Third party encroachment monitoring using RADARSAT-1, IKONOS, EROS-A1 and simulated RADARSAT-2 imagery

Third party mechanical damage is the principal cause of on-land pipeline failure and is related to such activities as road construction, cable laying, farming and residential and commercial land development. Earth observation data with wide area coverage offers an alternative to the high cost of aerial patrol on large pipeline networks. In order to demonstrate the feasibility of using satellite imagery to detect third party encroachment upon pipeline rights-of-way, two field experiments were carried out in 2000 and 2001. These experiments were conducted at test sites in Alberta and Ontario, Canada. Satellite imagery evaluated during these trials included IKONOS and EROS-A1 optical imagery, RADARSAT-1 fine beam imagery and simulated RADARSAT-2 imagery. Both IKONOS and EROS-A1 imagery were effective in detecting a range of vehicles in areas free of cloud cover. RADARSAT-1 images were effective in the detection of larger vehicles independent of atmospheric conditions. Using simulated RADARSAT-2 it was possible to detect smaller vehicles not previously detected with RADARSAT-1 imagery.