GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM AND REMOTE SENSING ASSISTED ANALYSIS OF RIGHT-OF-WAY ENCROACHMENT ALONG PETROLEUM PIPELINE FACILITY

Abstract

This research work utilized geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing technologies to analysis the level of encroachment activities along petroleum pipeline right-of-way. The study area is in Eziorsu Community of Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. The geospatial analysis was between a three timeline decades of 2002, 2012 and 2022. Remotely sensed data of Landsat ETM+ 2002, 2012 and 2022 of the area were acquired and processed using ArcGIS 10.5 software. Groundtruthing was carried out with a hand-held GPS device and digitized with the aids of high resolution imagery. Three classes of land use/land cover, namely built-up, vegetation and waterbody were identified. The extent of encroachment was determined by overlaying the pipeline right-of-way layer on the classified land use map of the study area for each of the decades with respect to different standard right-of-way of 15m, 30m and 60m buffers. The results show that the area encroached upon by built-up was 16.83(70.3%) , 19.8 (82.71%) and 20.7173 (86.05%) hectares for 2002, 2012 and 2022 respectively for 15m PROW, the waterbody was almost constant while the area encroached upon by vegetation was 6.93 (28.9%), 3.96 (16.5%) and 2.4352(10.12%) hectares for 2002, 2012 and 2022 respectively. It is clear that the encroachments on the petroleum pipeline right-of-way by built-up based on buffered zone of 15m pipeline right-of-way had increased while encroachments by vegetation which comprised of majorly farmland, wetland, exposed surface and other scrubs had decreased. Public education of risks associated with encroachment on the pipeline right-of-way is highly recommended.