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Volume 18 Number 10 - October 2018

LOOKING AHEAD.
We plan for the future. More than one-third of ROSEN
employees work in research and development,
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An investment we are proud of.

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 43 61 77

Contents
WORLD PIPELINES | VOLUME 18 | NUMBER 10 | OCTOBER 2018

03. Editor's comment INTEGRITY & SENSING

To sea, or not to sea. 43. Pipeline screening in the palm of your hand
David Doze talks to Ingu Solutions, Canada.
05. Pipeline news
IPLOCA award winners, Atlantic Coast update, gas pipeline construction PREVENTING CORROSION
forecast and more. 47. Taking action against corrosion
Graham Diamond, Kevin Kyeyune, Piotr Kubasiak, Petar Gugutkov and Spiros
Bozikis, Inspection Technologies Limited, UK.

Pipelines PIG REVIEW

caught 53. Permanent protection for your pipeline
in the Tim Ross, PureHM, Canada.
crossfire 59. Combining forces
Dr. Hooman Peimani considers the impact
of civil unrest in Africa and the Middle East
on the production and export capabilities of
countries in these regions.
Dmitry Glinkin, Transneft Diascan, Russia.
A
frica and the Middle East have experienced a turbulent year
so far. Civil conflicts of various forms and scales, including
civil wars, have been a main feature of these two energy-
producing and exporting regions to disrupt their normal

COVER STORY
functions, damage their economies and slow down or prevent their
sustainable development.
In July, after approximately two decades of hostility, normalisation
of ties between Eritrea and Ethiopia (with its expanding economy)
was mainly one of the few exceptions to the rule in Africa. The entire
north and north-east of Africa has been the scene of civil unrests and/
or terrorist/extremist violent activities, evident in Morocco, Tunisia,

61. Fittings fit for the challenge

Egypt, Libya, Sudan and South Sudan. The last three countries have
been engulfed in civil wars, with the effect of practically dividing
these oil and gas exporters into spheres of influence of contending
forces. Attacks on their respective infrastructure, including pipelines,
have had tangible impacts on their production and export capabilities.
Libya’s El-Zkout-Es Sider oil pipeline, for example, was set on fire
in April reportedly by a terrorist group. Feeding the Mediterranean
Sea export port of Es Sider, the attack caused the loss of between
70 000 - 100 000 bpd of crude oil. The expanding armed separatist
movement in Morocco’s Western Sahara could spill armed violence
over to its oil and gas-exporting neighbour Algeria, which has had its
PAGE Andrew Scherfenberg, Dyna Torque Technologies Inc., USA.

12
own share of violent extremist activities since the 1990s.

PIG BEVELLING & CUTTING

12 13

65. Intelligent welding

REGIONAL REPORT Timo Tynkkynen, Pemamek, Finland.
12. Pipelines caught in the crossfire
Dr. Hooman Peimani considers the impact of civil unrest in Africa and the
Construction
Mourad Hadj-Kaci, Algeria, describes the construction

Middle East on the production and export capabilities of countries in these challenges in the inhospitable Algerian desert.

T
he ever-challenging hydrocarbon exploration projects, The most prominent feature of the El Merk terrain is its
like those characterising Algeria’s far south-east oil interlocking and vast sand dunes whose shapes are mysteriously

in the
regions.
and natural gas field, continue to drive technological
creativity to domesticate the most ferocious natural
features encountered in this domain.
The richness of Algeria’s underground makes the country one
of the most important destinations for major oil companies. The
El Merk perimeter, situated in the south-east part of Algeria, is a
searing desert land with high entwining sand dunes spread over
approximately 5000 km2. The immensity and complexity met on
the El Merk field development requires a highly sophisticated
changing under the blazing hot wind. Void of infrastructure and
approximately 1000 km from the country’s inhabited coastal
belt, the all-time bewitching quietness and silence of this part of
Algeria has been conquered by the sovereign technology.
Containing four fields within two blocks (Block 405 and
208), the El Merk project was developed by a consortium of
six partners (Sonatrach, Anadarko, Eni, Maersk, ConocoPhillips
and Talisman) and managed by the Sonatrach-Anadarko
association, a joint venture called Groupement Berkine. From

forbidding
range of skills and tools to make sure that the project is fulfilled nearly 140 wells, the El Merk facilities were initially meant to
in accordance to deadlines and budgets, and with great ability to process 160 000 boe/d, thus all wells have been interconnected

RIVER CROSSINGS
contain unpredictable geographical matters.
The El Merk project has been successfully completed by
ABB, whose long experience is proven in carrying out projects in
remote and exacting environments, where logistical challenges of
deploying material, equipment and manpower through different
process stages are extremely hard.
The El Merk oil and gas field is located in the Berkin Basin,
by a system of field pipeline to field gathering stations (FGS).
The product is then piped to a central processing facility for
separation, stabilisation, gas compression, natural gas liquid
extraction and storage.
In addition to other EPC contracts made for the
development of the El Merk field, ABB has been awarded a
contract for the construction of pipelines, power lines and

18. A river runs through it

desert
ranked Algeria’s second largest hydrocarbon resource in terms
of proven reserves and the rhythm of new discoveries. Its
unwelcoming environment, doubled with frequently scorching
weather, temperatures of 50˚C and rarity of rainfall, offers a view
of a Martian landscape.
substation. The ABB-managed consortium, made up of ABB,
Sarpi (Algeria), and PetroJet (Egypt) had the responsibility of
offsite facilities. The El Merk development comprises the
following four major works:
) Ten field gathering stations.

Pipelines have become a lightning rod for anti-hydrocarbon protestors – and

river crossings are their strike point. Gordon Cope investigates if all the
ruckus is justified.
24. How to cross a river safely PAGE
Michael Twomey, Atmos International, UK.
68 69
68
SCADA SYSTEMS
29. Digitally transforming the future PLANNING & CONSTRUCTION
Kaare Helle and Jeff Lachey, DNV GL, Norway. 68. Construction in the forbidding desert
33. Data in the middle of nowhere Mourad Hadj-Kaci, Algeria.
Dr. Ellie Dobson, Dr. Jeff Jensen and Amitav Misra, Arundo, USA.
WELDING CASE STUDIES
39. A game of risk and consequence 73. Making welding mechanised
Francisco Anes-Arteche, Mehran Izadkhah, Hamid Saadat, and Payam
Matt Steel, RMS Welding Systems, USA.
Jamshidi, TWI Ltd.
77. Say goodbye to human error
Jack Sine, USA.

Volume 18 Number 10 - October 2018

Reader enquiries [www.worldpipelines.com]

ON THIS MONTH'S COVER
Shop fabrication on heavy wall large diameter in position pipe welds are finished ahead of
schedule using the LoneStar automated welding system by Dyna Torque Technologies Inc.
ISSN 1472-7390

Not all welds can be rolled out using the Sub Arc welding process. From welding line pipe,
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to the next level. The LoneStar welding system increases quality and throughput with less
labour time for the fabrication industry. www.dyna-torque.com

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TO SEA, OR NOT TO SEA
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Comment
I
n August, leaders from the five
countries that border the Caspian Sea
(Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan
and Turkmenistan) met in the seaside
city of Aktau, Kazakhstan, to sign an
agreement concerning the legal status of
the body of water.
The matter has been in dispute since
the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Prior
to 1991, Moscow and Tehran had signed a
number of bilateral treaties about the
Caspian, dividing it up equally and
sometimes calling it the ‘Soviet and
Iranian Sea’. When the USSR was broken up
and republics formed, the number of
states bordering the sea grew from two to
five, meaning three more claims on the
sea and what lies within it. In the almost
30 years since then,
approximately 50 meetings
have been held to thrash
out the status of the water.
IF THE CASPIAN closest
On 12 August this year, IS AN INLAND
the ‘Convention on the SEA, ITS WATERS whether the Caspian is a
Legal Status of the Caspian
Sea’ was signed by the five AND RESOURCES lake
parties: it keeps most of ARE REGULATED resources in the Caspian
the sea in shared use but
does mandate the division
BY UNCLOS
of the seabed and
underground resources.
The Caspian sea has historically been
known as the largest lake in the world, but
was dubbed a ‘sea’ by the Romans because
of its salinity, not to mention its size
(371 000 km2), length (1030 km) and depth
(1025 m).
Sea or lake, why does it matter?
International law says that if the Caspian is shores to Baku in Azerbaijan, in order to
a lake, then its surfaces and beds must be
divided equally between the countries
that border it. Seas are governed by the
1982 UN Convention on the Law of the
Sea (UNCLOS), so if it’s a sea, then the
countries draw lines from their land
borders into the water until they meet a
midpoint with the lines of their
neighbours. Each country claims its own
patch of water depending on the lengths
of their borders. Furthermore, if the
Caspian is an inland sea, its waters and
resources are regulated by UNCLOS, are
open to all the littoral states, and are
accessible to these states and
multinational petroleum corporations.
The agreement reached between the
five countries is somewhat complex. In
effect, the surface of the water is to be
treated as a sea, with states granted
jurisdiction over 15 nautical miles of water
from their respective coasts and fishing
rights over an additional ten miles. But the
seabed and subsequent deposits are not
allocated in such a precise way. More
agreements will be needed in order to
divide the seabed into territorial areas. A
statement about the agreement, issued by
Russia, said that the delimitation of the
seabed and subsoil “shall be effected by
agreement between states with adjacent
and opposite coasts.”
Below the seabed, the Caspian holds
considerable oil and gas resources: an
estimated 48 billion bbls of oil and
292 trillion ft3 of natural gas. The five
countries already exploit
the oil and gas reserves
to their coasts,
where jurisdiction is the
same regardless of
or a sea. However,
many hydrocarbon
(particularly in the south
of the sea) are disputed.
Any binding agreement
about the water needs to clearly outline
each party’s access to, and right to exploit,
the vast oil and gas resources held therein.
The new convention allows the
construction of pipelines, with the
approval of the countries whose seabed
they cross. Turkmenistan has long wanted
to build a Trans-Caspian pipeline from its
export gas to Europe. The project is
opposed by Russia, but has been evaluated
and approved in theory by the World Bank
and the EU. Whether the new agreement
will facilitate pipeline projects or hinder
them is still to be seen.
Staying with the theme of bodies of
water, in this issue we include a special
feature on rivers. Gordon Cope
investigates the potential of river crossing
construction projects to ignite the interest
of anti-pipeline groups (and explains how
pipeline companies tackle the challenge
of working safely around rivers); and a
report from Atmos International details
retrofitting leak detection technology at
river crossings and waterways, in order to
better protect HCAs.
Dedication
Innovation
Integrity

