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Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia
Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000
www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia
ScienceDirect
Procedia Structural Integrity 20 (2019) 230–235

1st International Conference on Integrity and Lifetime in Extreme Environment (ILEE-2019)

1st International Conference on Integrity and Lifetime in Extreme Environment (ILEE-2019)
Safety assessment of oil and gas pipelines using satellite
Safety assessment of oil information
and gas pipelines using satellite
information
S.A. Tikhonova*, T.A. Kapitonova, G.P. Struchkova
S.A. Tikhonova , T.A. Kapitonova, G.P. Struchkova
V.P. Larionov Institute of Physical-Technical Problems *
of the North Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science Yakutsk, Russia, Yakutsk
677000 Sakha Republic (Yakutia)
V.P. Larionov Institute of Physical-Technical Problems of the North Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science Yakutsk, Russia, Yakutsk
677000 Sakha Republic (Yakutia)

Abstract

Abstract
The study of influence of a pipeline laid in permafrost soils on surrounding soils is an urgent task to ensure safe operation of
pipeline. It is known that increase in temperature field of frozen soils is main factor contributing to activation of negative
The study of influence
geocryological processes of that
a pipeline
affect laid in permafrost
the reliability soils on surrounding
of underground pipeline soils is anActivation
systems. urgent taskoftogeocryological
ensure safe operation of
processes,
pipeline. It isofknown
waterlogging that increase
the territory in temperature
of pipeline field aofchange
corridor causes frozeninsoils
the is main
state andfactor
type of contributing
vegetation,towhich
activation
can beoffixed
negative
and
geocryological
observed by means processes that affect
of satellite the reliability
information of underground
interpretation. We used pipeline systems.
multi-temporal Activation
images of geocryological
of Landsat processes,
satellite. Decoding was
waterlogging
carried out onof the territory
ENVI software of pipelinetocorridor
package; assess thecauses a change
change in the state,
in vegetation state and type ofindex
vegetation vegetation,
NDVI was which canResults
used. be fixedof and
the
observed by means
research show of satellite
that using information
vegetation interpretation.
index allows identifying Weandused multi-temporal
classifying differentimages
types of vegetation,
Landsat satellite. Decoding
assessing changeswasin
carried out cover
vegetation on ENVIandsoftware package;
waterlogging to assess
of the the using
territory changesatellite
in vegetation
imagesstate, vegetation
at different index
times, NDVI
and thus was used. activation
tracking Results of and
the
research show
attenuation that using vegetation
of geocryological processes index
andallows identifying
indirectly and classifying
assess condition of the different
pipeline. types
The use of of
vegetation, assessingis changes
satellite imagery one of thein
vegetation cover and waterlogging
stages of geotechnical monitoring and of makes
the territory using
it possible to satellite images information
quickly receive at different over
times,a large
and thus
area,tracking
which isactivation
importantand for
attenuation of geocryological
extensive linear systems located processes
in remote and indirectly
areas, assess condition
and complements of the
ground pipeline.works
monitoring The use of satellite imagery is one of the
well.
stages of geotechnical monitoring and makes it possible to quickly receive information over a large area, which is important for
extensive linear systems located in remote areas, and complements ground monitoring works well.
© 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.
© 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Peer-reviewunder
Peer-review under responsibility
responsibility of ILEE-2019
of the the ILEE-2019 organizers
organizers
© 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.
Peer-review
Keywords: under responsibility
industrial of the cryolithozone;
safety; trunk pipeline; ILEE-2019 organizers
vegetation index NDVI; decoding; satellite data; geotechnical monitoring

Keywords: industrial safety; trunk pipeline; cryolithozone; vegetation index NDVI; decoding; satellite data; geotechnical monitoring

* Corresponding author. Tel.:+7-914-230-68-18.

E-mail address: sardankobeleva@gmail.com
* Corresponding author. Tel.:+7-914-230-68-18.
E-mail address:
2452-3216 sardankobeleva@gmail.com
© 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.
Peer-review under responsibility of the ILEE-2019 organizers
2452-3216 © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.
Peer-review under responsibility of the ILEE-2019 organizers

2452-3216 © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Peer-review under responsibility of the ILEE-2019 organizers
10.1016/j.prostr.2019.12.144
 S.A. Tikhonova et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 20 (2019) 230–235 231
2 S.A. Tikhonova et al. / Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2019) 000–000

