Infinova Video System Protects Romania's Rompetrol Rafinare SA Refinery

Rompetrol Rafinare SA, Romania's second largest oil company, is using an Infinova fiber optics video system to watch over its multiple facilities inside the 480 hectares (1,186 acres) Rompetrol Rafinare Refinery (formerly called the Petromidia Refinery) in Navodari. Using Infinova outdoor cameras, placed throughout the facility, many with an IP66 rating to protect against the maritime environment, refinery and oil terminal security operations staff can view what is going on within the refinery at all times plus refer to a record of any incidences using Infinova DVRs.

The system also features an Infinova V2010 video matrix switcher system which lets ten refinery security operations personnel view ten monitors while operating ten keyboards simultaneously. The system is used by Rompetrol Rafinare SA operators but administered by the integrator, Global Security System SA (Bucharest).

"We refine over 14,000 tons of crude oil per day so it is very important that we can monitor activities throughout our refinery. However, it is quite difficult to provide high performance video in such a large area, especially one with all the electrical interference found in a refinery," explains Laurentiu Sofron, Rompetrol Rafinare SA project manager. "Not only could Infinova supply us with the whole range of video products, from cameras to DVRs, they also could provide the fiber optics equipment. We felt that having all products in our system under one brand name would be a tremendous advantage for us."

"With fiber optics, the refinery has no problems with electro-magnetic interference (EMI), radio frequency interference (RFI), cross-talk or ground loops," emphasizes Liviu Vladulescu, technical director for Global Security System SA. "Rompetrol Rafinare SA does not need to worry about short circuits, sparks or fire hazards with fiber. In addition, the large signal carrying capacity of optical fibers makes it possible to provide not only many more signals, but also more sophisticated signals than could ever be handled by a comparable amount of copper wire."

Vladulesco also noted that, in working with Infinova on other large projects, he knew that the Infinova technical support had the expertise his organization would need with local pre-sale and post-sale engineering support. According to Rompetrol Rafinare's Sofron, "We have many other projects planned, including putting in video systems at our retail outlets. We will be using an Infinova solution there as well."