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World News
New report says Asia will build the most gas pipelines in the next four years
Asia will add the most trunk pipelines (by length) in the
natural gas pipelines industry over the period 2018 - 2022,
according to data and analytics company GlobalData.
Asia, North America and the Former Soviet Union
together are expected to account for around 63% of the
global planned natural gas pipeline length additions by 2022.
The company’s report, ‘Global Natural Gas Pipelines
Industry Outlook to 2022’ forecasts that around 153 902 km
of natural gas pipeline would be added globally, which would
take the total global natural gas pipeline length to around
1 392 605 km by 2022.
Asia is set to add the most natural gas pipelines, with
49 321 km by 2022, accounting for more than 30% of new
gas pipelines. The region has new build CAPEX of around
US$74.2 billion during 2018 - 2022. Within the region, India
will add the most natural gas pipelines, with 16 827 km by
2022.
Soorya Tejomoortula, Oil & Gas Analyst at GlobalData,
explains: “The growing demand of natural gas is driving the
growth of the natural gas pipeline network in India.
Burgeoning population, rapid industrialisation and
urbanisation, growing domestic consumption and the Indian
government’s plans to electrify rural areas are some of the
drivers for natural gas demand in the country.”
GlobalData forecasts that North America will add the
second highest amount of natural gas pipelines, and will have
the second highest spending on pipelines over the same
period. The region has a planned investment of around
US$83.4 billion and plans to add a total length of 24 682 km
of natural gas pipelines by 2022. The US will be the top
country in the region, with planned natural gas pipeline
Norway’s largest oil pipeline now in place
Norway’s largest and longest pipeline, laid by the vessel
Saipem Castorone, reached the Johan Sverdrup field in the
North Sea at the beginning of September.
The last pipe of what is now Norway’s longest and largest
oil pipeline was installed right next to the riser platform at
the Johan Sverdrup field. The 36 in. pipeline extends 283 km
from the Mongstad oil terminal outside Bergen to the giant
field in the North Sea.
“We have, together with our supplier Saipem, succeeded
in laying the oil pipeline to Johan Sverdrup without any
serious incidents. It has been a significant operation,
involving more than 600 people at the most, who have
welded together over 23 000 pipes to create what has now
become Norway’s largest and longest oil pipeline,” says Geir
Bjaanes, responsible for subsea, power and pipelines for the
Johan Sverdrup project.
“The oil pipeline plays a really central role in the project.
When the Johan Sverdrup field produces at peak,
660 000 bbls of oil valued at more than NOK 350 million
each day, will flow daily into Mongstad,” says Bjaanes.
The vessel Saipem Castorone began pipelaying operations
additions of 14 341 km during the outlook period.
Tejomoortula adds: “The US is expanding its natural gas
pipelines, mainly to move growing natural gas production
from shale gas basins and to connect planned liquefaction
terminals for exports.”
The Former Soviet Union will be the third highest among
the global regions, in terms of natural gas pipeline length
additions as well as the highest new build CAPEX spending
globally, with around US$96.3 billion during the outlook
period. The region is expected to add around 23 621 km of
planned natural gas pipelines by 2022. Among the countries
in the Former Soviet Union, Russia is expected to lead the
pack, with planned length additions of 18 219 km.
The three longest planned global natural gas pipelines
during the outlook period are: Xinjiang-Guangdong-Zhejiang
SNG pipeline in China; Russia-India pipeline; and Nigeria-
Morocco pipeline, with lengths of 8972 km, 6000 km and
5000 km, respectively.
In terms of CAPEX, Xinjiang-Guangdong-Zhejiang SNG
pipeline in China; Russia-India pipeline; and Shtokman
pipeline in Russia are the top three planned and announced
natural gas pipelines globally, for the outlook period.
For crude pipelines: North America is expected to add
the most crude oil pipelines of any region between 2018 and
2022, contributing a total length of 16 136 km, which is 44%
of global planned additions, according to another report by
GlobalData. The company’s report: ‘Global Crude Oil
Pipelines Industry Outlook to 2022’ forecasts that around
36 876 km of planned pipeline length will be added globally
by 2022, taking the total global crude oil pipeline length to
398 769 km by 2022.
at Mongstad in late April this year. The pipeline was then laid
through the Fensfjord before the vessel set course for the
Johan Sverdrup field. The operations have been executed
with high quality and no serious incidents.
With the oil pipeline installed, Saipem Castorone is now
getting ready for the next stage – laying the 156 km long gas
pipeline that will extend from the Johan Sverdrup field to
the Statpipe pipeline, from where gas from the field will
eventually be shipped to Kårstø.
The pipeline installation operations are expected to be
completed during the autumn.
When the pipeline operations are complete, the 2018
Johan Sverdrup installation campaign will be over. With three
jackets, two topsides, one bridge, over 400 km of pipelines,
and 200 km of power cables, the 2018 campaign is probably
the busiest installation campaign ever for a project on the
Norwegian continental shelf.
In 2019, the last two topsides and remaining bridges will
be put in place before startup of the first phase of the
Johan Sverdrup development expected in November of
2019.
OCTOBER 2018 / World Pipelines 5
 IN BRIEF
.
GREEK MACEDONIA
Land reinstatement in Eastern
Macedonia and Thrace is
exceeding 98%. As a result, more
than 3150 parcels used for the
section of the Trans Adriatic
Pipeline (TAP) traversing the region
have now been returned to their
lawful owners and users.
USA
Kinder Morgan Texas Pipeline LLC
(a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan,
Inc.) and EagleClaw Midstream
Ventures, LLC (a portfolio
company of Blackstone Energy
Partners), have announced a final
investment decision to proceed
with the Permian Highway pipeline
project.
FINLAND
Over the next couple of months,
one of the world’s largest offshore
pipelay vessels, Solitaire, will install
a 374 km long section of the Nord
Stream 2 pipeline in the Finnish
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ),
moving towards Russia.
FRANCE
Bureau Veritas, provider of testing,
inspection and certification
services, and CEA, a leading public
research organisation, are
launching a Joint Industry Project
to develop a new guideline for the
qualification and validation of
Automated Ultrasonic Testing
(AUT) systems to inspect pipeline
girth welds.
CANADA
The Federal Court of Appeal has
ruled that the regulatory review of
the Trans Mountain pipeline
expansion was “impermissibly
flawed” because it excluded
project-related tanker traffic.
UK
IMechE renames its NDT, corrosion
and coatings consultancy business
as IMechE Argyll Ruane. It provides
world class training, examinations
and consultancy support to a wide
range of organisations and
industries in the fields of NDT and
corrosion prevention.
6 World Pipelines / OCTOBER 2018
World News
IPLOCA awards given to pipeline companies at London convention
Congratulations to all IPLOCA members ) 2019 Health & Safety Award sponsored
who were recognised by the 2018 IPLOCA by Chevron, deadline for submissions:
awards, presented at the recent annual 10 May 2019.
convention in London (UK).
) 2019 Corporate Social Responsibility
This year, IPLOCA recognised its
Award sponsored by Total, deadline for
members’ efforts in the following specific
submissions: 17 May 2019.
domains:
) Health and Safety Award, sponsored
) 2019 New Technologies Award
by Chevron, presented each year to
sponsored by BP, deadline for
a Regular Member or an Associate submissions: 24 May 2019.
Member who has succeeded in
improving health and safety. The winner and runners-up of the 2018
IPLOCA Health & Safety Award sponsored
) Environmental Award, sponsored by by Chevron will present their initiatives at
Shell, awarded every second year to the Health & Safety workshop to be held
a Regular Member or an Associate on 23 October in Geneva. For more
Member who has made a significant information visit www.iploca.com/
contribution in reducing the impact hseworkshop
of pipeline construction on the
environment.
) Excellence in Project Execution Award,
given every second year to a Regular
Member or an Associate Member in
recognition of an outstanding project
execution in onshore or offshore
pipeline, or facilities construction.
The 2018 IPLOCA Health & Safety Award 2018 IPLOCA Health & Safety Award sponsored
by Chevron.
sponsored by Chevron was won for the
‘T-Rex and Safety Revolution’ by Bonatti -
J&P AVAX S.r.l. JV. Runners-up were
SPIECAPAG for ‘Safety Tag for lifting parts’,
and Tekfen Construction & Installation Co.
Inc. for its ‘Off-the-job Safety’ campaign.
The 2018 IPLOCA Environmental Award
sponsored by Shell was won by
Consolidated Contractors Group S.A.L. for
its ‘Go-Green 100% Portable Power Cabin’.
Runners-up were: ‘Streicher’s drilling fluid
2018 IPLOCA Environmental Award sponsored
RECYCLE plant’, by Max Streicher GmbH & by Shell.
Co. KG aA and ‘Use of Biologically
Degradable Lubricants’ by SICIM.
The 2018 IPLOCA Excellence in Project
Execution Award went to Gulf Interstate
Engineering Company for its ‘Sabal Trail
Transmission project’. Runner-up was
Shawcor, with ‘Sur de Texas - Tuxpan
Coating Project’.
Winning entries are available on the
IPLOCA website, and others are available
upon request. Invitations to submit entries
for the 2019 Awards will be sent early next 2018 IPLOCA Excellence in Project Execution
year: Award.
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www.GIE.com/WP • 713.850.3400 • info@GIE.com

