Satellites and Technologies for Underground Pipeline Leak Detection

Satellite/Technology	Company/Organization	Detection Method	Use Case & Capability	Reference
PipeWATCH with Dove Satellites	Planet Labs/Stantec	Multispectral Imaging(3m resolution) + Vegetation Health Analysis	Detects leaks via vegetation stress caused by contaminants. Retrospective analysis of stored imagery.	1
ASTERRA Recover	ASTERRA (Utilis)	L-band SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) + AI Algorithms	Identifies soil moisture anomalies from underground water leaks. Detects leaks as small as 0.5 L/min.	2 4 8
ALOS-2 (PALSAR-2)	JAXA	L-band SAR	Penetrates soil to detect dielectric signatures of water-saturated soil. Used by ASTERRA for leak detection.	8
Sentinel-1	ESA	C-band SAR	Monitors ground deformation and soil moisture changes near pipelines.	6 7
TerraSAR-X	Airbus	X-band SAR	High-resolution imaging for geohazard detection (e.g., landslides) near pipelines.	7
WorldView-3	Maxar	Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR) + Multispectral Imaging	Detects hydrocarbon leaks via surface vegetation stress and thermal anomalies.	7
NISAR (upcoming)	NASA/ISRO	L+S-band SAR	Future satellite for groundwater and subsurface leak detection (launching 2024).	8

Key Detection Methods

Vegetation Health Monitoring (PipeWATCH):
- Uses Dove satellites to analyze vegetation indices (NDVI) for stress caused by leaks.
- Detects leaks retrospectively using stored imagery.
L-band SAR (ASTERRA Recover):
- Penetrates soil up to 3 meters to identify dielectric signatures of leaking water.
- Achieves 80% hit rate in field inspections.
Thermal/Infrared Sensors (UAVs & Satellites):
- IR sensors detect temperature anomalies from gas leaks (e.g., methane).
- Used in combination with satellite data for validation.
Machine Learning Integration:
- Combines radar data with AI to improve leak prediction accuracy (e.g., ASCE study: 69% detection rate).

Technology	Strengths	Limitations
Multispectral Imaging	- Retrospective analysis - Cost-effective for large areas	- Weather-dependent - Limited subsurface penetration
L-band SAR	- Subsurface penetration (3m) - Works day/night, in all weather	- Lower resolution (30–100m) - Requires AI for data interpretation
Fiber Optic Sensing	- Real-time monitoring - High sensitivity (detects pinhole leaks)	- Invasive installation - High upfront cost
Thermal/IR Sensors	- Direct leak detection (gas) - High accuracy	- Limited to surface/subsurface gas leaks

ASTERRA Recover: Used in 57 countries, with 36,000+ leaks verified since 2016. Reduces water loss by 368 billion gallons/year4 8.
PipeWATCH: Achieves 3m resolution, improving to 25cm by 2022 for precise leak localization1.
AP Sensing Fiber Optics: Compliant with API 1175 and Shell DEP 31.40.00 standards for leak detection3.

ICEYE (MicroSAR Satellites):
- Commercial SAR satellites offering frequent revisits for near-real-time monitoring.
Machine Learning + SAR:
- ASCE study combines texture features from radar data with random forest algorithms for automated leak detection6.

Oil/Gas Pipelines: Detects hydrocarbon leaks via vegetation stress (PipeWATCH) or thermal anomalies (WorldView-3).
Water Pipelines: Identifies non-surfacing leaks using L-band SAR (ASTERRA).
Wastewater Systems: Monitors underground leaks to prevent environmental contamination4.

For deployment details, visit ASTERRA or Planet Labs.