1. Introduction

Underground trunk pipelines laid in the regions of permafrost distribution should be considered taking into
account the interaction of pipeline system and surrounding frozen soil. Their security is the most important indicator
of risk criterion, since the violation of its work affects the state of security of the whole region was pointed by
Kapitonova et al. (2014). Mutual influence of pipeline and cryolithozone begins with construction of pipeline route,
which leads to a sharp increase in dangerous geocryological processes in technological corridor. Deforestation
during construction of corridor, disturbance of vegetation during trenching, violation of natural flow of water bodies
during construction of line road and pipeline embankment are the main potentially dangerous geotechnical works,
during which the inevitable impact on frozen soils occurs as shown by Dziuba (2006) At the stage of operation,
thermal interaction of pipeline with frozen soil leads to thawing and liquefaction of the soil. When thawing frozen
soils, the structure of soil is disturbed, which causes deterioration of its physical and mechanical properties. Such
defrosting is accompanied by development of thermal precipitation under the pipeline, uneven development of which
can cause a critical deformation of pipeline and, as a result, an emergency situation. For timely detection of
hazardous areas, several times a year, the state of pipeline operating in difficult climatic conditions is assessed. One
of such works is geotechnical monitoring (GTM), which allows not only to evaluate, but also to predict the state of
pipeline system. At one of GTM stages, the following main tasks are solved with the help of aerial and satellite
imagery: identifying areas with a violation of technical condition of the object, for example: ruptures, cracks,
corrosive zones, damage to hydro and thermal insulation, etc. monitoring and inspection the state of natural
environment throughout the entire length of the main pipeline route (state of hazardous geological processes,
flooding zones, corrosive-hazardous environments, freezing and thawing soils, etc.); analysis of sections with
underwater crossing of main pipeline; ranking of areas according to the degree of danger, allocation of areas for
priority diagnostic research.
In this paper, we studied the possibility of assessing of oil and gas pipeline state using satellite information
decoding, namely, analyzing changes in parameters of vegetation as an indicator of activation of dangerous
geological processes along the main pipeline route. For example, if in the pipeline corridor the state of vegetation
changes, soil moisture increases, the number and size of wetland areas grows, then perhaps this is an indicator of
geocryological processes activation. The use of remote sensing to monitor changes in land cover over time has a
long history. Methods based on interpretation of multi-temporal satellite images using vegetation index to assess the
state of environment and anthropogenic influence are described in many works by both Russian and foreign authors,
see Adamovich at al. (2017), Alekseeva at al. (2013), Dneprovskaya at al. (2017), Peremitina at al. (2014), Tucker
(1979), Adams at al. (1995), Elmore at al. (2000), Verbesselt at al. (2010). There are studies on deterioration of
vegetation associated with permafrost degradation carried down by Luo at al. (2018).
A comparison of satellite-derived estimates of vegetation cover over time with local climatic and environmental
factors can help to better understand the complex mechanisms of interaction of man-made objects and environment.
Currently, using remote sensing data, obtain information about the state of ground objects, with possibility of
continuous collection of information for each specific territory. The main advantages of Earth remote sensing are
high speed of obtaining data on large areas of the earth’s surface, as well as possibility of obtaining information
about objects that are practically inaccessible for research in other ways.

Nomenclature

GTM geotechnical monitoring;

NDVI Normalized Difference Vegetation Index;
ENVI software for visualization and processing of remote sensing data.

*
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2. Materials and methods.

Among the most common and used indices using quantitative estimates of vegetation cover is vegetation index
NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index).
NDVI index uses the contrast characteristics of two channels from multispectral raster dataset — absorption by
pigment of chlorophyll in red channel and high reflectivity of plant materials in infrared channel (NIR). For each
pixel, an index value from -1 to 1 will be calculated, which will characterize vegetation intensity of this pixel. Using
this index, one can investigate time series of satellite information characterizing the state of vegetation. Monitoring
of vegetation state cover will make it possible to determine changes occurring in the medium under the influence of
pipeline, inhibition and change of vegetation types, initialization of activity or attenuation of geocryological
processes. The formula for calculating NDVI index was proposed by Dubinin (2002):

NDVI= . (1)

Multiple-time images from Landsat 5, 7, and 8 satellite were investigated. ENVI software package was used to
process images and calculate NDVI vegetation index by Harris (2018). July month was chosen, since it is the month
of the greatest flowering of plants.
Measurement of relative change in vegetation state over time using satellite data should be compared with
reference data (background), determined prior to pipeline construction or comparable areas of untouched vegetation
and soil. To study the impact of pipeline on the environment, three sites were selected near the oil pipeline and three
background sites. Construction of the first stage of 2694 km long pipeline on the territory of the Republic began in
2006 and was completed in 2009. The second phase of construction length of 2046 km, began in 2010 and finished
in 2012. In 2015, the capacity was increased to 58 million tons per year as reported in Stroytransgas (2018).
Therefore, time series of images includes 2006 as a background year, as well as to study changes in the state of
vegetation in pipeline construction and operation years - 2009, 2011, 2015 and 2017. The main sites were selected
next to the pipe at a distance of 50 m, and background areas were selected at a distance of 1 km from the pipe. A set
of local reference pixels from undisturbed areas, with which you can compare pixel changes near the pipeline, can
standardize time series estimates. Of course, climatic conditions affect the change in vegetation state. We used the
weather data of the site “Weather in 243 countries of the world”.