16010 Barkers Point Lane, Suite 600 • Houston, TX 77079 USA
 Events DIARY
9 - 10 October 2018
Field Joint Coating 2018
London, UK
https://www.ami.international/
6 - 7 November 2018
13th Annual API Cybersecurity
Conference for the Oil & Natural Gas
Industry
Houston, USA
https://www.api.org/products-and-
services/events/calendar/2018/cyber
6 - 8 November 2018
FABTECH
Atlanta, USA
https://www.fabtechexpo.com/
12 - 15 November 2018
ADIPEC
Abu Dhabi, UAE
https://www.adipec.com/
28 - 30 January 2019
European Gas Conference 2019
Vienna, Austria
https://www.europeangas-conference.
com/
6 - 10 February 2019
71st Annual PLCA Convention
Amelia Island, Florida, USA
http://www.plca.org/
18 - 19 February 2019
Midstream Oil and Gas Congress
2019 (MOGC 2019)
Thessaloniki, Greece
https://mogc.eu/
18 - 21 February 2019
Pipeline Pigging & Integrity
Management Conference 2019
Houston, USA
http://www.clarion.org/ppim/ppim19/
index.php
8 World Pipelines / OCTOBER 2018
World News
Coastal Gaslink signs project
agreements along route in B.C.
TransCanada Corporation has
announced that its Coastal Gaslink
Pipeline Project has signed community
and project agreements with all of the
elected Indigenous bands along its
pipeline route in British Columbia.
These agreements, totalling 20
across the province, exemplify the
strong Indigenous support received for
the proposed natural gas pipeline
project in B.C.
“This is an important milestone for
the Coastal GasLink team,” said Rick
Gateman, President of the Coastal
GasLink Pipeline Project.
“When we first began this project
over six years ago, our goal was to build
more than just relationships with First
Nations communities in B.C.; it was to
build trusted partnerships, and that has
made all the difference.
“We are grateful to these First
Nations communities for this
opportunity and appreciate the
incredible support they have shown us
over the years.”
In addition to finalising these
agreements, the Coastal GasLink project
also awarded approximately
CAN$620 million in conditional
contracting and employment
opportunities to northern Indigenous
businesses in July. The project anticipates
another CAN$400 million in contracting
opportunities for local and Indigenous
businesses during the construction
period, bringing the total to
approximately CAN$1 billion for B.C.
EIA introduces interactive
natural gas storage dashboard
The US Energy Information
Administration (EIA) has released a new
interactive Natural Gas Storage
Dashboard with daily and weekly
information that provides a broader
context to the data released in EIA’s
Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report
(WNGSR). The new dashboard gives
users a comprehensive way to identify
US Lower 48 and regional storage
activity and the key market
fundamentals that affect underground
natural gas storage activity.
Atlantic Coast pipeline construction
to resume
Federal officials will allow construction to resume
on the Atlantic Coast pipeline, weeks after work
was halted when a US federal appeals court threw
out two key permits for the 600 mile natural gas
pipeline, according to a report from CNBC.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
announced the change in a letter on 17
September to Dominion Energy, the project’s lead
developer, reported CNBC.
In August, a three judge panel of the 4th US
Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that a US Fish
and Wildlife Service permit was “arbitrary and
capricious” regarding its effect on five threatened
or endangered species. The service issued a revised
opinion and the National Park Service issued a new
permit for crossing the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The pipeline is planned to start in West
Virginia and run through parts of Virginia and
North Carolina.
Pipeline spokesman Aaron Ruby said in a
statement that crews would mobilise
immediately to resume construction as
authorised. “The Atlantic Coast Pipeline has been
the most thoroughly reviewed infrastructure
project in the history of our region,” he said. “The
additional scrutiny we’ve recently received from
the courts and the agencies are further evidence
of the high standard that is being applied to the
project.”
Web Highlights
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 Contract News
Construction contract awarded for section of Eugal gas Black Bear Midstream: dry gas deal
pipeline Black Bear Midstream, a portfolio company of
Gascade, a subsidiary of Basf and Gazprom, has awarded the construction of six funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management,
lots of the Eugal gas pipeline to the joint venture between Bonatti and Max L.P., has announced that it entered into a
Streicher. contract to provide dry gas gathering service
The pipeline will be powered by Nord Stream 2, the gas transport network beginning in late 2018.
that connects Siberia to the heart of Europe via the Baltic Sea. The overall route The six year agreement includes a
of Eugal is approximately 480 km long (Line 1, 480 km; Line 2, 329 km) and will significant volume commitment and extends
pass through the following German Länder: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Black Bear’s business beyond its core of natural
Brandenburg, Saxony. gas processing.
The new pipeline will have a maximum capacity to transport 55 billion m3/y Black Bear owns and operates a
of gas. The entire pipeline is divided into 14 lots: pipes have a diameter of 56 in. 140 million ft3/d cryogenic gas processing
(1420 mm) and a thickness of 23 mm. plant in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, high pressure
JV Bonatti/Max Streicher will play a decisive role in the realisation of the gas gathering network and a 40 mile natural
project with the execution of six lots (from nine to 14) for a total length of gas liquids pipeline that extends into DeSoto
approximately 292 km. Parish, Louisiana.
The scope of the work awarded to the JV Bonatti/Max Streicher includes the “We are excited to expand our business to
construction of the southern part of the Eugal route, reaching the town of include dry gas gathering,” said Rich DiMichele,
Deutschneudorf, on the border with the Czech Republic: the number nine and 10 President and CEO of Palmilla Energy, LLC,
sections of the pipeline will be built in double line. which operates Black Bear on behalf of
The value of the contract awarded to Bonatti and Max Streicher confirms the Oaktree.
experience capitalised by Bonatti in Germany since the 1990s and the role “There has been significant growth in dry
achieved by Max Streicher in the country. gas drilling within our catchment area and
The route of Eugal runs parallel to the OPAL gas pipeline and aims to enhance producers are seeking reliable, scalable gas
the distribution of gas in the heart of the European continent. It is estimated that gathering service.
JV Bonatti/Max Streicher Germany will start operation in 2018 after the necessary
approvals have arrived; the delivery will be completed with the double line Penspen alliance with Crestech
sections by the end of 2020.
secures gas projects with NNPC
Penspen, global provider of engineering and
Perma-Pipe announces major contract in Saudi Arabia
project management services, and Nigerian
Perma-Pipe International Holdings, Inc. (PPIH) has announced that its subsidiary engineering firm Crestech, have signed their
Perma-Pipe Saudi Arabia LLC has been awarded a contract in excess of US$15 million largest contract to date after forming a strategic
by Italy’s Saipem S.p.A. for the provision of a thermal insulation system, field joints, alliance in November 2016. The companies have
and a leak detection system for two 55 km (110 km in total), 30 in. diameter, low secured a deal with the Nigerian National
sulfur fuel oil lines for Kuwait Oil Company’s (KOC) New Refinery Project in Kuwait. Petroleum Company (NNPC) for the provision
The project will utilise Perma-Pipe’s Xtru-Therm insulation system, a spray- of project management consultancy services
applied polyurethane foam jacketed with a high density polyethylene casing. across four gas projects in the Niger Delta
Perma-Pipe will also be involved with the field joint systems, as well as being region, with work already in hand.
responsible for the supply, installation, and commissioning of a leak detection The scope of services under the project
system for the insulated pipelines. The project will begin execution in Perma- management consultancy (PMC) contract
Pipe’s facilities in 4Q18 and will be completed in mid 2019. includes the following four critical gas
development projects: Oil Mining Lease
(OMLs) 24 and 18 Joint Development, OMLs
Wood awarded new contract in the Philippines 26, 30, 32, 42 and Makaraba Clusters
Wood has secured a new six year contract with Shell to provide asset management Development, OML 13 Cluster Development,
services to the Malampaya deepwater gas-to-power project in the Philippines. OML 35/62 Okpokunou/Tuomo West Cluster
Wood will provide maintenance services, modifications and shutdown Development.
support as part of the contract which covers Shell’s onshore facilities in Batangas The scope of work covers project
and offshore assets in the Malampaya field, near Palawan Island. management services, as well as personnel
The contract will be supported by Wood’s established local presence in support, throughout the duration of the
Manila and regional upstream hub in Kuala Lumpur, creating 60 new positions. planned gas development, initially expected
This new contract adds to Wood’s support of the Malampaya project where it to be completed by 2020. The partnership
has provided integrity management of subsea pipelines since 2001. The company allows Penspen and Crestech to provide
also successfully completed the FEED and EPC for the onshore gas plant in the engineering, project management and asset
late 1990s and early 2000s, providing further asset support to the gas-to-power integrity services for oil, gas and energy assets
facility under a long-term agreement. in Nigeria.

10 World Pipelines / OCTOBER 2018

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 Pipelines
caught
in the
crossfire
Dr. Hooman Peimani considers the impact
of civil unrest in Africa and the Middle East
on the production and export capabilities of
countries in these regions.

A
frica and the Middle East have experienced a turbulent year
so far. Civil conflicts of various forms and scales, including
civil wars, have been a main feature of these two energy-
producing and exporting regions to disrupt their normal
functions, damage their economies and slow down or prevent their
sustainable development.
In July, after approximately two decades of hostility, normalisation
of ties between Eritrea and Ethiopia (with its expanding economy)
was mainly one of the few exceptions to the rule in Africa. The entire
north and north-east of Africa has been the scene of civil unrests and/
or terrorist/extremist violent activities, evident in Morocco, Tunisia,
Egypt, Libya, Sudan and South Sudan. The last three countries have
been engulfed in civil wars, with the effect of practically dividing
these oil and gas exporters into spheres of influence of contending
forces. Attacks on their respective infrastructure, including pipelines,
have had tangible impacts on their production and export capabilities.
Libya’s El-Zkout-Es Sider oil pipeline, for example, was set on fire
in April reportedly by a terrorist group. Feeding the Mediterranean
Sea export port of Es Sider, the attack caused the loss of between
70 000 - 100 000 bpd of crude oil. The expanding armed separatist
movement in Morocco’s Western Sahara could spill armed violence
over to its oil and gas-exporting neighbour Algeria, which has had its
own share of violent extremist activities since the 1990s.

