Advancements in the Detection and Sizing of “Pinhole” Metal Loss

Abstract

At IPC 2010 PII Pipeline Solutions (PII) presented the paper “VALIDATION OF LATEST GENERATION MFL IN-LINE INSPECTION TECHNOLOGY LEADS TO IMPROVED DETECTION AND SIZING SPECIFICATION FOR PINHOLES, PITTING, AXIAL GROOVING AND AXIAL SLOTTING”1, IPC 2010-31124. The suggestion was that this improvement would allow operators to make more informed pipeline integrity decisions in future.</jats:p> <jats:p>In the 4 years since this paper was presented many hundreds of runs have been completed with this latest generation MFL ILI technology, capturing information on tens of thousands of kilometers of pipe, and generating a significant volume of dig verification data. In collaboration with Oil & Gas pipeline operators around the world this growing dig verification database has been utilized to improve software models, algorithms, & analysis processes to validate and further enhance system detection, sizing, & reporting capabilities.</jats:p> <jats:p>This paper focuses on the recent collaboration between ExxonMobil and PII, to investigate system capabilities with respect to “Pinholes”, to address a known threat to a specific pipeline in the United Kingdom. This paper will describe the:</jats:p> <jats:p>• Evolution of the “Pinhole” specification that captured the interest of ExxonMobil.</jats:p> <jats:p>• Use of Finite Element models to predict entitlement for characterization of “Pinhole” type defects</jats:p> <jats:p>• Detail of and results from the ExxonMobil sponsored test program that was conducted in early 2013</jats:p> <jats:p>• The in-line inspection, analysis report, and dig verification that followed for the pipeline in question.</jats:p> <jats:p>This joint paper, prepared and presented in collaboration by ExxonMobil & PII, will reflect the perspective and synergy of the Pipeline Owner/Operator and the ILI Vendor.

Original document

The different versions of the original document can be found in:

• http://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/92c1/f54dfe931db93310601cf36d5095ab644548.pdf

• http://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/IPC/proceedings-pdf/doi/10.1115/IPC2014-33128/2509469/v002t06a071-ipc2014-33128.pdf,

http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/ipc2014-33128

• http://proceedings.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/proceeding.aspx?articleid=2022652,

https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/IPC/proceedings/IPC2014/46117/V002T06A071/290626,

https://academic.microsoft.com/#/detail/2021251092