TPi January 2016

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January 2016 Tube Products International 15
business & market news
OptaSense finalist in Global Pipeline Awards
OptaSense has been recognised for
its contribution to pipeline leak and
intrusion detection by being shortlisted
for a prestigious international award. The
company has been recognised in the
ASME Pipeline Systems Division Global
Pipeline Awards for the innovative use
of its award-winning distributed acoustic
sensing (DAS) system on Colombia’s
Bicentennial oil pipeline.
The judging panel recognised
OptaSense’s unique use of a single fibre
system to provide both leak detection
and intrusion detection on the country’s
largest pipeline. The 235km first phase of
the pipeline was completed in 2012 and
has a diameter of 36-42", with a capacity
of 450,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude.
The integrated DAS solution works
across multiple functions via a single
fibre optic cable that effectively ‘listens’
to the pipeline in order to provide
detailed data about its current status.
Any changes to the condition of the pipe
are fed back through an interrogator unit
in real time, allowing users to identify
and address issues early and maintain
the highest level of pipeline integrity and
product throughput.
Leak and intrusion detection are vital
to maintaining pipeline integrity and
production maximisation in the oil and
gas industry. The pipeline was closed
in 2014 due to third party attacks on
it, costing the Colombian economy
thousands of barrels per day in lost
deliveries. OptaSense executive director
Magnus McEwen-King said, “This award
not only recognises the innovative use of
fibre, but also the engineers of Ecopetrol
and OptaSense who have jointly worked
to deliver real improvements to the
integrity management process of the
Bicentennial pipeline.
“Our award-winning technology has a
proven record of reducing the costs
of asset ownership and providing life-
long intelligence through highly effective
monitoring, thereby reducing incidents
and extending asset life.”
The annual awards ceremony aims
to recognise pipeline technology
innovation processes in phases such as
research laboratory, field applications
and technology incubators.
OptaSense – UK
OptaSense executive director
Magnus McEwen-King