L51972 Encroachment Monitoring via Earth Observation Data

The objective of the pipeline encroachment monitoring project was to demonstrate the feasibility of using Earth observation (EO) satellites for early detection of third-party encroachment activities. Examples of encroachment activities include road construction, cable laying, farming, and residential or commercial development. Optical and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images taken from space-borne platforms were evaluated for use in detecting encroachment activities. C-CORE and TransCanada Pipelines Ltd. conducted an encroachment field program near Whitecourt, Alberta. Various encroachment activities, principally involving heavy equipment, were staged and concurrent satellite-based optical (IKONOS) and SAR (RADARSAT) images acquired. These images were then analyzed for signatures of the encroachment events. A total of 22 multispectral and panchromatic IKONOS images and 14 RADARSAT SAR images were acquired. The IKONOS satellite proved to be effective in detecting smaller vehicles (for example, small trucks or Bobcat tractors) in areas that are free from cloud cover. RADARSAT proved effective in the detection of larger vehicles (for example, excavators or dump trucks), linear excavation, deforestation, and the provision of reliable coverage in all weather conditions.