Schneider Electric, a leading digital energy transformation, management, and automation company, and Prisma Photonics, a next-generation fiber-sensing smart infrastructure provider, on Tuesday (Nov.16) agreed to partner in helping gas and oil pipeline owners and operators boost the efficiency and integrity of their pipeline infrastructure.

The latest partnership will help pipeline infrastructure operators and owners thwart malicious and accidental activity through round-the-clock intelligence and precise infrastructure monitoring. As a result, customers can drive sustainability and efficiency through losses avoidance.

With the latest commercial agreements, Schneider Electric, a company famous for being the world’s most sustainable corporation, according to the Corporate Knights Global 100 Index in January 2021, is boosting its technology solutions and technical expertise to assist its clients in broadening the sustainability and reliability scope of their pipelines operations.

Since oil and gas pipelines are critical infrastructures, precise monitoring and advanced leak detection are part of the operator’s basic minimum requirement for safer and environmentally-conscious pipeline operations.

Most pipeline operators are compelled by the regulatory requirements, public safety needs, and environmental awareness to employ at least one leak detection technology if not able to use multiple technologies. And that’s where PrismaFlowTM comes in handy.

Prisma Photonics’ PrismaFlowTM is one of the reliable pipeline monitoring solutions that comes complete with software and hardware that drastically reduces positive and negative alarms compared to the fiber-sensing solutions. Additionally, it has Hyper-ScanTM that offers 100x greater sensitivity.

Moreover, the system is equipped with an advanced machine learning unit that helps in precise event classification using an improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The revolutionary PrismaFlowTM eliminates the need to invest heavily in new, dedicated fiber, installing and maintaining many dedicated sensors along the oil and gas pipelines by leveraging the existing fiber-optic cables.

On the other hand,  Prisma Photonics provides a paper on “Integrated Leak Detection Solution,” highlighting how to use RTTM and fiber-based tech providing comprehensive leak detection coverage.

“Prisma Photonics’ pipeline monitoring technology fits in well with our overall promise of delivering enhanced reliability and safety to our midstream oil and gas customers,” says Astrid Poupart-Lafarge, Schneider Electric’s Oil, Gas & Petrochemical department president.

PrismaFlow revolutionary features help detect and flag any emergency such as leaks, vandalism, theft, mechanical or manual digging, third-party interference, vehicle movement, pedestrian activity, inline plugging, and drone activity.

When any activity is detected, the pipeline operators get real-time notified of activity with the precise location of the activity indicated for immediate action to be taken.

Early detection and mitigation of possible pipeline problems can help deal with leakages before harming people. Advanced technology in pipeline management also helps reduce methane emissions, which are part of the greenhouse gasses resulting in disastrous global warming.

“It is a true honor to partner with Schneider Electric and take part in one of the greatest challenges of this generation and generations to come,” says Dr. Eran Inbar, Prisma Photonics’ CEO.

“Allowing operators to take responsibility for an immense scale of critical infrastructure can make a true impact on the environment,” he added.

“We are looking forward to long and profound relationships between the two companies and teams,” says Eyal Assa, Prisma Photonics’ Chief Business Officer.

“PrismaFlow is a complementing solution to Schneider Electric’s suite of tools for pipelines operators worldwide.”