Articles

W. Edwards Deming, a prominent statistician and consultant in the field of quality management during the latter half of the twentieth century, asserted that every corporation should have a skilled statistician reporting to the senior leadership so that critical decisions could be based on sound statistical evidence. The rise of data science as a…

Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing is a highly sensitive technology for leak detection that can provide rapid detection and precise locating of small leaks. The evidence from field trials and real-world leaks is becoming increasingly available and more and more pipelines are implementing the technology for leak detection. Under controlled testing, it…

Operators need to keep their pipelines fit for purpose, maximize life and control costs. External corrosion is one of the main threats faced by operators, costing millions annually in identification, mitigation and repair. Although many methods exist to model the growth of corrosion features, the situation is often most complicated for “unpiggable…

This study rigorously validates run comparison (RC) software, essential for accurate corrosion growth rate assessments in pipelines, using an extensive synthetic dataset and an experimental K-nearest neighbours-based algorithm across 2,000 diverse spools. Detailed within the paper are the synthetic data generation, in-line inspection (ILI) run…

Effective monitoring and anomaly detection are fundamental prerequisites for safeguarding the efficiency, integrity and reliability of pipeline systems. Here, we explore both physics-based and machine-learning approaches for operational asset monitoring and anomaly detection, as well as evaluate their performance and appropriateness across a…

Conventional inline inspection (ILI) tools use odometer wheels to determine the location of identified defects. On top of that, above ground markers (AGMs) are used to confirm and potentially correct for odometer wheel slippage. Free-floating unconventional ILI tools use information from a variety of sensors to accurately locate defects.…

Pipeline Integrity Management Systems (PIMS) have significantly improved the safety of pipelines in Europe and the United States. New technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and modern Geographic Information System (GIS) visualization can and will elevate pipeline integrity to a new level. However, challenges for pipeline integrity have…

This work focuses on the application of artificial intelligence methods to enhance pipeline monitoring systems, specifically Third-Party Interference (TPI) and leak detection. A critical aspect of pipeline monitoring revolves around determining the operational state of the pipeline. This is paramount because the processing algorithms are…

In France, the company operates more than 32,500 km of buried transportation pipelines. These structures cover most of the French territory and are subject to regular monitoring and inspection, as part of our maintenance programs, to ensure their operational safety.Some of these pipelines cross areas that can be hard to access or where field…

Pipelines are typically designed using different practices and codes than in-plant piping. While Risk-based Inspection (RBI) quantitative methodologies have evolved and been applied for in-plant piping, e.g. API RP 581, limited methodology framework has been specified and widely used for pipelines, in a similar approach.Alternatively, for…

Pipeline operators are obliged to regularly monitor their pipeline grid for potential third-party interferences (TPI). They need a reliable, cost-effective method to acquire and analyze aerial images of their pipeline in an automated process. This paper presents the concept of AIMI (Airborne Intelligent Monitoring of Infrastructures), a project…

Hard spots are a type of threat many operators are managing as part of their integrity management plan. Hard spots are areas on the pipeline that are more susceptible to cracking or could pose an integrity concern in combination with other threats. The United States gas transmission regulation, 49 CFR 192.3, defines a hard spot as “an area on…

Pipeline networks traverse modern societies' national territories and can be located in areas difficult to access, such as river crossings, making maintenance logistically challenging and potentially dangerous for field personnel. In order to resolve this problem, Skipper NDT has developed an unmanned aerial system (UAS) for magnetic mapping which…

CO2 is a fundamental building block in the global decarbonization process. In order to successfully develop the individual processes for the separation of CO2 in the coming years, a reliable transport network, for example via pipelines, is a key issue.Here, process analytics plays an important role here to efficiently monitor and control the…

Defect severity classification holds significant importance within industries that prioritize quality control. This study proposes a novel approach that applies machine learning with Stress Concentration Tomography (SCT) to effectively categorize defects’ severity. Through the utilization of machine learning algorithms, the objective is to enhance…

Hyperspectral imagery (HSI) began in the 1980s and has been used by the U.S. government for years, but it just recently became available for commercial use. This technology has a vast range of potential applications, with oil and gas pipeline monitoring being one of the most prominent examples. HSI enables unparalleled daily global pipeline leak…

As managing directors of the EITEP Institute, it is our pleasure to welcome you to our 10th anniversary edition of the Pipeline Technology Journal (ptj). Since its first issue in 2013, our journal has grown into a widely recognized and respected source of information and analysis for pipeline professionals. As we mark this milestone, we want to…

Subsea pipelines are externally concrete coated to provide vertical and lateral stability. The loss of concrete can lead to floatation or lateral movement on the seabed. If seabed is hard/rocky, then lateral rubbing may lead to wall thinning at 6 o'clock and can result in a leak or flattening at the bottom affecting ovality. This paper presents…

This work is centered on the integration of different Leak Detection Technologies into a single platform for a better management of Pipeline Integrity Monitoring issues. Leak detection methods covered in this paper are based on Advanced-Negative Pressure Wave, Mass-Balance, Acoustic-Noise, and other predictive techniques based on data processing…

For years, pipeline operators have relied on human observers flying at low altitude to perform visual inspection of their ROW, without any automatic documentation or detection system. This paper presents the first real-life results of a test campaign performed by Flyscan Systems, integrating detection algorithms developed by Enbridge, over ROWs of…

Oil pipelines in the Middle East have historically focused on the security of supply and export rather than on the economic benefits of having cheaper oil transport. Looking at the historical record of these pipelines, one could easily conclude that the objective of oil supply security sought by Middle-Eastern producers has not been met through…

In the context of repurposing of natural gas transmission pipelines to Hydrogen service the sensitivity of inspection systems with a focus on POX is frequently discussed. Often an increase of crack growth rate da/dN and a reduction in pipe steel toughness require a reduction of minimum remaining anomaly dimensions, in order to satisfy economically…

Apart from typical technical and operational challenges of onshore pipelines i.e. 3rd party, corrosions, geohazards; offshore pipelines and subsea facilities have additional challenges i.e. logistics and weather-related, ultra-high pressure/temperature for ultra-deep/deep water. Thus, that’s the reason why the front-end loading (FEL)/design stages…

Subsea pipelines such as flowlines, trunklines etc. are an integral part of all offshore field developments. Sour service conditions as encountered by production pipelines of gas fields require CRA clad pipe due to high risk of localized corrosion initiation and penetration rate in carbon steel. This paper presents an innovative approach to…

Before the operator of a gas export pipeline offshore Asia could isolate the line and replace leaking pig trap valves on their platform and perform in-line inspection (ILI), they had to remove a serious obstacle: a cleaning pig that had stalled just beyond the pig launcher. Because there is no standard tool for recovering a stalled pig, at least…