Skip to main content
European Commission logo print header
Content archived on 2022-12-27

DEVELOPMENT OF A "FREE SPAN/BURIAL INSTRUMENTATION" FOR INSPECTION OF OFFSHORE PIPELINES

Objective

It is the objective to design and construct an inspection instrumentation for safe internal inspection of offshore pipelines providing information on :
* The presence of free spans.
* The presence of sediments covering the pipeline
* The presence/loss of concrete coating on the pipeline.
Distance resolution of the inspection targets should be within the distance range of 5 to 20 metres. The instrumentation must be usable for internal inspection of pipelines carrying oil, gas or water. The instrumentation will be free of items like radiation sources requiring special health related handling precautions thus avoiding any risk of contaminating the system or damaging personnel.
Live inspection runs in 1994 and 1995 with the first version of the instrumentation in a 31 kilometre long 30" offshore gas pipeline demonstrated satisfactory performance during ideal pigging conditions. The instrumentation responded to known buried and free spanning sections of the pipeline as predicted. The instrumentation was able to identify the connections between the concrete coated 12.4 m long pipeline sections. The instrumentation is also capable of identifying loss of concrete in a free spanning pipeline. The demonstration runs in 1995 found occasionally high contents of the radioactive gaseous radon-222 in the pipeline. Decay products from this isotope disturbed the measurements and disclosed conditions in gas pipelines where the new inspection technology has limitations. Such problems are not to be expected in pipelines carrying oil products or water.
Design and construction of an instrumententation for internal inspection of offshore pipelines for free spans, burial and loss of concrete weight coating. The new technology uses the natural gamma radiation emitted by concrete and natural soil formations. It combines gamma-ray sensor technologies known from geological borehole logging with advanced designs of intelligent pipeline pigs.
The new inspection technology will be offered to offshore pipeline operators. Presently this type of inspection is done by means of acoustic surveys, divers and R.O.V's which are more expensive and slow in use. Some pipeline operators repeatedly ask for such a new service.
The new technology can be used in all weather conditions. Application of this possibility will increase knowledge on sea bed erosion phenomena and pipeline conditions, thus reducing the risk of serious environmental damage and the risk of pipeline failure thereby securing continuous energy supply.

Call for proposal

Data not available

Coordinator

FORCE INSTITUTE
EU contribution
No data
Address
PARK ALLEE 345
2605 Broendy
Denmark

See on map

Total cost
No data