Petro-Chemical Facilities

Why is the petroleum and chemical industry an ideal target for terrorists and other persons looking to do harm?

• The physical and chemical properties of the products handled at petroleum sites are valuable assets.
• The importance of petroleum to the national economy
• The importance of petroleum to national security
• The symbolism of the industry as a cornerstone of capitalism and the world economy.

Reducing the vulnerability of these facilities is extremely important.  Any vulnerability is a weakness that can be exploited by an adversary to gain unauthorized access and subsequent destruction or theft of an asset. Vulnerabilities can result from weaknesses in the current physical security plan and product implementation.

It is important to prevent unauthorized access, theft or damage to petroleum and chemical products, systems, and assets.  Petroleum and Chemical products should be housed in secure facilities, protected by a specifically defined security perimeter. The nature of this perimeter should be appropriate to the identified risks and value of the business assets. Protection should be extended to supporting facilities such as electrical supply and cabling infrastructure.  Neglect of these facilities could result in dangerous conditions including a fire. There are two types of physical security to consider:

• Physical security measures applicable to access control (Fencing/barriers, locks, lighting, intrusion detection, etc.).
• Physical barriers that prevent vehicles from being used as weapons.

Barriers can be used as a countermeasure strategy to slow the progress of an adversary in penetrating a site to prevent an attack or theft, or to prevent leaving a restricted area and assisting in apprehension and prevention of theft.