How smarter video security protects offshore energy assets

Offshore energy assets are a highly vulnerable feature for any power or production business. Security and safety leaders don’t need to have to watch the news from the Middle East or Black Sea to understand their vulnerability. Even in the quieter parts of the world, protestors, nature itself through rogue waves or climate change effects, as well as typical operational events all pose a risk. 

Add in mechanical wear and tear, surges, human error or accidental collisions; all are part of the growing threat roster for risk managers and business leaders. Smart video security systems, the evolution of traditional CCTV, can play their role as part of a layered and proactive monitoring and reporting system. 

Primarily, whatever the infrastructure, from offshore wind farms to oil rigs and their support platforms, up to innovations like seawater-cooled data centers and science platforms, visual security and protection provide the best way to assess a problem. 

Extreme weather-proof, they can survive and report in all conditions, whether they are monitoring bridges, tunnels, helicopter landing pads or environmentally sensitive installations. 

Through the likes of oil rig cameras, operators and security teams can get a better idea, in many cases, of why an alarm or alert has been triggered. The smart camera system can send alerts ahead of other systems, providing faster insights into the cause and options for resolution. 

From cameras able to spot and identify smoke, fires, chemical leaks, malfunctions and other hazards, the smart camera system is always monitoring, removing the need for manual oversight until there is a specific incident. Even then, smart systems can provide suggested resolutions based on past events, reducing the time to resolution. 

And in worst-case scenario events, cameras can track the workers on site and ensure they are all safely evacuated, adding a key benefit to health and safety operators, likely acting under great stress. Even then, oil rig cameras are resilient and explosion-proof to keep providing oversight in a major incident. 

Taking a broader approach, smart cameras can also protect remote platforms from unwanted human, natural or other drifting visitors. They can combine with naval radars, thermal cameras and other assets to track vessels in the area, dangerous drifting objects and other threats that could damage an installation. 

As well as prompt notification, they can provide key evidence for insurance claims and any criminal acts. Or if close to shore, the company can dispatch the appropriate team to deal with the issue directly with an immediate response. 

Day or night and in all weather conditions, smart cameras can adjust and continue providing coverage. 

Taking a cue from their onshore producer counterparts, many offshore businesses now use cameras as part of the smart production processes. Cameras can help monitor the cause of vibrations, temperature changes, and how workers interact with plant and machinery to provide a constant safety and process improvement overview. 

Linking to alerts from the plant’s own monitoring systems, cameras can provide an overview of any recent external activity that could have initiated the issue and help resolve a problem before it becomes critical. 

Whatever the platform and operation, smart cameras reduce the need for manual monitoring, and sites can have large numbers of cameras, all being monitored automatically around the clock. Alerts to management and operators can keep all necessary stakeholders in the loop depending on the situation, with all able to review footage to decide on further actions. 

Backing up static cameras, offshore producers and operators can also deploy aerial, surface or subsurface drones to add another layer of security and protection. These are especially valuable when it comes to securing major assets like undersea cables, nearshore installations that see heavy traffic and those in contested waters or where political unrest is likely. 

Having flexible and total physical oversight of any offshore gas or oil rig, or expansive windfarm provides the operator with many advantages. They have more options to respond to changing conditions and protect workers and assets. 

Operators can respond faster, and management can prepare for strategic actions, the PR impact of any incident and broader responses as needed, all necessary in today’s highly changeable operating environment.

Note: The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinions of offshore-energy.biz.