Enhancing Offshore Operations: Secure Data Sharing for Automatic Oil Spill Detection

Abstract Early and reliable automatic Oil Spill Detection is vital. The earlier a spill is detected, the less chance it has of causing an environmental disaster. As the popularity of Oil Spill Detection has grown, information integrity and cybersecurity are becoming increasingly important for safe and unbiased reporting. Secure data sharing fosters trust and collaboration, facilitating transparent decision-making. Automatic Oil Spill Detection is done by physics-based image processing from X-band radars streams. Verification and volume estimation can be achieved from added infrared cameras. To make sure the detection is un-tampered, modern information security systems following ISO 27001 procedures are needed. By creating a secure end-to-end pathway, information can flow from the physical detection through the monitoring software and to the onshore stakeholders - in Oil Spill Detection context: the operator and environmental authority as the regulator. Only then all parties can be sure of having the same information at the same time. Major oil operators and offshore vessels have for years used remote sensing instrumentation critical for their operation. Locked in data has been a major issue for operational excellence improving revenue and HSEQ. Adding the most modern technology within IoT, cloud and information security has made data easily available with improved offshore operations in multiple areas. A faster oil spill response is achieved since alarms earlier reach everyone involved in surveillance and recovery teams. Waiting on weather is greatly reduced by having access to the right data. Some operations have weather limits where accurate data removes doubt. Other operations experience problems that can be mitigated by enhancing the understanding of the sea state. Having multiple users of the same data also results in a reduced need for various measurement systems, reducing carbon footprint and conducting a more sustainable operation. It is also a critical tool in building trust to authorities through unbiased reporting and transparency. Remote sensing techniques have proven their popularity. This paper demonstrates how modern information technology helps by adding more value to tested and proven sensors and systems within Offshore Marine Operations.