TPi October 2010

developments products &

OMS showcases pipe inspection tools at Rio Oil & Gas Expo

Optical Metrology Services Limited (OMS) is a provider of pipe measuring products and services, specialising in measuring equipment and consulting services for use within the pipe manufacturing and pipeline construction sectors, both onshore and offshore. A key focus for OMS is the dimensional measurement of oil and gas pipes or other structures such as military gun barrels, processing industry tubes or manufactured cylindrical objects, where dimensions are critical. At this year’s Rio Oil & Gas Expo (13- 16 September), OMS showcased pipe measurement and inspection tools, including the company’s Internal Weld Scanning Tool and pipe end dimensioning tools. The OMS internal weld inspection system inspects the internal size and shape of girth welds on pipes that are destined for use in deepsea subsea oil and gas applications. The Internal Weld Scanning Tool internally scans welds inside pipes, both visually and dimensionally, enabling

inspectors to quickly and confidently assess the quality of the root weld.

for the end dimensioning of fatigue- critical SCR and flowline pipes that are destined for deepsea subsea oil and gas applications, as well as aiding in the fit-up of land-based pipeline projects. These services include the management of AUT (automatic ultrasonic testing) calibration block selection and use; software analysis tailored specifically to match customer requirements; and end-to-end matching (without counterboring) or counterbore parameters can be provided (removing minimum WT). For end dimensioning, OMS uses its own automatic Pipe Checker laser measurement tool, which is capable of measuring more than 2,000 IDs and 2,000 ODs as well as being able to accurately measure the WTs for each pipe end in less than 20 seconds. This tool is accurate to 0.05mm and enables just two OMS staff to measure a minimum of 200 pipe ends in a single shift. This results in less time on-site, minimising project delays and costs for the customer. The Internal Weld Scanning Tool and the Pipe Checker (end dimensioning) tool are both available on a rental-only basis, along with a trained operator/inspector provided by OMS. OMS pipe measurement products and services provide benefits for major oil and gas companies around the world. In Brazil for example, OMS is currently working on two projects, the first directly for Petrobras on one of its onshore pipeline projects, the other working for Subsea 7 on its offshore P55 project. OMS was also asked to demonstrate the Internal Weld Scanning Tool in 2009 to Petrobras engineers at their CENPES Research Centre in Rio, Brazil, which has resulted in further enquiries and demonstrations.

The technology canbe deployedonshore and offshore at different stages of the pipe welding process. The tool can be used on corrosion-resistant alloy- lined pipe to identify sour (aggressive) ingress points, in both clad butt-weld and clad weld inlay applications. The tool can also be used to improve weld procedure development efficiency and to check the root weld and geometry before next passes are deposited. The technology is also used in fatigue- sensitive applications (SCRs) where pipes are subjected to higher dynamic stresses. The system can be mounted to a purge dam, with an integrated camera for positioning and inspection. Pipe can be inspected whilst being spooled onto a pipe laying vessel or during stalk fabrication/tie-in. The tool is retrieved using a winch-and-wire system, with weld positioning controlled by a camera and precision motorised system.

OMS also provides a complete range of measurement and inspection services

Optical Metrology Services Limited – UK

info@omsmeasure.com www.omsmeasure.com

The OMS Internal Weld Scanning Tool

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Tube Products International October 2010

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