Are you a pipeline integrity engineer? Is the maintenance and inspection of pipelines one of your key challenges? Read on to find out more on the road ahead post-pandemic.
Are you facing difficulty in maintaining the integrity of your pipelines during these uncertain times due to the restrictions in travel, meetings, and non-availability of essential services/ spares & material?
Pipelines for transport have been used since the turn of the 19th century, with the first modern history record using iron pipes to transport oil back in 1859 in Pennsylvania, US. As of 2017, the global pipeline integrity management market is pegged at over $7.7 billion and might surpass $10.4 billion by 2023. Even with the setbacks faced by the economic restrictions of Covid-19, the Fortune Business Insights still believes that the global pipeline integrity management market is showing an uptrend spurred by the rising demand of the oil and natural gas industry.
Challenges both old and new for Pipeline Integrity Management
For a pipeline integrity engineer, there are certain sets of challenges. Post-pandemic, the global pipeline integrity management sector must view the usual challenges with a new set of eyes.
Remote Inspections
Restrictions brought on by Covid-19 has increased the need for remote surveillance with the help of drones, fiber optic and online monitoring. Drones equipped with high-resolution cameras are helping engineers monitor the millions of miles of pipeline above the ground.
Are drones’ part of your remote inspection arsenal?
Choosing the right Pipeline Rehabilitation technique
The question is whether to replace your ageing pipelines or to rehabilitate them. Pipeline rehabilitation is a proven approach to extending the service life of pipelines with a significantly reduced impact over replacement – helping extend the life of existing infrastructure at a reduced cost with minimal disruption. Lining systems, cured-in-place pipe (CIPP), coatings;
What rehabilitation techniques are you using to extend the lifespan of your pipelines?
Ivana Kalicanin, Lead Expert for E&P Investment Projects, INA, Croatia will speak about Field pipeline rehabilitation with inline technique at the 8th virtual conference on Pipeline Maintenance and Integrity Management.
Fighting Corrosion
One of the oldest and biggest issues. A major challenge for pipeline integrity managers has been to mitigate cases of internal (caused by the metal reacts with the oil or gas it transports) or external (environment reasons) both onshore and offshore. Udeme Okure, Corrosion Engineer from Saudi Aramco will at the present on the impact of microbiologically induced corrosion on pipeline integrity and means to tackle it at the 8th virtual conference on Pipeline Maintenance and Integrity Management.
The right pigging technique and preventing stuck pigs.
For sustainable operation and maintenance, most of the questions point out to smarter pigging/ scrapping solutions and AI-driven electrical surveys. Pigging solutions these days encompass the use of electromagnetic, contactless sensors that even the local, non-specialist technician can deploy, thus reducing the overall maintenance cost.
Pigs could get stuck inside oil pipes due to excessive buildup of wax, excessive wear, mechanical damage or due to numerous other reasons. However, with the right planning, design and analysis and testing, this can be avoided.
Difficult to Pig pipelines
Tight bends, small diameters, multi diameters, over or under sized valves can make pipelines difficult to pig. ICDA (Internal Corrosion Direct Assessment), ECDA (External Corrosion Direct Assessment), SCCDA (Stress Corrosion Direct Assessment) are some of the common techniques used for maintaining the integrity of difficult to pig pipelines.
What criteria do you use in selecting your technologies for tackling difficult to pig pipelines?
Leveraging technology: What works best for you?
There are rapid advancements being made in technologies that make pipeline inspections and maintenance easier than ever. Ultrasonic and magnetic inspections, intelligent pigs, eddy current technologies.
How do you choose the technologies that suit your pipeline and budget?
A Robust Response plan to pipeline failures
One of the leading causes of failure in Pipeline is as many would know external. Corrosion (external and internal), excavation interference, low-grade material or construction defects are the major culprits. As of 2010, they have been reasons for over 75% of pipeline failures.
Benchmark best-practices and integrity management strategies
Here is an effective way to know more about solutions without wasting time or losing money. Benchmark your pipeline integrity management strategies with the best in the world. Join the 8th virtual conference on Pipeline Maintenance and Integrity Management to network and benchmark best practices with pipeline integrity management experts from Saudi Aramco, Shell, National Grid Eni, Reliance Pipelines, Elin Oil and more. Join us for an in-depth discussion on pipeline integrity management, maintenance & inspection processes, crack assessment, corrosion prevention & upgraded technologies application as well as look at the impact of Hydrogen, biogases on the existing pipeline systems- at the 9th Annual Pipeline Maintenance and Integrity Management 2021
