South-East Asia has been a leading region adopting satellite-based monitoring for Right-of-Way (ROW) inspections. Hundreds of satellites are passing over the region every day. A share of these satellites is tailored for Earth Observation (EO) and their sensors capture every detail of the Earth’s surface. COSMIC-EYE was developed to harness these EO capabilities, detect any activities within the ROW and bring insights from space into the hands of the operators patrolling the network. The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled the translation of vast amounts of satellites data into actionable insights. As a result, satellites can monitor thousands of kilometers of pipelines within minutes. Especially, the fusion of radar, multi-spectral and optical satellites is a driver for success and ensures reliability. 

This study shows how COSMIC-EYE has been integrated as the ROW monitoring solution for PTT in Thailand integrating with both vehicle patrol and drone flights. Satellite based monitoring has shown to be groundbreaking and specifically suit the South-East Asian region. Over the past years, thousands of Third Party Interferences (TPI) have been reported, ranging from construction activities, placing illegal structures to non-authorized agricultural activities. Despite a wet season with heavy cloud cover, the performance of COSMIC-EYE was reliable due to weather independent radar satellites. Furthermore, the network in Thailand can be difficult to access in remote regions. The high-resolution optical satellites images allow the first risk assessment to take place from the office. As a result, remote areas can be managed from a central place and field visits can take place when needed. 

For the past years, satellite-based monitoring has shown to increase situational awareness, mitigate risks and increase operational efficiency. COSMIC-EYE has shown to be a sustainable solution operating on large networks solidifying the satellite value proposition in Asia for the time to come.