3. Results and discussion.

Based on vegetation types in the areas of pipeline, we carried out NDVI assessment of vegetation state separately
for two groups of sites. Group 1 - sites № I and № II next to the city of Lensk and Vitim, group 2 - site № III next to
the city of Neryungri.

3.1. Sites on the linear part of the pipeline

• I-st site, located next to the town of Lensk;

• II-nd site is located next to Vitim;
• III-rd site is located next to the city of Neryungri.

As an example, Figure 1 shows layout of the study area №I, II and III. On the map, number 1 indicates the main
areas, and number 2 indicates the background areas.
Multiple-time images from Landsat 5, 7 and 8 satellite were investigated. The time interval is July 2006, 2009,
2011, 2015 and 2017. To calculate NDVI, ENVI software package, NDVI tool and Vegetation Index Calculator
were used. The results are shown in Table 1 and 2. The main sections were selected near the pipe at a distance of 50
m, and background areas were selected at a distance of 1 km from the pipe.
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S.A. Tikhonova et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 20 (2019) 230–235 233

Fig.1. Plot № I, II and III near Lensk, Neryungri and Vitim

Using the values of calculated NDVI of the main and background sites in tables 1 and 2, we can see that values of
vegetation index on the sites next to the pipeline before construction (2006) and on the background sites are the
same. Then, NDVI values on the main ones become lower than in the sections that are located at a distance of 1 km
from the pipeline. Vegetation, in the main areas near the pipeline, becomes more depressed than in the background.
This is especially characteristic of the construction period and the start of operation of pipeline, time of activation of
geocryological processes along the pipeline route. Photographs of airborne visual flight and field engineering and
geological studies of areas during this period confirm the interpretation of satellite information.

Table 1. The result of the calculation of NDVI on the main sections of the linear part:
Main areas Lensk Vitim Neryungri
2006 0,45 0,55 0,41
2009 0,50 0,56 0,39
2011 0,50 0,48 0,44
2015 0,43 0,46 0,31
2017 0,45 0,36 0,32

Table 2. The result of the calculation of NDVI on the background sections of the linear part:
Background areas Lensk Vitim Neryungri
2006 0,44 0,54 0,38
2009 0,54 0,55 0,40
2011 0,52 0,40 0,43
2015 0,39 0,41 0,30
2017 0,40 0,37 0,36
234 S.A. Tikhonova et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 20 (2019) 230–235
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Dependence of vegetation index and meteorological factors was also investigated: average monthly air
temperature, average monthly amount of precipitation in the studied areas. NDVI trends show a correlation with
surface air temperature and total precipitation. With an increase in air temperature and a decrease in precipitation,
the values of vegetation index decrease both on the main and background areas (2006, 2015). As the amount of
precipitation increases, NDVI values increase (Fig.2). Site №2 refers to the first stage of pipeline construction; in
2007–2008, the construction period was accompanied by activation of geocryological processes, water logging of
the site, as evidenced by ground monitoring data, as well as a noticeable decrease in NDVI value. In 2014,
permafrost processes fade out, as a result of protective measures taken by operating organization.
Based on different types of vegetation, analysis of vegetation index values and ground monitoring data, a table
for ranking vegetation status by NDVI value for two groups of plots was constructed for selected areas. Using
NDVI, it is possible to assess the impact of the pipeline on activating geocryological processes, as well as to rank
the sections of underground pipeline route, according to the degree of change in vegetation cover.

Fig.2. Graphs of changes in NDVI, temperature and amount of precipitation in the area №I near the town of Lensk

Table 3. Evaluation of the state of vegetation by NDVI for group 1 (Lensk, and p. Vitim).
0,40 and more Normal vegetation
0,35-0,40 Sparse vegetation
0,30-0,35 Oppressed vegetation
0,30 and less Severely depressed vegetation

Table 4. Assessment of the state of vegetation by NDVI for group 2 (Neryungri)

0,30 and more Normal vegetation
0,25-0,30 Sparse vegetation
0,20-0,25 Oppressed vegetation
0,20 and less Severely depressed vegetation

4. Conclusion

Our results have demonstrated the prospects of using NDVI vegetation index in studies of complex interactions
between the environment, permafrost and underground oil pipelines based on remote sensing products. Despite the
fact that increase in average annual air temperature and average annual precipitation also affects the change in
vegetation index, using NDVI it is possible to assess the impact of pipeline on activating geocryological processes,
as well as rank the sections of underground pipeline according to the degree of change in vegetation.
 S.A. Tikhonova et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 20 (2019) 230–235 235
6 S.A. Tikhonova et al. / Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2019) 000–000

The results of conducted studies show that the use of NDVI vegetation index makes it possible to identify and
classify different types of vegetation using satellite images, as well as to trace seasonal changes in plant
communities.
This technique can be used in monitoring the state of natural environment of oil-producing areas, taking into
account its features (swampiness, inaccessibility, lack of opportunities for ground-based research).

Acknowledgements

Landsat satellite images, which are in the public domain, were used in this work. The work is carried out within
the framework of budget financing.

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