Determination of the Most Interconnected Sections of Main Gas Pipelines Using the Maximum Clique Method

Sergey Vorobev, Anton Kolosnitsyn and Ilya Minarchenko
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Sergey Vorobev: Melentiev Energy Systems Institute SB RAS, 664033 Irkutsk, Russia
Anton Kolosnitsyn: Melentiev Energy Systems Institute SB RAS, 664033 Irkutsk, Russia
Ilya Minarchenko: Melentiev Energy Systems Institute SB RAS, 664033 Irkutsk, Russia

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 2, 1-14

Abstract: This article is devoted to the definition of the most important combinations of objects in critical network infrastructures. This study was carried out using the example of the Russian gas transmission network. Since natural gas is widely used in the energy sector, the gas transmission network can be exposed to terrorist threats, and the actions of intruders can be directed at both gas fields and gas pipelines. A defender–attacker model was proposed to simulate attacks. In this model, the defender solves the maximum flow problem to satisfy the needs of gas consumers. By excluding gas pipelines, the attacker tries to minimize the maximum flow in the gas transmission network. Russian and European gas transmission networks are territorially very extensive and have a significant number of mutual intersections and redundant pipelines. Therefore, one of the approaches to inflicting maximum damage on the system is modeled as an attack on a clique. A clique in this study is several interconnected objects. The article presents the list of the most interconnected sections of main gas pipelines, the failure of which can cause the greatest damage to the system in the form of a gas shortage among consumers. Conclusions were drawn about the applicability of the maximum clique method for identifying the most important objects in network critical infrastructures.

Keywords: gas transmission network; attacker–defender model; maximum clique problem; energy security (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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