PROBLEM ASPECTS OF IDENTIFYING THE SPATIAL POSITION OF UNAUTHORIZED TIE-INS IN MAIN OIL AND PETROLEUM PRODUCT PIPELINES

The paper provides a basic analysis of the problems of detecting unauthorized tie-ins into main oil and petroleum product pipelines. Despite some success in combating illegal connections, the problem remains relevant due to the of the technical equipment improvement by intruders, as well as due to the difficulty of non-metallic materials detecting in the ground. The paper provides a brief overview of existing methods, analyzes some methods of shallow-depth geophysics for detecting and tracing unauthorized tie-ins. The chronology of the development of search devices and methods in the USA and Great Britain within the framework of advanced scientific research is given. Based on the analysis of conducted review and theoretical assessments, conclusions about the potential of various methods for detecting illegal tie-ins using tracerouting and geophysical equipment are drawn.