G4S Kazakhstan on Oil Theft Prevention in the Country

G4S has been working since 1997 in Kazakhstan with a number of prominent international oil companies in helping them to secure their assets by providing them with manned guarding of their exploration, production and transportation facilities. The General Manager of G4S Kazakhstan will be sharing his insights at the 2nd CACOGS Forum (Central Asia & Caspian Oil & Gas Security) on how the company prevented incidents while guarding numerous oil operations, one of which was a 600km pipeline network.

IRN interviewed him for some pre-forum insights.

IRN: “Based on your experience in Kazakhstan, what are the most current pressing threats/security issues for the local oil and gas industry?”

General Manager, G4S Kazakhstan: “As our specialization is manned guarding, we often come across criminal groups’ attempts to acquire assets illegally, including but not limited to oil or oil products. O&G sector is a lucrative piece for those criminal elements. Take a pipeline as an example, its length is massive and it runs through areas, which are often not populated steppe. It takes 40 to 50 min to cut through a pipe to pump oil, hence, manned guarding is a vital element in elimination assets theft and damage; it should always accompany technology to achieve maximum result.”

IRN: “What is the number of O&G assets G4S currently secures in Kazakhstan?”

General Manager, G4S Kazakhstan: “We have a long history of strong relationships in the oil and gas sector, we ended 2014 with around 30 large and medium size customers—an increase of 50% over the past four years. The assets we secure are different elements of the O&G value chain. We have strong presence in oil fields including off shore, have a successful experience in securing pipeline of over 600 km long and we are also in refineries. We are among those few in the private security market who really understand and are capable to address the sector threats and needs.”

IRN: “What is the number of incidents that you had during 2014 while guarding vital energy infrastructure and how many of them have been prevented?”

General Manager, G4S Kazakhstan: “You will always have different types of incidents; some of them will relate to discipline others to H&S and of course, there are those that have a quick direct impact to the financial losses. In 2014 we saw an increase in the number of attempts to illegally acquire our customers’ assets. Through the year we identified and prevented around 900 cases of thefts, which in financial terms was around USD 600K. We have been guarding the pipe which I mentioned previously for the last three years, and there were 3 attempts to cut through the pipe which we successfully prevented.”

IRN: “You have chosen to become the Gold Sponsor of the CACOGS 2015 Forum, what made you consider it was an important initiative?”

General Manager, G4S Kazakhstan: “O&G sector is one of the most important sectors in the country. It is also an area of our key expertise achieved through all those relationships we have been having with the key private players since 1997. This forum is a chance for us to share what we can but also to listen in order to better understand the bigger picture. The landscape is changing and we want to be able to contribute and better adjust for the change.”

Covering all issues that raise security concerns, the CACOGS Forum will facilitate discussions on oil theft, maritime security in the Caspian Sea, cyber-attacks, pipeline security, the growing threat of terrorism, labor relations and others key areas. Implications and solutions, future threats and prevention will form the focus of this senior-level meeting.

Featured

  • DHS to End ‘Shoes-Off’ Travel Policy

    Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced a new policy today which will allow passengers traveling through domestic airports to keep their shoes on while passing through security screening at TSA checkpoints. Read Now

  • AI to Help Resolve Non-Emergency Calls Across Utah and Decrease 911 Caller Wait Times

    The Utah Communications Authority (UCA), which oversees the state’s next generation 911 technology services, recently announced that public safety answering points (PSAPs) throughout the state plan to implement Motorola Solutions’ Virtual Response technology to automate the receipt and resolution of 10-digit non-emergency line calls in Utah with the help of AI. Read Now

  • Report: 2025 Video Surveillance Market Set to Grow After Small Decline in 2024

    Novaira Insights has unveiled its latest report, “World Market for Video Surveillance Hardware and Software – 2025 Edition.” The research indicates that the global market for video surveillance hardware and software experienced a slight decline of 0.3% in 2024. This performance fell short of previous forecasts, primarily due to a significant decrease of 7.8% in the Chinese market. Conversely, the rest of the world saw a growth of 4.9%. The global market for video surveillance equipment was estimated to be worth $25.0 billion in 2024. Read Now

  • Report Reveals Local Governments Face Surge in Ransomware Attacks with Minimal Resources

    KnowBe4, the cybersecurity platform that comprehensively addresses human risk management, recently released new research highlighting the critical cybersecurity challenges facing state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments. The report details how government organizations have become prime targets for cybercriminals while simultaneously facing severe resource constraints. Read Now

  • Video Surveillance Trends to Watch

    With more organizations adding newer capabilities to their surveillance systems, it’s always important to remember the “basics” of system configuration and deployment, as well as the topline benefits of continually emerging technologies like AI and the cloud. Read Now

New Products

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.