GAS COMPRESSOR STATION SURVEILLANCE
Passive infrared surveillance for critical energy infrastructure
Gas compressor stations play a vital role in natural gas transportation, ensuring consistent pressure and flow across long-distance pipelines. With their strategic importance and explosive risk zones (ATEX), securing these facilities requires advanced, reliable, and passive surveillance solutions.
Our solution? SPYNEL-M is a compact panoramic thermal imaging system that offers 360° automatic intrusion detection without emitting any Electro-Magnetic signal — making it perfectly suited for explosive-risk environments. Already deployed at multiple sites across Europe, SPYNEL-M enhances situational awareness, lowers false alarms, and integrates smoothly with existing security systems.
Challenges in securing compressor stations
Security and operational constraints of compressor stations
Compressor stations face a unique combination of technical, environmental, and safety challenges:
- High-value targets: As critical infrastructure, they are vulnerable to terrorism, vandalism, or theft, with potential national-level consequences.
- Explosive zones (ATEX): Traditional active sensors like radar can’t be safely used due to the risk of ignition.
- False alarms: Remote locations often lead to high rates of false alerts caused by animals or environmental movements.
- Large areas: Covering 200m x 400m, these sites are costly and complex to monitor using standard camera networks.
- System compatibility: New surveillance tools must integrate with existing VMS platforms for unified threat management.
Passive 360° thermal solution for Gas compressor stations
With SPYNEL-M Panoramic Infrared Camera
HGH Infrared Systems has developed an innovative panoramic solution detecting and categorizing long-range threats. The SPYNEL infrared camera range protects any kind of critical infrastructures or military assets thanks to a 360° camera. Fully passive, the SPYNEL camera ensures real-time panoramic video and automatic detection, classification & tracking.
One sensor, full site coverage
HGH’s SPYNEL-M meets these surveillance challenges with a single panoramic infrared camera:
- 360° thermal imaging for full site coverage, placed centrally in the station
- Human detection up to 700m, with classification at 250m
- Differentiated area monitoring: Tracks intrusions across perimeter fences and restricted internal zones
- No blind spots: Flat layout of stations allows for clear line-of-sight monitoring
- CYCLOPE software integration: Delivers automatic detection, GPS tracking, and threat classification in real-time
- ONVIF-compliant: Seamless connection to existing Video Management Systems
In some deployments, SPYNEL-M operates alone as the primary detection layer, while in others, it works alongside smart fences or buried sensors for enhanced perimeter validation.
Key benefits: Why choose SPYNEL-M?
Passive:
Unlike radars, SPYNEL-M emits no Electro-Magnetic signals, reducing the risks of ignition in explosive-risk environments
Low false alarm rate:
AI filtering of wildlife and non-threatening movement avoids unnecessary alerts
Minimal infrastructure needs:
One unit covers the entire facility, reducing camera count and installation cost
Supports PTZ confirmation:
CYCLOPE software can slew-to-cue PTZ cameras for visual threat confirmation
Maintenance-free operation:
Proven long-term reliability, even in harsh outdoor conditions
Seamless integration:
Compatible with existing VMS interfaces via ONVIF
Autonomous alerts:
No on-site operator needed; automatic alarm and recording management
Full tracking history:
All detections logged with geolocation and movement patterns
SPYNEL-M enhances the protection of gas compressor stations with a cost-effective, passive, and fully integrated thermal surveillance solution. By reducing false alarms, streamlining infrastructure, and improving threat detection, it strengthens national energy security while lowering operational burdens.
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