Guwahati, Oct 27 (IANS): The state-owned Oil India Limited (OIL) on Tuesday launched an ambitious drone surveillance project to curb pilferage of crude oil, condensate, theft of pipes, tampering of well heads and tapping of crude oil delivery pipelines, besides to strengthen the overall operational security.

A spokesman of the OIL said that the drone surveillance project was launched at its field headquarters at Duliajan in eastern Assam's Dibrugarh district under Digital Readiness for Innovation and Value in E&P (DRIVE) initiative also to curb various criminal activities by miscreants in various OIL locations.

"This real-time detection method would detect the intruders, facilitate faster detection of fire incidents, crude oil leaks and spills and hence enable OIL to take up a pro-active role," the spokesman said.

The OIL has incorporated the drone surveillance services for its installations and oil and gas pipelines in Assam to obtain better performance and improve productivity.

Launching the drone surveillance project OIL's Resident Chief Executive Prasanta Borkakoty said: "OIL is a progressive and responsible organisation that is adopting new evolving technologies that can be used for better safety and security of operational areas."

The drone surveillance project is a step towards this direction that would assist OIL to reduce miscreant activities to a large extent, faster response to security, protect the health, safety and environment issues resulting to enhance profit and safer operations, Borkakoty said.

Deputy Inspector General of Central Industrial Security Force S.S. Sharma and senior OIL officials were present on the occasion.