Illegal tapping is a growing problem on a worldwide scale. Easy theft, no security. A recent example in Mexico, where the government shut down several key pipelines to prevent further theft by crime groups, highlights why pipeline managers across the world should be cautious of this costly crime.
In addition to the financial consequences of illegal tapping, the integrity of the pipeline and the increased risk for a smooth continuous operation can be detrimental. Finding the exact position of the illegal tap is also challenging since crookers find ways to hide their lucrative business in a professional way. Moreover, advanced leak detection systems might be able to detect the loss of pressure but the mass balance probably does not give a clear answer on the loss of product and its location(s).
Besides these challenges, spilling is unavoidable. Only a few drops ending in the soil at standard pipeline depth of cover is impossible to detect using leak detection equipment but that is not the case with sniffing dogs.
Why exactly? Watch the video to find out.
