Pipemon.com - Ground motion and structure monitoring

Pipeline route planning


Pipeline routing services for pipeline operators

Planning the route of a new pipeline is a complex and lengthy procedure, and the cost of route design and construction varies according to the terrain type the pipeline will cross. The need to find the most cost-effective pipeline route is vital in the early pipeline planning stages, such as the feasibility study and concept design stage.

The proposed PIPEMON route planning service uses a prototype software package developed by Definiens, which is referred to as eCognition PIPEMON, and based on eCognition enterprise. The software can integrate information from multiple sources and generates an advanced suitability map for pipeline planning, where areas are classified according to their suitability for pipeline routing regarding the various input data. The input data are classified according to a rule base, which is set up by the user.



Graphical User Interface (GUI) of the eCognition PIPEMON prototype software

+ The workflow of eCognition PIPEMON in detail using the GUI


The resulting suitability map is exported as ESRI .shp file and assigns to each polygons one of 5 suitability categories - starting from "best suited" down to "excluded". It can be input into an off-road routing system to facilitate automated suggestions for pipeline routes. In a first version a "pipeline tracker" was implemented as a demonstration for this possible extension service.



Example extract of a suitability map resulting from priority classification with eCognition PIPEMON

+ eCognition PIPEMON: software installation

Data input sources may include: Earth observation data, Existing pipeline infrastructure, GIS data, Expert's soft knowledge about geological, ecological and economical characteristics of the terrain.

Earth Observation data can provide valuable input into the pipeline planning process, by providing an overview of the project area and highlighting areas for more detailed analysis, thus reducing survey costs. Remotely sensed data may include: Updated land cover information derived from satellite optical imagery (e.g. IKONOS data), Ground movement information derived from satellite radar data (e.g. ENVISAT data), Elevation data from airborne LIDAR surveys.