Desktop GIS Analysis for Preliminary Route Selection

Mipela GeoSolutions have provided pre feasibility desktop study services for route selection to several of our clients.

The conceptual model uses freely available GIS datasets at a national scale across the following themes:

• Cultural Environment (Cultural Heritage and Native Title)
• Land Use (Australian Land Use and Management (ALUM) classification)
• Topographic (rivers, slope (SRTM – 30m)
• Infrastructure (road, rail, pipeline, powerline)

Projects may prioritise following existing infrastructure corridors for route selection which is achieved in the GIS model by a “weighted overlay” model (see image). This approach allows the route selection to give higher priority to existing infrastructure corridors (co location).

In most cases avoiding high potential agriculture land or National Parks would be weighted with a lower priority. Changing the parameters (eg. equal weighting vs co-location) provides multiple route options that may be compared side-by-side during preliminary selection. A Constructability Matrix indicating the number of road, rail and river crossings is also produced as part of the analysis.

For more information on GIS desktop analysis work, please contact our Client Success team on 1300 807 770.

X-Info DBYD suite Perfect Fit for ATOM

Australian Terminal Operations Management (ATOM) is a company dedicated to operating 3rd party bulk fuel facilities safely, reliably and effectively for its customers. With a head office in Melbourne, ATOM currently operates and maintains 17 bulk fuel terminals across Australia.

National HSSE & Operations Excellence Manager for ATOM, Leon Harris, identified that having a lot of underground pipeline exposed them to potential significant risk when third parties are working close by.

ATOM were in need of a robust system to ensure they were informed of any potential digging and to provide the information to manage the actions of third parties within a certain parameter of their asset.

The implementation of X-Info DBYD suite gave Leon assurance that adequate controls are in place to mitigate any incidents.

Leon said, “X-Info DBYD suite has created a barrier to risk for their assets. In addition, the automation allows resources to focus on high risk areas, eliminating the administrative burden that comes with manual processing.”

The introduction of X-Info DBYD suite is providing everyone with an extra level of safety with little to no effort by the ATOM team.