How oil and gas firms can navigate the complex security landscape with innovative surveillance solutions
The oil and gas industry plays a vital role in bringing society its most critical source of energy: fuel. However, the security challenges facing this sector can prevent this much-needed fuel from going where it’s supposed to. These challenges can disrupt operations, impact production levels, and disrupt the energy supply chain, which can cause widespread chaos and destabilize many economies.
But what are these security challenges facing Oil and Gas operations?
And,
How can Oil and Gas firms mitigate these challenges with real-time surveillance?
This blog article will navigate and explore the answers.
In the Oil and Gas industry, attacks on transportation infrastructure are a huge threat. The sector is also vulnerable to acts of pipeline sabotage, which can affect fuel supplies and prices, harm the environment, and create multiple financial, reputational, and regulatory problems for the sabotaged organization. Other Oil and Gas facilities like plants, wells, rigs, and refineries are also vulnerable to security threats, since many of the facilities are in remote areas and therefore undefended and vulnerable to a host of threats, including vandals, thieves, hostile vehicles, internal sabotage, violence, explosions, and terrorists.
Hazardous working environments also create security challenges for energy firms. The use of flammable or toxic materials, high temperatures, etc. increase the risk of fires, accidents, injuries, and death. These risks expose organizations to legal issues, as well as increased regulatory scrutiny and fines.
To protect their locations, business-critical assets, production processes, and people from these security risks, Oil and Gas firms must implement robust physical security measures. And the starting point for implementing these measures is surveillance.
Oil and Gas facilities and equipment are often deployed over vast geographic areas and in remote/rugged/harsh locations. It’s difficult to deploy human security personnel in these areas for monitoring and control. Even where humans are deployed, they cannot monitor every part of the operation or provide 24x7 monitoring. Automated reporting and alert systems powered by video analytics helps to fill these gaps.
Advanced surveillance provides real-time situational awareness of threats and risks. It enables security operators to monitor operations/assets/people from a central location. On detecting an issue, the system raises automated alerts and provides real-time insights that help operators to act appropriately and quickly in order to mitigate the developing situation before it escalates. It thus enables Oil and Gas security and safety operators to address their security challenges, transform their surveillance systems into a powerful tool that not only safeguards their assets and people, but also optimize resources and provides business intelligence.
Unlike humans, automated video surveillance solutions can operate 24x7x365, without interruptions, and without errors. The best solutions like the Smart Vessels Solution also incorporate advanced features like built-in analytics and real-time video access to help staff to improve operational visibility into marine operations, highlight security issues, and thus help ensure vessel and crew safety.
Such advanced surveillance solutions are tailored for the security needs of oil and gas firms and can be seamlessly integrated into their existing security infrastructure. But for this, the support and expertise of a leading systems integrator like MVP Tech – Convergint MEA are essential. All in all, a cutting-edge surveillance solution and an experienced technology integrator partner are both invaluable for oil and gas firms looking to detect and mitigate the threats affecting their operations, assets, and people effectively and reliably.
Discover how cutting-edge, tailored surveillance solutions boost the security of remote ONG operations.
Watch our webinar Beyond Boundaries: Advanced Surveillance for Oil and Gas Facilities.