Solution — CNG stations
CNG Station Site Survey: Plot, Forecourt Scan and Gas Route
A measured plot for the layout drawing, a scanned forecourt, and a cleared route from the gas network to the dispenser.
Quick AnswerA CNG station site survey measures the plot for the layout and safety-distance drawing. On a converted outlet it also scans the forecourt for tanks, product lines and cables. It then clears the steel pipeline route from the city gas network to the compressor. For longer connection lines, our pipeline route survey team covers the corridor work.
What does a CNG station site survey involve?
Three linked pieces of work: a measured plot, a scan under the forecourt, and a cleared route for the gas connection. The survey is ordered when a new outlet is planned on vacant land or, more often, when a petrol pump adds a CNG dispenser. The layout drawing, safety distances and excavation plan all depend on knowing where things are, above and below ground.
A forecourt is a dense site. Underground storage tanks, product pipes, vent lines, earthing pits, dispenser cables and often a septic tank share a small paved area. Outside the boundary, the road berm for the gas connection is crowded with water mains, telecom ducts and power cables. Digging blind in either place brings delays, damage claims and, at worst, fuel or gas leaks.
Mother, online or daughter: does the station type change the survey?
Yes, mainly in how much pipeline route work, and how many underground utilities, must be checked beyond the plot.
| Station type | Gas supply | Survey focus |
|---|---|---|
| Mother station | Tapped from a steel pipeline; compresses gas and fills mobile cascades | Plot layout, pipeline tie-in, heavy vehicle movement |
| Online station | Connected directly to the city gas network | Plot layout plus the full connection route along roads |
| Daughter station | Supplied by mobile cascades, no pipeline | Plot layout, cascade parking and access, forecourt scan |
| Daughter booster | Mobile cascades with booster compression on site | As daughter, plus compressor foundation area |
Table note: if the boundary is uncertain or the lease papers do not match the wall, see what you receive from land survey services before the layout is fixed.
The plot: boundary, frontage and layout
The approval layout is drawn on a measured plot, so the survey records everything that fixes where equipment may stand. We pick up boundary walls, frontage and kerb line, entry and exit, canopy columns, existing dispensers and tank chambers, nearby buildings, overhead lines and trees. CNG outlets need approvals from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), whose rules set separation distances between dispensers, compressors, cascades, the boundary and buildings. The consultants of the gas company or outlet prepare the approval drawings on our measured plot.
Scanning an existing fuel station forecourt
Before any CNG foundation or trench is cut into a working forecourt, the tanks, product lines and cables under it must be located precisely. Tanks show clearly on ground penetrating radar, which times the echoes of short radio pulses off buried objects. Product and vent lines, earthing conductors and dispenser cables are small and bundled, and reinforced slabs limit radar depth. We combine the outlet's utility records, chamber checks and two geophysical methods: locator tracing and a close radar grid. Our pre-excavation scanning at a glance page shows the method. Scanning one lane at a time keeps the pumps selling.
Tracing the gas connection route
For an online station, the steel connection from the city gas network is the part most likely to hit something. It runs along berms and footpaths shared with gas lines, water mains, sewers, ducts and cables. It also crosses a road or drain at least once. We survey the full route: surface features and chambers first, then utility locating and radar along and across the corridor, with closer coverage at every crossing. At a main road crossing the drawing shows the existing utility lines, so the contractor can choose an open cut or a bore. Our own drilling fleet handles many such crossings, but the survey serves any contractor.
Registering the excavation is the other half of safe digging; you can read more on call before you dig in India in our guide. City gas distribution entities hold licences for their geographical areas from the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board. Mezux Touch has surveyed for GAIL and city gas companies on direct work orders, and for outlet owners and their contractors.
What should you have ready before the visit?
Five things shorten the field day and improve the drawing. First, the lease or title papers and any old site plan, even a sketch. Second, the oil company's drawings of tanks, product lines and dispenser cables. Third, the gas company's proposed tie-in point and route on a map. Fourth, an outlet contact who can close lanes in turn and open tank chambers safely. Fifth, the consultant's name, so the coordinate system, scale and layer names are agreed in advance. That utility coordination lets most stations be surveyed in one visit.
What you receive
A measured plot drawing, a forecourt services drawing and a route drawing with sections at crossings, all in one coordinate system. Each buried line carries its depth and one of the quality levels, from records only to exposed in a trial pit. Before the new steel line is backfilled, booking an as built survey records its position and depth for the gas company, avoiding a later search for an unmeasured pipe.
Rates, an example and timing
The plot is priced as a small site survey; the forecourt and route scans are priced per metre. Exclusive of GST:
- Topographic plot survey: from ₹15,000 for a plot up to 1 acre.
- GPR scanning: ₹24 per metre, or ₹32 per metre where a longitudinal section of the route is drawn.
- Minimum GPR order: ₹50,000 in Delhi NCR, ₹1,00,000 elsewhere in India.
- Network programmes for many stations: 25% off above 100 km of scanning, 40% above 500 km, 50% above 1,000 km.
Example: a conversion with 600 m of forecourt scan lines and a 400 m connection route comes to 1,000 × ₹24 = ₹24,000 of scanning. The NCR minimum of ₹50,000 therefore applies, plus ₹15,000 for the plot survey. Batching stations in one order spreads the minimum. Field work takes one or two days per station, with drawings within three working days. NCR crews reach the outlet the same day or within 1 working day. Elsewhere, a team member living in that district starts straight away or within 1 working day, and any mobilisation or travel cost, if applicable, is in the written quote. To book, contact our survey team with the outlet address and proposed tie-in point.
Frequently asked questions
Can you scan a forecourt while the pumps are selling?
Yes, lane by lane, with the outlet manager controlling vehicle movement. Areas near dispensers in use are scanned when that island is closed.
Will radar find the underground fuel tanks?
Yes, tanks show clearly. Smaller product and vent lines need closer scan spacing, locator tracing and sometimes a vacuum excavated slot to be placed reliably.
Do you prepare the PESO layout drawing?
No, we provide the measured plot and services data; the approval drawing is prepared and submitted by the outlet's or gas company's consultants.
How deep is a city gas connection laid?
It varies with the gas company's specification and the road; the survey gives the depth of every service along the route so cover and clearances can be checked.
What does the route drawing show?
Plan and sections with every crossing service, its depth and quality level; see GPR survey deliverables explained for a sample layout.
Can several stations be surveyed in one order?
Yes, and it lowers the cost per station because one minimum order and one mobilisation cover the batch.
Get a written quote for your CNG station
Services for CNG stations
Written by Saniya Parveen · Technically reviewed by Rahul Rai · Updated 8 November 2026