Process Engineering; Well Head Equipment

install a covert infrared wireless video camera. They are small. You must install it covertly too. No point in letting all the workers see you install it.

Record the miscreant

Just expanding on what aurizon suggested Motion detectors that trigger video cameras linked by satellite phone to a near by security firm or your home. or just hire a mate with a couple of guard dogs and a rifle and barbed razorwire.. How much are they stealing? If its 10's of thousands of dollars? How much is a medium payed guard worth?

It was my experience when I worked in the "Patch" that because of the remote locations of the wells a thief could see anyone coming for miles. particularly at night.

The trick was to make the road to the wellhead impassable by a heavy vehicle, but this only slowed them down-good luck

Have you thought of non-invasive means. There are sonic fences that are motion controlled. They will keep everything away except may bugs. They can be overcome but the perp will lose hearing doing so. Even ear plugs don't help.

Don't they have to get their oil processed somewhere? How about changing regulations where refineries would require proof of production of the oil being delivered, that is data provided by a digitally signed meter.

this way, they would have to prove that they owned the rights to the well, and that their well produced a volume of oil in exact proportion to the amount being delivered to the refinery.

Lastly, what evidence do you have that it is people doing the stealing, and not a fault in the system below ground?

Chris

While I appreciate the response to this questions so far.

I like to make mention hear that I am also faced with the same challendge in the Niger Delta part of Nigeria.

Most of my wells are in the swamp area, we have evidendences and I will be glad also to know method of guarding the W/HDs.

Ah, Krooks with Kalashnikovs = harder to deal with, although the swamp might bog down their trucks

Spile strips on the roads would work. You only need to take out the trucks, burst the tires then have a system to alert the local law and get the trucks impounded if they don't have trucks they cant steal the oil remember to move the spikes every now and again so they never know where they are but you do.