- Coal stockpile volumetric estimation at ports and power stations — Tri-stereo optical imagery and X-band SAR digital surface models can resolve coal stockpile volumes to within roughly one metre vertically, making week-on-week inventory changes visible without a single site visit.
- Commodity flow intelligence from port vessel and yard activity — Fusing AIS vessel tracking with optical and SAR imagery of port berths, anchorages, and stockpile yards lets analysts estimate bulk commodity flows before official trade statistics are published. The method is probabilistic and the uncertainty is real, but so is the lead time.
- Gas flaring volume estimation from nocturnal radiance — VIIRS DNB and SWIR channels can estimate gas flaring volumes at oil fields and refineries globally, providing regulators and investors with independently derived production signals. The World Bank GGFR publishes annual benchmarks using this method.
- Floating-roof tank volume estimation from shadow geometry — External floating-roof tanks cast a shadow whose length encodes fill level. Sub-metre optical satellites convert that shadow, via sun geometry at acquisition time, into barrel-level inventory estimates without any ground access.
- Grain silo and open-stockpile monitoring for commodity intelligence — Satellite optical and SAR data can track grain inventories at silos, port terminals, and open storage pads, giving commodity analysts an independent read on stock levels before official figures are published.
- LNG storage tank status from thermal anomaly patterns — Above-ground LNG tanks leave measurable cold signatures in thermal infrared imagery, and their boil-off flares leave bright SWIR traces at night. Together, these signals let analysts infer fill status and operational tempo without setting foot on a terminal.
- LNG terminal throughput inference from vessel activity — Combining AIS tracking with Sentinel-1 SAR and high-resolution optical imagery lets analysts estimate LNG terminal throughput without relying on reported trade data. Draught changes, berth occupancy, and vessel class together reveal whether a carrier loaded or discharged.
- Oil spill and illicit discharge detection at sea and near terminals — Surface oil films dampen short ocean waves, creating dark signatures in SAR imagery that persist through cloud and darkness. Sentinel-1, COSMO-SkyMed and ICEYE make systematic and rapid-response detection operationally viable.
- Pipeline construction progress monitoring with SAR coherence — SAR coherence change detection tracks right-of-way clearing, trenching, pipe stringing and backfill along overland pipeline corridors without waiting for cloud-free optical windows. Sentinel-1 C-band provides free, systematic coverage; ICEYE and Capella Space X-band adds the resolution needed for segment-level progress reporting.
- Pipeline integrity assessment via ground-movement InSAR — Interferometric SAR detects millimetre-scale surface deformation along pipeline corridors weeks or months before a structural failure becomes visible. This page explains which sensors, methods, and detection limits apply.
- Methane leak detection along gas pipeline corridors — Shortwave infrared spectroscopy from orbit can detect methane column anomalies above gas pipeline corridors, pinpointing leaks from individual flanges to diffuse corridor-wide seepage. Three complementary satellite systems now cover detection thresholds from sub-100 kg/hr point sources to basin-scale plumes.
- Power-plant operating status from thermal discharge plumes — Thermal infrared satellites detect the warm-water discharge plumes that power stations release into rivers, lakes and coastal waters, revealing whether a plant is generating at any given moment. Landsat 8/9 TIRS and ECOSTRESS resolve the 8–15 °C above-ambient signal at 70–100 m, providing a public, verifiable record of operating status.
- Refinery unit utilisation signals from thermal infrared — Thermal infrared imagery from Landsat 8/9 TIRS and ECOSTRESS reveals the operating state of crude-distillation and catalytic-cracking units through radiant temperature anomalies at process heaters, flare stacks, and cooling towers, providing independent run-rate signals for commodity and credit analysts.
- Utility-scale solar farm construction progress from optical time series — Photovoltaic and CSP projects leave a measurable spectral signature from first ground-break to energisation. Optical time series from Planet, Sentinel-2 and high-resolution tasking turn that signature into weekly construction curves, area estimates and schedule-risk flags.
- Transmission-line corridor routing and encroachment detection — Satellite and spaceborne LiDAR data identify least-cost transmission routes before ground teams mobilise, then watch for encroachment continuously. Cloud cover and remote terrain are not excuses when SAR coherence and GEDI canopy heights are in the stack.
- Wind farm construction monitoring and turbine installation counting — Offshore wind construction moves fast and often under overcast skies. SAR point-target detection and AIS vessel tracking give independent, cloud-proof counts of installed turbines and installation pace from first monopile to final commissioning.