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.