12
13
 Many other African countries have also experienced a
varying degree of instability and armed conflicts (e.g. Somalia
in the east and Niger in the west), creating disincentives for
major pipeline projects in the affected regions.
As the continent’s second largest fossil energy exporter
after Algeria, Nigeria has been experiencing a host of
expanding armed conflicts with a direct negative effect
on its pipelines – e.g. the closure of the Trans-Forcados
oil pipeline in May due to a suspected explosion – and
thus on its sustainable oil and gas export capability. This
has cast doubt over Nigeria’s ability to export a large
quantity of gas (30 billion m3/y) to Europe while meeting
its growing domestic demand and currently-committed
exports. Consequently, the construction of the proposed
Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline for such export – through a land
pipeline to Algeria via neighbouring Niger, and from Algeria
via an offshore pipeline to Spain – seems to be currently
shelved.
As part of a pilot export scheme, Kenya started
exporting oil in June via trucks from the South Lokichar
Basin – in its landlocked Turkana region – to the Port of
Mombasa for tanker exports. Subsequently, Kenya has been
facing expanding terrorist activities. This could affect the
construction and operation of the proposed Lokichar-Lamu
crude oil pipeline between the east coast port of Lamu and
its recently discovered oilfields, which hold commercial
volumes of oil.
The Middle East has also faced various types of conflict
with a clear impact on its oil and gas exports. Having the
world’s second largest conventional gas reserves and third
largest conventional oil reserves, the continued restrictions
on Iran’s energy exports despite the nuclear deal of 2015 (now
worsened by the American government’s withdrawal from the
deal) have prevented the realisation of Iran’s major export
projects – such as the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline.
The continued civil wars, terrorist activities and foreign
intervention in oil and gas-exporting Yemen, Syria and Iraq
have damaged their energy industries, including the pipeline
industry, to varying extents. Efforts, including sea and air
embargos, of the Saudi-led coalition of oil and gas producing
and/or exporting countries (Bahrain, UAE and Egypt) to force
the Qatari government to surrender to its political demands
have created a very tense situation in the Persian Gulf region.
The polarised situation could burst into major regional armed
conflicts, consequently slowing down energy projects.
Unsurprisingly, Africa and the Middle East have not been
the scene of economic growth, except for a small number of
their countries, including Ethiopia and Turkey, and even that is
in a comparative sense. Slowdown in the global economy has
also taken its toll on these regions as a major external factor.
The retarding impact of a variety of unilateral and multi-lateral
sanctions imposed by regional (e.g. Saudi Arabia) and non-
regional (e.g. US) countries on the regional countries (e.g. Iran,
Qatar and Syria) should be added to provide a clear picture of
the state of economy of the two regions.
The presented brief account on conflict, instability and
economic hardships reveals the difficulties under which the
energy industries of Africa and the Middle East have had
14 World Pipelines / OCTOBER 2018
to operate. Needless to say, this reality has posed a major
challenge to their pipeline activities, which have suffered due
to a range of factors that have limited the realisation of many
proposed and planned pipeline projects. These factors include
limited available domestic funds, the result of relatively low
export prices, which have been caused by the growing global
availability of oil and gas and the existence of other oil and
gas-exporting regions going after their markets (e.g. Central
Asia, the Caucasus and Latin America). Additionally, the
growing production of unconventional fossil energy, especially
gas (e.g. shale gas in the US), and the expanding availability of
renewable energy (e.g. wind and solar) have restricted demand
for oil and gas in the short-term while creating doubts about
the extent and sustainability of the global oil and gas demand
to be satisfied by Africa and the Middle East in the longer
term. The pipeline activities of these regions will be reviewed
against this background.
Africa
Lokichar-Lamu crude oil pipeline
In December 2017, the Kenyan government signed an
agreement for the construction of the Lokichar-Lamu crude
oil pipeline with a Tullow-led consortium consisting of Africa
Oil and A.P. Moller-Maersk in partnership with the Kenyan
government.
Scheduled to be completed in 2021 at an estimated cost
of US$2.1 billion, the 865 km pipeline between Lokichar and
Lamu on the Indian Ocean will provide for exporting waxy
crude oil from Kenya’s South Lokichar Basin. Kenya discovered
750 million bbls of recoverable oil in the landlocked basin in
2012. Exporting that oil via sea tankers from Kenya’s Port of
Lamu requires the pipeline.
Having acquired A.P. Moller-Maersk’s assets in Kenya in
2017, Total SA officially replaced the oil company in the
consortium in January 2018 during a meeting between Momar
Nguer (Total’s executive committee member and President for
Marketing and Services) and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The project moved forward in May as Tullow Kenya BV
(Tullow Oil’s Kenyan subsidiary) awarded Wood a contract for
the initial phase of a front-end engineering design contract
(FEED), reportedly to set the technical requirements and
estimate the installed cost of the system.
Uganda-Tanzania crude oil pipeline
The construction of the Uganda-Tanzania crude oil pipeline,
also known as the East African crude oil pipeline, is advancing.
At the estimated cost of US$3.55 billion, the project for
constructing the 1445 km heated crude oil pipeline to
connect Hoima in Uganda to Tanzania’s Tanga Port on the
Indian Ocean began in August 2017 as a joint venture led by
Total E&P Uganda, a subsidiary of Total SA, involving Tullow
Oil and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).
Awarded to Gulf Interstate Engineering Company in 2017,
the project’s FEED is now completed. An optimisation study
began in Uganda and Tanzania earlier this year to be followed
by a financial analysis of the project as a necessity for its
construction.
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 The project is set to go online in 2020 to enable Uganda
to export its estimated recoverable oil of 2 billion bbls, which
is waxy and thus demands to be heated to flow through
the pipeline. Finding a cost-effective means of heating is a
challenge, as Jean-Luc Bruggeman, Total E&P Uganda’s Project
Director for the East African crude oil pipeline, pointed out
in February this year. Electricity and crude oil have been
considered for the required heating, but Uganda is now
looking into a potential non-heating option.
The alternative option envisages turning Tanzanian gas into
liquefied natural gas (LNG) to be mixed with Uganda’s waxy oil
so that it can flow through the pipeline. However, this option
demands investment in the required infrastructure and thus it
is not the cheapest option. Electricity is still considered as the
cheapest choice, although no option has yet been decided.
The Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano pipeline
As an undertaking of the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC), the under construction Ajaokuta-Kaduna-
Kano (AKK) pipeline in Nigeria will link Ajaokuta to Kano as
phase one of the Trans-Nigeria Gas Pipeline (TNGP) project.
Phases two and three will link the Qua lboe terminal on the
South Atlantic Ocean with Cawthorne Channel/Alakiri, the
Obigo gas compressor station and the Ajaokuta node. The
614 km gas pipeline (40 in.) is reportedly being built according
to a “build and transfer (BT) public-private partnership (PPP)
model, which involves the contractor providing 100% of the
funding.”
Planned for commissioning in 2020, the estimated
US$2.8 billion project will transport 3500 million ft3/d of
dehydrated wet gas from several gas gathering projects
located in southern Nigeria. The pipeline is part of the
Nigerian Gas Master Plan of 2008 to “accelerate the
development of gas pipeline infrastructure for domestic and
export markets.”
Being built in three phases, the AKK’s phases one, two
and three connect, respectively, Ajaokuta and Abuja Terminal
Gas (200 km; US$855 million), Abuja and Kaduna (193 km;
US$835 million) and the Kaduna terminal gas station and Kano
terminal gas station (221 km; US$1.2 billion).
Middle East
IGAT-6 gas pipeline
In July, the Managing Director of National Iranian Gas
Company, Hamidreza Araqi, announced the completion
of the Sixth Iran Gas Trunkline (IGAT-6) described as “a
major component of the national gas grid”. Ending at
the border with Iraq, the 590 km IGAT-6 (56 in.) system,
including five gas compressor stations, will raise gas supply
by 50 - 60 million m3 daily,” and bolster Iran’s gas export
capacity to Iraq, according to Hassan Montazer-Torbati,
CEO of Iranian Gas Engineering and Development Company.
The project completes the line from Asaluyeh, in Bushehr
Province, to Khuzestan Province, and will transfer gas from
phases 6 - 10 of Iran’s South Pars offshore field in the Persian
Gulf for consumption in the west of the country, as well as
in Iraq, of which 620 km was already in place.
16 World Pipelines / OCTOBER 2018
Guriyeh-Jask oil pipeline
This is a major oil export project to carry oil from Guriyeh in
Iran’s oil-producing Khuzestan Province, south-western Iran,
to the Port of Jask in its south-eastern Hormozgan Province.
The port is on the Oman Sea and thus the pipeline, once
operational, will relieve Iran’s reliance on its Persian Gulf oil
terminals, particularly its largest one on Khark Island. The
under-construction 1000 km transmission pipeline (46 in.)
is divided into four areas (250 km apiece), each assigned to
separate contractors to expedite the work process using pipes
supplied by Iranian manufacturers. The US$2 billion project is
meant to turn Jask into one of Iran’s main oil export terminals,
as pointed out in March by Nouredin Shahnazizadeh, the
Managing Director of Petroleum Engineering and Development
Company (PEDEC). Storage tanks and maritime facilities will
also be constructed in Jask for that purpose.
Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline
Iraq is planning a new oil export pipeline from its northern
Kirkuk’s oilfields to Turkey’s Port of Ceyhan on the
Mediterranean Sea. As reported by Reuters in December
2017, the new pipeline will replace an old and damaged
section of the Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline, which has been
non-operational since 2014 when it was damaged by roadside
bombs, according to the Iraqi Oil Ministry. The 900 km
pipeline will start in the city of Baiji and run to the Faysh
Khabur border near Turkey to resume Iraqi oil exports to
Turkey and increase Iraq’s oil exports by 400 000 bpd.
Reportedly, the project will be assigned to a bidding
contractor based under an investment model build-operate-
transfer.
Basra-Aqaba oil pipeline
In February, Jordan approved the construction of a 1700 km
pipeline to import oil from Iraq’s Basra to its Red Sea Port of
Aqaba, with the project’s estimated cost at US$18 billion. The
two neighbouring countries agreed on the project in 2013, only
to put it on hold due to the rise of the Islamic State terrorist
group in 2014.
According to Jordanian government spokesperson
Mohammed Momani, the government has approved a
framework agreement to be signed by both countries for
building the pipeline, without specifying any timeframe for
its construction. Relying on imports for the bulk of its oil
consumption, Jordan sees the pipeline as a necessity for
diversifying its oil suppliers and thus ending its heavy reliance
on Saudi Arabia for most of its oil requirement of 134 000 bpd.
Ahmadi crude oil and gas pipeline
L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering is working on Kuwait’s Ahmadi
Crude Oil and Gas Pipeline (48 in.). Kuwait Oil Company (KOC)
awarded the US$262 million EPC contract for the crude transit
line (TL-5) from North Kuwait to Ahmadi in September 2017.
Scheduled for completion by 3Q20, the project consists of
constructing a crude oil and gas pipeline in Al Ahmadi, Kuwait,
as well as a transit depot, storage tanks, pumping stations,
valve chambers and metering stations. Reportedly, pre-
construction activities are underway.
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A river runs
R
iver crossings – and rights of way (ROWs) through
Pipelines have become a lightning
sensitive wetlands – are increasingly becoming
the focus of attention for environmental groups
rod for anti-hydrocarbon protestors opposing the construction of pipelines.

