Remote Sensing methods and GIS technology for vulnerability assessment of oil pipeline

We will report results of the case study investigations and new approaches for the vulnerability assessment of Azeri part of Azerbaijan-Russian CTI (AR CTI). The mentioned CTI corridor is an important part of global “Silk Way” infrastructure, the main elements of which are:
• Baku - Novorossiysk oil-pipeline and Mozdok-Kazimagomed gas-pipeline, including pumping / compressing stations and terminals.
• Major railroads, including terminals and stations.
• Major water lines: Samur-Apsheron Canal, Shollar spring water–lines.
• Major arterial highways.
• Global network of high-voltage and fiberoptic lines.
Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline transports oil of the Caspian countries to the European markets, and the Mozdok-Kazimagomed pipeline delivers Russian gas to electric power stations of Azerbaijan. Railways and highways are used for goods transportation and passenger traffic from Europe to Asia and back.
This transport corridor is located on a narrow (3÷8 km) strip along the Caspian Sea. The width of the corridor and its density is defined by the relief of the region: Caucasian mountains on the west, and the Caspian Sea on the east. Due to various objective and subjective reasons there are a lot of vulnerable points on the Azeri part of the corridor. The existing methods of vulnerability assessment do not allow obtaining reliable results under conditions of multiparametric influence of natural (mudflows, sliding, erosion, seismic activity etc.) and anthropogenic (random and malevolent) factors.
High vulnerability of the AR CTI corridor is consequence of the Soviet environmental legacy. The design and building of more elements of CTI were made during FSU. The basic criterion of technical realization of such projects those years was the principle of their minimal cost. Thus question of strategic risk, ecological safety and other, as a rule, at all did not take seriously.
We proposed a new approach to the vulnerability assessment. Along with the traditional methods of ground-based observations and investigations it is proposed to develop a 3D-digital model of the region (DMR) on the basis of the surface’s space images. This DMR, using specially developed models, will allow to model and visually observe development of various negative processes within the corridor, which, in its turn, gives the basis for taking valid measures for minimization of anthropogenic influence and/or malevolent acts.
Use of methods of the fractal analysis and various Wavelet-transformations allow increasing the accuracy of the space information recognition.
The basis for this work is the Digital Model of the Sector (DMS) for the researched sector. The development of the DMS will be carried out in accordance with the basic geographical rules, where, in addition to horizontals and height marks, the rivers, fine lakes, bathymetry of large lakes, marks of shore lines etc. should be taken into account. Activities with a GIS application for the analysis of real and hypothetical situations, which can arise during an oil pipeline operation, will be carried out with a use of functions of ArcGIS Spatial Analyst and 3D Analyst.