TPI July 2014

Pipeline inspection and corrosion protection

The percentage worldwide of “piggable” pipelines – those able to be inspected by conventional methods — is not easy to ascertain. A conservative estimate would be 50 per cent. If, then, corrosion and mechanical damage are not to impair throughput and impose downtime, or worse, on the “other half” of the world’s pipelines, some very particular inspection challenges must be met and overcome. As it happens, the industry that gave rise to offshore oil platforms and subsea wells up to 1.8 miles deep is not daunted by challenges, as this section of TPI will demonstrate. The products and services reviewed here have been developed by people who know that a blockage or rupture in a pipeline can mean environmental damage, heavy financial loss, serious injury — even death. Pipeline inspection is the province of seasoned professionals with access to the finest equipment, the experience to choose the right in-line inspection (ILI) tools for a given project, and the discernment to correctly interpret the results. The compelling objective of pipeline integrity demands no less.