– and river crossings are their strike Recent examples

) In 2014, Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) announced the
development of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), a
point. Gordon Cope investigates if US$3.8 billion, 1885 km pipeline network designed to
transport up to 570 000 bpd from North Dakota to
all the ruckus is justified. the US Midwest. After extensive consultations with

18
 through it
communities along the ROW, ETP finalised the route
and began construction in 2016. Part of the route passed
under Lake Oahe, a reservoir on the Missouri River
where the Standing Rock Sioux nation draws its water. In
order to stop the pipeline, the Standing Rock Sioux and
environmental groups staged an extended, acrimonious
standoff.
) In early March 2018, a state judge temporarily halted
construction on a Louisiana oil pipeline in order to
prevent “further irreparable harm” to wetlands. ETP
has been building the US$750 million Bayou Bridge
extension from Lake Charles to St. James, Louisiana.
It passes through the Atchafalaya basin wetland.
Prior to the beginning of construction, the US Army
Corp of Engineers conducted two environmental
assessments and found no significant impact. However,
environmentalists and fishermen argued successfully that
the Atchafalaya basin is vital for flood protection and
commercial fishing.
) The Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline – designed
to deliver up to 2 billion ft3/d from the Marcellus and
Utica formations in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia
19
 to markets in the US southeast – has faced numerous
judicial obstacles. In June 2018, the US Court of Appeals
for the Fourth Circuit issued a stay order against a
permit issued by the US Army Corp of Engineers. The
permit had originally been issued to the operator, EQT
Midstream Partners, in December 2017. The Sierra Club
and other environmental groups had challenged the
portions of the permits where the pipeline crossed
streams and wetlands in West Virginia.
Although pipeline failures at river crossings are rare,
they still make front page news. In July 2011, an ExxonMobil
pipeline running under the Yellowstone River in Montana
ruptured, releasing up to 1000 bbls of oil and creating a
40 km plume. The 12 in. Silvertip pipeline was designed to
carry 40 000 bpd. It was buried approximately 4 ft beneath
the Yellowstone River. Investigators speculated that flood
waters at the time of the breach had scoured the riverbed,
exposing the pipeline to fast-moving debris. The leak caused
tens of millions of US dollars in damage to downstream
farms, conservation lands and communities.
In 2016, a heavy oil pipeline owned by Husky Energy
ruptured, sending 225 000 l. into the North Saskatchewan
River. It was determined that heavy rains caused the ground
under the ROW adjacent to the river crossing to give way,
causing the pipeline to buckle and fail. Husky has since
announced that it will replace the line with two pipelines
constructed of thicker, stronger steel.
In one of the worst onshore oil spills in US history,
Enbridge’s Line 6B burst in 2010, dumping more than
1 million gal. of crude into the nearby Kalamazoo River.
Michigan and federal authorities attempted to contain as
much of the spill as possible, but damages to communities
and subsequent clean-up efforts exceeded US$1 billion.
Authorities later determined that a 12 m section of pipe
located in a wetland adjacent to the river had corroded to
the point of failure after the protective coating had been
breached.
But, are river and wetland crossings more prone to
failure than other pipeline segments?
GDM Pipelines is a pipeline integrity management (IM)
company based in Calgary. It specialises in ensuring that
pipelines are operated in a safe, reliable manner, working
with its client base to manage the 800 000 km of pipelines
in Canada, as well as hundreds of thousands of river
crossings.
“People who protest at river crossings aren’t so
much worried about the likelihood of a failure, but
the consequences,” says Jennifer Thornton, a Solution
Strategist with GDM. “You can’t draw conclusions about
higher incidents related to river crossings. Are they more
dangerous? Probably not. Operators prioritise river crossings
and give them great attention in order to mitigate the risks
associated with moving water. You work out the different
likelihoods.”
New technologies
All through the 20th century, river crossings were made using
‘open cut’ technology. Open cut involves shifting river flow
20 World Pipelines / OCTOBER 2018
to one side of the river using a temporary berm in order
to expose a portion of the riverbed. A trench is then cut
to a depth specified by legislation. The pipe is laid inside,
then back-filled. The other portion of the riverbed is then
exposed to finish the crossing.
Since the early 2000s, however, horizontal directional
drilling (HDD) technology has grown in leaps and bounds.
While it was originally limited to small diameter pipe and
short distances, the technology has now grown in size and
sophistication to the point where it can install up to 60 in.
outer diameter over distances of up to 4000 m, with pull
capacities exceeding 400 t.
In addition, whereas HDD was limited to relatively
soft lacustrine deposits, modern drill bits and rigs can
cut through harder bedrock quickly and efficiently.
Sophisticated measurement while drilling (MWD) tools
sitting arear of the bit allow precision steering, to the point
where two rigs can start at opposite sides of the hole and
meet in the middle.
The HDD process is relatively simple. The drill rig and
associated circulation pumps are situated in front of the
entry point, a sloped sump ditch several metres deep. A
small diameter pilot hole is first drilled to the out point,
where the pilot bit re-surfaces. A larger diameter fly-cutter
is then attached to the drill stem, and is pulled back through
the pilot hole in order to enlarge the tunnel. Drilling mud
(bentonite clay mixed with water) is used to cool the bits,
remove drill chips and stabilise the channel wall. Once
the fly-cutter is finished, a barrel reamer with a swivel
connector is attached to the pipe, and the line is pulled
through the channel.
Pros and cons
HDD has several advantages over open cut. HDD can be
undertaken year-round, for instance, while open cut is
restricted by seasonal fluctuations in river flow and other
factors.
HDD also minimises complications associated with
social licence. “While open cut can be less expensive,
there are other factors that have additional costs, such as
ensuring the viability of fish populations and other wildlife,
as well as general impact on the environment,” says Brian
Hall, CEO of GDM. “Generally, where there are issues of
sensitivity to the environment and the community, HDD is
the first choice, and the majority of major river crossings
are now HDD.”
HDD is not without its own challenges, however. ETP
is building the US$4.2 billion Rover gas pipeline system,
designed to carry up to 3.25 billion ft3/d from the Marcellus
and Utica shales in Pennsylvania to the US Midwest. The
system includes two horizontally drilled pipeline crossings
under the Tuscarawas River in Ohio. During the drilling of
the first gas pipeline under the river, ETP lost 2 million gal.
of drilling mud into a wetland, resulting in the US Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issuing a temporary
drilling ban. In early 2018, FERC ordered ETP to temporarily
cease horizontal drilling of the second pipeline after the
company reported the further loss of drilling mud. ETP
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tested local wells and found no mud, nor did any mud
appear at the surface. FERC subsequently authorised ETP to
recommence horizontal drilling.
Sunoco Pipeline is constructing the Mariner 2 East
pipeline. The US$3.5 billion project is designed to expand
takeaway capacity of the Mariner East network that
moves natural gas liquids (NGLs) from the Marcellus and
Utica shale formations in Pennsylvania to customers near
Philadelphia. When completed, the system will have
the capacity to move up to 345 000 bpd. In 2017, the
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
ordered construction to halt after fluid spills associated
with horizontal drilling occurred. In early 2018, Sunoco paid
US$12.6 million in fines to Pennsylvania regulators in order
to resume construction.
Operators are working to reduce the potential of drilling
fluid loss. An HDD borehole that penetrates a porous,
permeable sandstone lens beneath the river creates the
potential for drilling fluid loss, and such lenses need to be
identified as best possible in order to avoid contact. “Before
the HDD borehole is drilled, operators conduct extensive
analysis of the riverbed and the entry and exit points,” says
Thornton.
In some cases, chemicals such as benzene are used in
drilling oil wells. HDD drillers rely on a much more benign
mix, however. “The HDD mud is akin to the environment
itself; bentonite and water,” says Hall. “The consequences of
fluid loss are far less than, say, the derailment of an oil tank
car.”
Promising technologies that can drastically reduce mud
loss are emerging. Researchers at the University of Calgary,
in conjunction with oil and gas professionals, have come up
with an array of clay nano-particles that can be added to
drilling mud. One nano-metre (nm) is equal to one billionth
of a metre. At a scale of 1-100 nm, particle properties are
governed by quantum mechanics, as opposed to gravity
and electromagnetic forces. Calgary-based nFluid devised
processes that produce bespoke, high-quality nano-
compounds for drilling muds. Pilot clients of nFluid report
drilling fluid losses have shrunk by 90%.
Crossing resolutions
After taking office, the Trump administration issued an
executive order that allowed ETP to proceed with the
Dakota Access Pipeline. The Lake Oahe portion was
constructed using a 2175 ft HDD section that penetrated
hard clay to a depth of 90 ft below the reservoir. State-of-
the-art construction processes and materials were used,
including heavy-walled steel pipeline nearly 50% thicker
than that required by law. DAPL finally began operations
in early 2017. Standing Rock and three other tribes have
continued their protests, filing a lawsuit stating that they
have not been adequately consulted and informed about
potential oil spill responses. A US District Court judge has
ordered ETP to submit further detailed response plans and
the US Army Corp of Engineers to review the impact on
tribal interests. In the meantime, the pipeline operates as
designed.
22 World Pipelines / OCTOBER 2018
In regards to ETP’s Bayou Bridge extension through the
Atchafalaya basin wetland, the company appealed the state
judge’s halt to construction, and in March 2018, the 5th US
Circuit Court of Appeal agreed to lift that order.
As for EQT Midstream’s Mountain Valley natural gas
pipeline, at time of writing, the company was still evaluating
the construction stay order regarding work near wetlands
and rivers. In the meantime, work is continuing on the
488 km, US$3.5 billion line in the state of Virginia.
The future
The Trump administration released a proposal to speed
up the permitting of natural gas pipelines. The proposal
would take away the authority of Congress to give approval
to projects that cross national parks, and bestow it to the
Interior Secretary instead. It would also speed up the time
states could take to issue ‘Section 401’ water certificates as
required under the federal Clean Water Act.
The major goal of the administration proposal is to
eliminate redundant reviews under various state and
federal authorities. It also seeks to clarify who has ultimate
authority over interstate pipelines. The state of New York,
for instance, has denied Section 401 certificates to the
Constitution interstate gas pipeline, at odds with FERC.
If successful, the proposal would alleviate many of the
bottlenecks in the pipeline approval process. Environmental
groups have come out against the plan.
In the meantime, the risks surrounding legacy river
crossings need to be quantified. “There are more than
313 000 water crossings in Western Canada, yet only about
26% of these are currently registered with the respective
regulating bodies,” says Hall. “Based on an assessment
of close to 5000 crossings, 29% did not meet the
requirement of 1.2 m depth of cover and of these, 3% were
completely exposed. With the potential for high impact to
environmentally sensitive areas, wildlife and downstream
communities if there is an event, crossings require focus
and attention. Leak detection practices are getting better,
but when it comes to water crossings, it’s still not enough
to find out after-the-fact. We need to concentrate on
decreasing the likelihood of an event occurring in the first
place.”
GDM has recently launched a software system called
gX Insight that allows an operator to integrate all aspects
of integrity management. “The industry norm is to have
different companies performing different IM services,” says
Thornton. “Knowledge and information is scattered around
in diverse data bases, in a fragmented nature, impeding
the development of a comprehensive, cohesive database.
With gX Insight, all the data is in one place; you have the
best information and the best crews to manage pipeline
integrity.”
Hall further notes that pipeline companies in general
are very responsible when it comes to river crossings and
operations. “They do a good job managing their inventories.
And, if an issue arises, they are good at righting wrongs. Our
solution is to consolidate information and processes so that
they can do an even better job of integrity management.”
How to cross
a river safely
Michael Twomey, Atmos International, UK, explains the
technological advancements in detecting leaks close to high
consequence areas such as river crossings.

