Oooguruk drill site (ODS) belonging to Caelus Natural Resources Alaska, LLC has produced 30 million barrels of oil since 2008, but the drill site in Alaska’s North Slope region is also home to polar bears. An intelligent security system helps to spot them.
The technology has to recognise the animals as early as possible and function reliably in the extreme cold north of the Arctic Circle. It can be as cold as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit/minus 40 degrees Celsius and two months of midwinter are darkness.
John Hellén, Health, Safety and Environmental Manager at Caelus Natural Resources Alaska, LLC says: “Our ultimate goal is the protection of personnel and the polar bears, and we want to do that in the way that has the least impact on the polar bears.”
In use are MIC IP fusion 9000i cameras from Bosch. The manufacturer says the product was developed specifically for use in extreme conditions. Eleven of the cameras have already been installed on ODS; five others are at the planning stage. The Bosch-trained engineers performed the installation in the shortest possible time. The camera comes with a solid metal casing and Bosch starlight technology. Even in the most difficult weather and low light, the system produces images. Dale Hoffmann, former Land Manager for Caelus Natural Resources Alaska, LLC says: “Within two weeks of installing the cameras, we recorded two events of polar bears on ODS. The images were crystal clear. We even have one camera installed 100 feet/30 meters from the ground, and the resolution is shockingly good.”
The MIC IP fusion 9000i offers built-in Intelligent Video Analytics. The integrated function processes and interprets data at the source. Polar bears can be detected by the cameras thanks to their thermal imaging – even when the animals are swimming or in the distance. As soon as a hazard is recognised, the cameras´ tracking function is automatically triggered and personnel are notified. The necessary safety measures can therefore be put in place. It means drilling staff can also be deployed more efficiently. “We no longer need to rely on someone watching the cameras to see the polar bears,” says John Hellén.
