Oil and gas refineries are critical in global energy infrastructure, making security a top priority. With the rising threat from unmanned aerial systems (UAS), or drones, safeguarding your facility against attacks is crucial.
Advancing technology is making drones more accessible, elusive and robust. In the wrong hands, they become a major threat for critical infrastructure.
Drone attacks can significantly disrupt production, leading to economic instability. When critical infrastructure, such as oil refineries or transport hubs, is targeted, operations are halted, and supply chains are disrupted – this results in shortages, increased costs, and delays impacting local and global markets. To protect your refinery operations, it’s crucial to implement strong counter-drone measures.
Let's explore the main benefits of counter-UAS radar for oil and gas refineries:
How Counter-UAS Radar Protects Oil and Gas Refineries
1. Boosting Security and Detecting Threats
Counter-UAS radar provides constant 3D surveillance of your refinery. These systems have a longer range, and can detect, track, and classify multiple drones sooner than other sensors, for the earliest possible warning of aerial threats.
Drones move fast, erratically, and evasively, but drone radars have been designed to detect, classify, and track flight paths, giving security teams optimal insights. They can cue sensors like cameras and RF detectors to identify a drone's type, payload, and intent. This integrated data helps assess the threat, allowing countermeasures such as jamming or interception to be quickly activated.
Real-time detection helps you rapidly respond to potential threats, preventing drones from capturing sensitive data or damaging your facility.
2. Protecting Against Data Theft
Your refinery contains proprietary processes and technologies that are prime targets for industrial espionage. Using advanced technologies, counter-UAS radars can detect drones in restricted airspace and distinguish them from birds or other small objects. They minimise false alarms, providing accurate information so security teams can respond effectively.
3. Preventing Physical Damage and Hazards
Drones flying near your refinery pose a significant risk of colliding with sensitive equipment, potentially leading to explosions or fires. Counter-UAS radar detects these threats, giving you time to prepare your defences and protect your facility from catastrophic damage.
In September 2019, drones attacked Saudi Aramco's oil facilities in Abqaiq and Khurais, causing massive fires and halving Saudi Arabia's oil output, about 5% of global supply. This incident highlighted the potential for drones to cause severe damage, fires, and oil leaks if they strike critical infrastructure.
Counter-UAS radar helps prevent potential accidents or malicious attacks that could endanger your workers’ lives by detecting drones quickly and accurately.
4. Meeting enVIronmental Requirements
Your refinery must adhere to environmental regulations. Counter-UAS radar detects threats that could lead to environmental disasters, such as oil spills, helping you maintain compliance with environmental standards and avoid costly penalties.
These include:
- Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016: controls emissions and waste management in refineries.
- The Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 2015: Ensures that businesses take necessary measures to prevent major accidents involving dangerous substances.
- Clean Air Act USA: regulates air emissions from stationary and mobile sources, setting limits on the number of pollutants that can be released.
- Resource Conservation and Recovery Act USA: governs the disposal of hazardous waste, ensuring safe and environmentally sound waste management practice.
5. Ensuring Operational Continuity and Efficiency
Unauthorised drone activity can disrupt operations, leading to costly operational downtime. Counter-UAS radars let you spot and track threats accurately, helping you avoid false alarms to minimise disruption.
Drone radars function effectively in complete darkness, offering 24-7 monitoring and surveillance. They can be tailored to provide early alerts when drones enter restricted airspace, allowing security personnel to concentrate on other important duties.
6. Offering a long-term Security Solution
Investing in counter-UAS radar at oil and gas refineries reduces your reliance on extensive physical security measures, such as additional guards or perimeter fencing. Over time, this technology can become a cost-effective solution for comprehensive security, saving you money while enhancing protection.
Counter-UAS radar helps you avoid significant financial losses by identifying unauthorised activity that could lead to espionage, physical damage, and operational disruptions. The savings from preventing costly incidents quickly offset the investment in this technology.
Implementing Counter-UAS Radar Technology FOR OIL AND GAS REFINERIES
As your refinery expands, so can your counter-UAS radar coverage. This technology scales easily, allowing you to deploy additional units where needed, ensuring continuous protection across your facility.
Radar systems' integration potential is a significant advantage. Counter-UAS radar integrates smoothly with existing security and operational frameworks as a crucial component, contributing to a cohesive and comprehensive defence strategy.
Implementing counter-UAS radar systems at your oil and gas refinery isn't just about enhancing security – it's a comprehensive strategy to protect your infrastructure, ensure operational efficiency, and safeguard assets. By embracing this technology, you are taking proactive steps to secure your refinery's future.
