.

“For their part, oil and gas companies and the operators of critical oil and gas facilities need to complete a thorough threat and risk assessment of their facility to ensure there is no overspending or underspending on security-related matters.”

This Dr. Ali Ghalambor Facebook page offers diverse information about the oil and gas sector.

Deepwater pipelines: Challenging and conquering the depths

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Rapid modernization and globalization has posed a significant effect in the world today. Excluding the repercussions it has on the environment, it has posed a threat in the maintenance of supply of oil and natural gases. While it is deemed that these are nature’s gift in great amounts, tapping into them is another issue.

Because of the increasing demand in oil products and because of the fact that oil reserves have been almost drained to nothing, the oil industry has been scourging the seas for new reservoirs, conquering the depths to ensure that there is enough supply of the so-called “black gold.”

Offshore Pipelines, which Dr. Ali Ghalambor wrote together with Tian Ran Lin, Shanghong Song, and Jacob Chacko, states that there is a growing interest in offshore pipelines. It is said that more than third of the worldwide growth in drilling came from deepwater and offshore pipelines. Although this has been a growing trend for the last 10 years, deepwater pipelines pose a different challenge compared to the more conventional hydraulic fracturing.

In deepwater extraction of oil reserves, the most critical issues are: collapse resistance, low variation in actual mechanical properties, and sour service resistance.

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Collapse resistance means that the pipelines should be able to withstand internal pressure at certain depths. As the exploration goes deeper, the yield strength and the wall tolerance of pipelines should increase. During the wielding process of the pipes, it is expected that pipes should have a low variation in actual yield strength, not exceeding the specified maximum strength of 100 mega pascals. If such restrictions and specifications are observed, buckling can be avoided during the laying process. Sour service resistance is another factor that must be considered. If line pipes and risers are exposed to sour environment, clean pipes are mandatory to ensure that pipes are corrosion-resistant.

Other considerations are the conditions of the seabed and the repair contingencies. The seabed is governed by different terrains that threaten the integrity of the pipelines. These terrains that can challenge the strength of pipes are: faults, unstable slopes, mudflows, and turbidity. Another consideration is the repair that comes with deepwater pipelines. While the probability of damage and repairs in a properly planned offshore pipeline is small, the risk that comes with it is a big concern as addressing repairs underwater is difficult and challenging.

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Read more on Dr. Ali Ghalambor and deepwater pipelines by visiting Facebook.