Assurance of Pipeline Cleaning Through Deposit Surveys
Introduction
Deposits in a pipeline can limit the pipeline's capacity and be a risk for pipeline integrity. With 100 pressure measurements per second, i.e. every 2.5cm (1 inch) at a 2m/s (6.5 ft/s) flow speed, Pipers® provide a detailed pressure profile over the full length of the pipeline. Using the fact that the change in pressure over distance is a function of pipeline roughness and diameter, a highly accurate deposit profile can be derived from the pressure information. Comparing this deposit profile before and after a pipeline cleaning campaign, will demonstrate the effectiveness of cleaning and identify areas where additional efforts are required.
Project description
For a client, we performed an inspection in one of their pipelines to detect deposits after which the pipeline was cleaned. One year later, the client requested we reinspect the pipeline to determine the effectiveness of the cleaning campaign. The baseline was set in the initial inspection and thus we could compare the data of the two inspections. The year-over-year comparison showed that, while the cleaning had been effective, there were two sections of the pipeline that showed minor sedimentation remaining.
Pipeline specifications
Survey Length | 4.5 km |
Pipeline Diameter | 8 inch |
Pipeline Material | Carbon Steel |
Resource Carried | Water Disposal |
Location | Canada |