24
N
o controversy rouses the environmentalists, activists
and regulators faster than a pipeline leaking oil
or chemicals into a water source. It is no surprise
that pipelines in high consequence areas (HCAs),
especially those close to water sources, receive much attention
in these turbulent times.
US code of federal regulation 49 CFR 195.444 requires
a pipeline operator to have a means to detect leaks on its
pipeline system when it crosses a HCA. An operator must
evaluate the capability of its leak detection means and modify,
as necessary, to protect the HCA. An operator’s evaluation must,
at least, consider the following factors: length and size of the
pipeline; type of product carried; the pipeline’s proximity to the
HCA; the swiftness of leak detection; the location of nearest
response personnel; leak history and risk assessment results.1
One of the possible measures listed in the US regulations is
modifying or augmenting the systems that monitor pressure and
flow to detect leaks close to HCAs.
The additional requirements are not unjustified; there are
more risks for pipelines that cross waterways. For example,
scouring can substantially expose pipelines on the riverbed
and even undermine their supporting structures so they
are susceptible to movement. When pipelines move, the
additional strain can crack them. A sizeable number of
pipelines at water crossings have ruptured or been endangered
by river scour. Flooding is another way pipelines move.
Debris tumbling downstream in a large river can damage
exposed pipe. Also, direct exposure to the river water can
increase corrosion, and strong currents can weaken welds
or existing defects. In cold climates, ice can scour the pipe.
All too frequently a vessel’s dragging anchor has struck a
pipeline, causing a leak. The federal Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) conducted nearly
90 river crossing inspections in Montana, revealing more than
20 vulnerable crossings.2 Understanding that river crossings
pose unique risks for pipeline owners, the authorities expect
better leak detection in HCAs and they are holding pipeline
operators accountable.
Historically, installing fast, sensitive and reliable leak
detection close to HCAs has been a challenge because of
factors such as:
) Lack of instrumentation.
25
) Lack of power.
) Lack of communication.
) Lack of infrastructure.
Thanks to advancements in instrumentation, data collection
hardware and communications, today it is easy to install leak
detection anywhere. This hardware can include vibration
instrumentation to detect scouring.
A simple way to retrofit leak detection on
pipelines close to HCAs
Due to recent improvements in non-intrusive sensor technology,
it is easy and cost-effective to add flow or pressure sensors
anywhere along a pipeline – even in locations that lack power
or communications. There is no longer a need to drill or cut a
pipeline at any intermediate location to add instrumentation.
High-speed data collection and transmission devices can collect
flow, pressure and temperature data from non-intrusive pressure
and non-intrusive flow sensors specially designed for sensitive
and reliable pipeline leak detection. These devices transmit
the data back to the control room or they can be equipped
to process the data locally in cases where communication
bandwidth is limited. The following discussion outlines the
hardware and installation requirements for effective leak
detection on pipelines at or close to water sources.
Supporting components for leak detection at a
river crossing
Instrumentation
The pipeline operator has the option to use off-the-shelf,
high-resolution pressure sensors and standard inline flowmeters.
For operators who are reluctant to drill, cut or weld on their
pipelines, non-intrusive pressure and non-intrusive flow sensors
are a great alternative. The non-intrusive pressure sensor can
be fitted quickly to provide pressure data for leak detection,
negating the need for lengthy refurbishment projects to install
traditional welded sensor taps. Non-intrusive flowmeters
can be added to facilitate a pressure-corrected volume-
balance leak detection system, without cutting or replacing
pipe sections and adding equipment such as bypass valves
for expensive turbine or mass flowmeter skids. The pipeline
operator installs the flow sensors as matched pairs to provide
the high-repeatability between the flow readings required for
Figure 1. Data acquisition units and non-intrusive sensors provide sensitive leak detection at a river crossing.
26 World Pipelines / OCTOBER 2018
very sensitive leak detection. These flow sensors are designed
specifically for leak detection and have the advantage of being
one-tenth of the price of conventional flowmeters used for
flow measurement.
Data logging and communication
Some vendors now deliver high-speed data collection and
communications in a single device that comprises a network-
enabled, multi-channel data logger with a range of sensor
inputs for either traditional or non-intrusive instrumentation.
The embedded device includes on-board cellular and radio
communications and a wired TCP/IP port for maximum flexibility
in interfacing with any existing network or configuration as a
self-sufficient network with similar data acquisition units. The unit
can send all the data back to a central processor in the pipeline
control room. These units conform to ATEX/IECEx directives for
Zone 1, gas environments, IP68 rated, and are suitable for buried
installations to a depth of 2 m.
Alternatively, where locations have only limited bandwidth,
the data acquisition and communication device can include a
processor to process the data locally to detect and locate any
leak. In this case, the device only transmits the leak alarm and leak
location back to the control room.
The absence of electric power at remote sites frequently
hinders pipeline leak detection. Solar panels are available,
specifically designed to energise the data acquisition/
communication components in the field. The compact
rugged design makes them easy to install anywhere along a
pipeline, opening a whole new dimension of hardware-based
improvements to pipeline leak detection.
Leak detection software – doing the clever
mathematics
Today, multiple-method leak detection packages allow the
pipeline operator to select from several technologies based on
the specific challenges and risks calculated for each pipeline and
operator’s budget. When pressure sensors alone are installed
upstream and downstream of the waterway, the rarefaction
wave method can provide fast, accurate and sensitive leak
detection. The addition of non-intrusive flow sensors upstream
and downstream of the waterway allows the addition of the
corrected flow balance leak detection and rupture detection.
The addition of the flow and a complementary leak detection
method increases the overall system reliability, adds true
redundancy, and allows accurate estimation of the spill size.

