Optimal route selection for the transmission of natural gas through pipelines in Tiruchengode Taluk using GIS – A preliminary study

Abstract

Natural gas pipelines are the most important networks which have to be dealt with care since methane gas have poisonous characteristics. Such pipelines are allowed to be laid with some serious restrictions and regulations. Gas Authority Of India Limited (GAIL) has proposed to lay pipelines across India for the transportation of methane gas. This project work has been suspended because of the protests set in by the owners of the farmland, which would affect the fertility of the land and crop production. So re-routing or the suggestion of alternate routes becomes essential to complete the proposed pipeline network. Hence, the farmers of these areas demanded the route to be laid along the national highways and not across their agricultural lands. This study aims at proposing an alternate route for the pipeline network using GIS for the transmission of NG. Several Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) features are considered and a buffer zone is created amongst these features and avoided in order to identify a new route for the transmission of NG. In this study, three new routes have been proposed and among the three routes, one optimal route, route 3 connecting covering a distance of 35 km is selected based on the proximity, availability and convenience for the transmission of the NG via pipelines without causing any hindrance to the environment. The other two routes, route 1 and route 2 are found to be unsuitable due to the fact that lengths are 81 and 52 km and may prove to be inefficient. Having known the optimal route, the materials for the construction, laying, and maintenance of the pipelines may be suggested such as high carbon steel in order to prevent leakage, and withstand the pressure within and outside the pipeline and protected with appropriate coating materials.