European Consortium

PRESENSE brings together several of the major European gas utilities and expertise from a number of the European space research agencies, together with organisations with specialist capabilities in information computing technologies such as image analysis, data management and dissemination. This provides a unique forum where new approaches to pipeline monitoring and the resulting benefits can be fully explored.

The consortium, managed by Advantica, on behalf of the UK gas pipeline operator, Transco, comprises the following further partners:-

Six European gas and oil pipeline operators including BP (UK), Fluxys (BE), Gasunie (NL, Gas de France (F), Ruhrgas and VNG (D), all of which manage extensive pipeline infrastructures.

Three 'Remote Sensing Technology Developers', mainly from the aerospace and remote monitoring industries of Europe, comprising CS from France, DLR from Germany and TNO from the Netherlands, that will provide expertise in the areas of surveillance platforms and equipment to provide primary data on recognition and analysis of known features. From the pipeline operator perspective, these relate closely to concerns of 3rd party interference scenarios.

Two organisations will provide expertise in the two other key areas of interest to the pipeline operators. the first is NERC-BGS from the UK who will explore aspects of remote detection of geological features and their impact on soil movement and landslip that could affect pipelines. Secondly, the University of Nottingham (UK), which will provide support to the remote detection and analysis of vegetation and stress detection.

Two further providers of remote sensing technologies and services, Intermap from germany and NPA from the UK will provide images from flight campaigns and from satellite imagery.

Finally, a further grouping of three technology infrastructure providers, bringing further IT support for the project, comprises Definiens from Germany, specialising in image processing, ISS from the UK with expertise in remote imagery computer base systems and NLR from the Netherlands, experts in systems design for the space industry.