Figure 2. Pipelines with power and communications at both ends.
Figure 3. Pipelines with power and communications at one end only.
Figure 4. Pipelines with no communications or power.
The mass, volume, or flow balance element is enhanced with
additional algorithms to correct for instrumentation drift, errors
and uncertainties, as well as automatic learning capabilities to
compensate for variations.
Different components for different applications
The following are typical examples of pipeline installations and
the elements needed for the specific applications.
Pipelines with power and communications at
both ends
There are existing power and communication links at the pipeline
inlet and the pipeline outlet.
Components needed:
) Two data acquisition/communications units.
) Two non-intrusive flow sensors.
) Two non-intrusive pressure sensors.
If there are existing tapping points, use high-resolution
intrusive pressure sensors. If there are no tapping points, use non-
intrusive pressure sensors. The data acquisition/communications
units can use the existing communications network to pass the
data back to the control centre.
Pipelines with power and communications at
one end only
There are existing power and communication links at the pipeline
inlet, but there is neither power nor communication links at the
outlet of the pipeline.
28 World Pipelines / OCTOBER 2018
Components needed:
) One data acquisition/communications unit.
) One data acquisition/communications unit
(with a GSM Sim card inside).
) Two non-intrusive flow sensors.
) Two non-intrusive pressure sensors.
) One solar panel.
The system can use the existing
communications network at the inlet. The data
acquisition/communications unit at the outlet
end transmits data back via a GMS link or
satellite.
Pipelines with no communications
and no power
In cases where there is no existing power and
communication link on the pipeline.
) Two data acquisition/communications units
(each with a GSM Sim card inside).
) Two non-intrusive flow sensors.
) Two non-intrusive pressure sensors.
) Two solar panels.
The leak status (‘Leak’ or ‘No leak’) and leak location (when
there is a leak) will be transmitted back by a GMS link or satellite
link in one of the data acquisition units to the control room,
minimising bandwidth used.
Conclusion
Pipelines, especially older pipelines, were seldom designed
to support a leak detection system, and this is no exception
for pipelines close to water sources. These pipelines often
lack power, communication and instrumentation – all critical
components integral in providing fast, accurate, sensitive
and reliable leak detection. Advances in technology mean
that, today, these components can be quickly retrofitted at
low cost with no disruption to pipeline operations. Pipeline
operators now have the access and flexibility to install
effective leak and rupture detection to monitor any pipeline
close to a water source or any HCA. These technologies
can be swiftly configured in different arrangements to
make sure each leak detection is optimal for the pipeline
where it is installed. The addition of complementary or
better leak detection on pipelines is in line with API RP 1175
recommendations for continuous improvements to a leak
detection programme.
References
1. 49 C.F.R. § 3195.444 2011
2. DOUGLASS, E. 2015, ‘Yellowstone Oil Spills Expose Threat to Pipelines Under
Rivers Nationwide.’ 15 February 2015, retrieved from https://insideclimatenews.
org/news/06022015/yellowstone-oil-spills-expose-threat-pipelines-under-rivers-
nationwide
 Kaare Helle e andd Jefff Lache
eyy,, DNV GL,, Norrway
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reve
eal the value of investing in the
digitallisationn of pipelin
ne management tools.

N
ew research by DNV GL shows an increased
expectation for the approval of new offshore
pipeline projects over the next three years, up
from 27% in 2017 to 38% this year. Just over
a third of those surveyed (35%) anticipate new pipeline
projects onshore, a figure which has remained unchanged
since last year.
‘Confidence and Control: the outlook for the oil and
gas industry in 2018’ reveals an imminent turnaround in
spending on R&D and innovation after three years of cuts
and freezes. It found that 36% of respondents expect to
increase spending on R&D and innovation in 2018 – the
highest level in four years. In the past two years, only 15%
(2016) and 14% (2017) respectively were planning increases.
Digitalisation (37%) and its prerequisite, cyber security
(36%) are the leading areas for investment.
DNV GL’s eighth annual report provides a snapshot
of industry confidence, priorities and concerns for the
year ahead. The report is based on a global survey of 813
senior industry professionals and executives, along with
15 in-depth interviews with a range of experts, business
leaders and analysts.

29
 The study also reveals that nearly a third (32%) of
respondents believe not enough has been invested in
refurbishing/replacing onshore pipelines in their region.
This opinion strongly advocates the need to embrace
digital transformation as a crucial component of pipeline
management tools for maintaining cost efficiency whilst
enhancing operational safety and sustainability.
In an interview for the survey, David Parkin, Director
of safety and network strategy at Cadent, the UK gas
network operator, said: ”We are probably decades behind
the automotive or the aerospace industry, for example,
in using vibration monitoring on some of our higher
pressure equipment. There is a lot we can do with smart
technology to better inform our maintenance procedures.”
Better use of data can deliver a wide range of benefits
throughout the value chain. In the upstream segment,
the International Energy Agency estimates that digital
technologies could decrease production costs by 10 - 20%
with more advanced use of sensors, seismic data and
reservoir modelling. The research also concludes that
digitalisation could increase technically recoverable oil
and gas resources by 5% globally.1
New approaches to analytics are helping companies
draw new insights from historical data that have been
filed away for decades. For instance, greater use of sensors
is creating new data sets, making it possible to monitor,
predict and plan for the future with increasing accuracy.
Figure 1. The development of pipeline management tools is
benefitting from collaboration with the industry through DNV
GL’s new portal for evaluating data-based models.
30 World Pipelines / OCTOBER 2018
This transformation is also changing the way in which
the industry innovates to make data-driven technologies
such as real time barrier management, automated emission
monitoring and predictive maintenance a valuable and
cost-effective reality. Digital innovation is making the
oil and gas sector more collaborative more quickly and
iteratively. The application of digital tools can combine
data sets and create insights much faster and in ways not
previously possible.
Data understanding and preparation
With many pipeline assets ageing and reaching the end of
design life, analysis has to rely on historical data. With few
sensors and limited availability of data, there is a growing
need for domain knowledge and data understanding to
fully make sense of a pipelines past, current and predicted
condition and behaviour. Re-using and combining results
from several models allows quick, case-specific answers
without the need for time-consuming customisation.
The key to data understanding and data preparation
is to realise and identify relevant data sources, to
understand each piece of data’s strengths and weaknesses,
as well as to perform the necessary pre-processing –
which includes data conversion/transformation, dealing
with missing values, and scaling for modelling.
For the evaluation of external corrosion for example,
typical data sources include: pipeline specifications,
environmental characteristics, cathodic protection history
and coating information, to name a few. The quality
and availability of these data sources vary from one
assessment to the next and from one operator to another.
When using this data in machine learning, it is important
to consider common pitfalls, such as ensuring information
is relevant to the problem and balanced in quantity.
In machine learning, the variables used to classify or
predict new samples are called features. It is important
to select features that describe the samples as well as
possible. However, features also need to be relevant for
future samples to ensure future model scalability. Domain
knowledge of the problem at hand is critical when
deciding on selecting relevant features.
When trying to build a model to carry out a task
– whether it is as simple as an already well-defined
mathematical expression or an extremely complex
machine-learned relationship – data preparation typically
takes 80% of the time. After the data has been identified
and collected, it must be cleansed.
Even for the most complex model, the principle of
‘garbage-in-garbage-out’ still applies. The model is not
magic, and will only learn from the data it is provided.
Before modelling begins, it is important to focus on
obtaining good data, to clean the data that is already
obtained, and to ensure the dataset is relevant.
For example, if it is suspected there are seasonal
variations for a specific feature, at least one full year of
data should be utilised. If an expansive amount of data
is available, it might make sense to work on a smaller
subset of that data set during the modelling stage. The
key takeaway is that more data beats complex models and
better data beats more data.
Modelling
In general, several modelling techniques exist for any
given data mining problem. In machine learning, three
common groups of methodologies include classification,
regression and clustering.2 DNV GL is currently developing
a predictive model for external corrosion susceptibility
in unpiggable pipelines. Several machine learning models
are being created and evaluated by combining and relating
a variety of pertinent data sets, both client-based and
externally available.
As an element of the External Corrosion Direct
Assessment (ECDA) process, close interval surveys and
voltage gradient surveys are performed to help operators
gain an understanding of the pipeline conditions
and potential improvements that are required, either
preventative (e.g. optimise rectifiers) or mitigative (e.g.
dig and repair). These indirect surveys are a subset of
inputs used within the predictive modelling. To train the
machine learning models, reported external corrosion
from ILI surveys are used as the ‘truth’ value (i.e. corrosion
is present).3
To identify the most applicable model for evaluating
the developed models, many should be created and
evaluated against each other to score not only the
data being ingested, but also the models themselves.
Throughout this process, model parameters must be
adjusted to explore whether better predictive power
could be obtained.
The key to evaluation is to assess the modelling
results, its ability to generalise and align (and potentially
re-align) with the original business objective.
Managing pipeline risk online
Companies once kept all data in-house to avoid
surrendering competitive advantage, but some are now
more willing to share data. DNV GL encourages this as
best practice where it makes sense – in analysing the root
causes of pipeline failure, for example.
Figure 2. Its profound domain knowledge of pipelines allows DNV GL to understand what results from its digital models mean in the
real world.
There is a strong trend across all industries and sectors
to move towards fact-based decisions, and to use data
and data analytics actively to make informed decisions
and manage performance. The main enablers behind
this development are: greater connectivity, increased
availability of data, and improved capability for cost-
effective collection and analysis of data.
According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the
market for digitalisation in the energy sector – including
sensors, data collection and analytics – is expected to
grow to US$64 billion by 2015.4
Many of the majors see enormous potential in
digitalisation and there is now a willingness in the oil and
gas industry to change. “We’ve been digital for decades, but
it has had limited impact beyond becoming more energy
efficient,” stated Equinor’s (formerly Statoil) Senior Vice
President and Chief Economist, Eirik Waerness for the DNV
GL survey. “What we see now is that the different types of
technology development come together at an increasingly
rapid speed. That means we can make large changes more
quickly. Things like blockchain, artificial intelligence,
robotics – they allow for different operational models.”
Scepticism has now given way to wanting to find out
what can actually be done. As a means to build trust in
data and create data security for the industry’s digital
transformation, one example of this approach in action is
DNV GL’s Pipeline Evaluation Portal.
It was launched to boost the availability and ease-
of-use of its proprietary models, combining advanced
structural models and probabilistic assessment with
subject matter expertise. The models cover a wide range
of threats and hazards, and other operational aspects that
must be managed to operate pipelines in a safe manner.
For example, DNV GL is developing a service for the
Pipeline Evaluation Portal that uses existing data from
pipeline operators to be better able to predict corrosion.
This will combine online data with information on a
pipeline’s surrounding environment, and use machine
learning techniques with large data sets to be able to
predict when and how a failure may occur on a specific
pipeline segment.
OCTOBER 2018 / World Pipelines 31
 Another application is already in beta version, ready for
testing through the portal. It demonstrates how a model
for pipeline lateral buckling can be provided in a way that
allows user interactivity to support decision making.
The company is using an agile approach to innovation
by exploiting digital platforms to work rapidly and
collaboratively with industry partners and get feedback
as the tools are developed. The industry is being invited
to test the lateral buckling application and report their
experiences of it back to the company. The rationale
of the portal is to gather feedback to decide whether
to progress with its development and assess if further
changes are required.
More pipeline management applications are
being developed
Further applications being developed for the Pipeline
Evaluation Portal will enable users to:
) Assess fatigue due to vortex-induced vibrations (VIV)
and direct wave loading on free spans of pipeline.
) Assess inline inspection data for pipeline corrosion
analytics to deliver predictions of remaining
operational life.
) Track potential trawl hazards to pipelines using data
from ships’ automatic identification systems combined
with vessel-specific information on trawl gear.
) Estimate potentially serious consequences of anchor
load impacts on subsea pipelines.
The portal also signposts access to a test version
of DNV GL’s multi-analytic risk visualisation (MARV TM)
tool. This can be used for pipeline risk assessment with
uncertain and missing data by combining data and a
pipeline operator’s knowledge. It allows easy visualisation
of the cause-consequence relationships between factors
that impact a threat’s probability.
The development of the portal acknowledges that
operators need to see value in gathering data sets that are
shared through an independent, trusted custodian, such as
DNV GL. A pilot phase may involve only one collaborator,
but others become interested in the next stages of
development if they can see potentially significant savings
or other benefits from participating.
DNV GL is already in discussion with a number of
major pipeline operators and international oil companies
for piloting the use of models.
References
1. INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY. Digitilization and Energy. 2017.
2. SHEARER.C., The CRISP-DM model: the new blueprint for data mining.
Journal of Data Warehousing, Vol. 15, No. 4 (2000), pp. 13 - 23.
3. NACE INTERNATIONAL, Pipeline External Corrosion Direct Assessment
Methodology, ‘https://www.nace.org/uploadedFiles/Corrosion_Central/
Industries/SP050208PHMSA.pdf’.
4. BLOOMBERG, Market for digitalization in energy sector to grow to $64
bn by 2025, ‘https://about.bnef.com/blog/market-digitalization-energy-
sector-grow-64bn-2025’.

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Dr. Ellie Dobson, Dr. Jeff Jensen and
Amitav Misra, Arundo, USA, highlight
the role of the Internet of Things in
remote midstream operations.
Data in the
middle of
nowhere
C
ompanies in the global midstream sector face the
convergence of several long-term technology trends
that will define the future of their business:
) Data storage and compute are increasingly
inexpensive and effectively unlimited.
) Sensors continue to decline in cost and physical footprint.
) Sensor, device and asset-level connectivity continue to
improve in quality and cost.
) Machine learning tools and techniques are increasingly
accessible and easy to use, even with limited training and
resources.
) External data sources continue to proliferate.
33
 Collectively referred to as the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT), the
technologies enabled by these trends are reshaping a number
of major industries, including consumer goods, retail, financial
services and transportation.
For the global midstream sector, IoT offers a tantalising
promise of unprecedented insight into the automated control
of physical equipment and operational systems. However, the
sector faces unique challenges in effectively implementing
such technologies:
) Midstream systems involve massive legacy capital assets
that were not designed with IoT in mind.
) IoT-enabled processes may require complex orchestration
across decades of corporate IT investment, ranging from
field SCADA or other control systems, to global ERP and
back office systems.
) Operating data may be siloed in a variety of systems and
data stores, including across affiliated entities, partners or
vendors.
) Significant portions of many pipeline systems may be
located in remote or rugged areas without consistent
access to the internet.
These challenges notwithstanding, the opportunities for
midstream companies that embrace IoT technologies will
be transformational. Pipeline throughput, capacity, energy
consumption, equipment performance, integrity management,
safety, and other critical revenue and cost drivers, will be
better understood, informed and improved through streaming
data and advanced analytics. As industry leaders incorporate
their digital strategy into core operating processes, suppliers
to midstream operators will face increasing pressure to
meet the ‘digital bar’ and be able to plug into the resulting
IoT systems. Meanwhile, slower industry adopters will face
increasing margin pressure.
Arundo is a worldwide leader in machine learning and
predictive analytics software for heavy industries such as oil
and gas. The Arundo team has supported and driven the digital
Figure 1. Arundo’s Edge Agent dashboard – enables industrial connectivity and analytics in
rugged, remote or disconnected environments.
34 World Pipelines / OCTOBER 2018
transformation of major industrial players, and enabled the
rapid application of large-scale data science in a number of
industrial use cases. For midstream companies in particular,
Arundo has found that this often starts with edge analytics.
Equipment located at remote sites, such as a pump station,
may represent a significant capital investment where asset
uptime is critical. Indicators related to current and predicted
reliability, performance, safety, risk and other value metrics,
may be a source of keen management interest – even anxiety
– for decision makers located thousands of miles away from
the site of operations.
New and existing sensors, video images, SCADA systems
and other data sources in these locations, may generate
massive volumes of data. Even as companies scramble to
determine how to create and use meaningful new insights
from such data, they face a fundamental business process
issue. IoT systems enable significantly more distributed and
ongoing local decision-making, both manual and automated,
driven by local operating and equipment conditions – while
still synchronising with centralised business processes and
decision cadences. In particular, companies that deploy
advanced analytical models to the edge have the opportunity
to access, analyse, report and implement business actions in a
significantly more effective manner.
Edge analytics reduce the time and cost of
turning data into business value
Consider the scenario of four pumps, each with 25 sensors,
each sensor reporting signals once per second. These four
pumps could generate 6000 data points per min., or more
than 8.6 million data points per day. Across the multiple types
of sensors and multiple pieces of equipment within a pipeline
system, signal volume could grow to hundreds of millions,
perhaps even in excess of 1 billion, data points per day. The
bandwidth costs to transmit such a large volume of data to a
central repository are enormous, especially in remote regions
with limited telecom infrastructure.
Unplanned downtime represents a significant revenue
risk. Operators that deploy condition-based monitoring
systems to the edge will be able
to access more data more quickly,
and provide local personnel with
alerts and business insight much
faster than existing systems. In the
case of pumps and similar critical
pieces of equipment, the benefit
is obvious: the ability to detect
and avoid equipment failure,
while also avoiding expensive
bandwidth costs, creates a strong
business case for edge analytical
capabilities.
Edge analytics require
more than a hardware/
software solution
Creating meaning from massive
data sets requires significant data
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CHALLENGE CONVENTION

Figure 2. Arundo’s Condition and Performance Monitoring application – a
configurable machine learning application that intelligently streams field-
installed industrial equipment sensor data for real-time analysis.
science expertise. This expertise, embodied in case-specific,
trained machine learning models (such as pump condition
monitoring) may be deployed down to the edge or accessed
from the cloud, depending on the network infrastructure.
Often, such models may be deployed to multiple edge sites
across the world. These models can then learn from pooled
insights at the global level as they are updated asynchronously.
Deploying, training and adapting models at the edge is a
highly specialised task. Few midstream companies have native
technical expertise to accomplish this, and may require third
party capabilities to effectively implement.
Such capabilities involve capturing, streaming and
computing local data in a manner optimised for dispersed
sites. Critical requirements such as storage, bucketing/
sampling and data transformation must be understood from
the outset. Edge analytics – running local analytical models
that asynchronously communicate with central analytical
models – requires the capability to deploy models in an edge
environment. Given the nature of industrial equipment and
control system development, such edge analytics must be
multi-platform and technology-agnostic.
The Arundo Enterprise software platform enables the
fast deployment of machine learning models into live, online
environments, connected to a variety of disparate data
sources. The outputs from these models can then be pushed
into a variety of critical business decision processes. Arundo’s
software can ingest data from flowmeters; images from video
systems; signals from equipment sensors or existing equipment
historians, SCADA systems, or ERP data; as well as financial,
weather, or third party data, in order to deliver ongoing insight
and predictive analytics to affect key revenue and cost drivers.
Arundo Edge Agent, part of the Enterprise platform,
is purpose-built for streaming data from and performing
local analytics in remote areas, where there may be limited
connectivity for standard data streaming. Such areas include
a significant portion of many pipeline systems, especially
in less developed countries. Arundo offers Edge Agent into
industrial control networks like SCADA systems, and the
company streams data securely back to the cloud for data
analytics processes and machine learning models. Edge Agent
36 World Pipelines / OCTOBER 2018
also compresses sensor data by providing local
computations at the edge, and can execute
machine learning models locally to influence
decision processes while offline (synchronising
with a cloud-based management framework when
connections are available). Critically for cloud
computing or data synchronisation, typical Edge
Agent installations buffer data for up to five days,
dependent on the hardware, while automatically
checking for internet connection. All it requires
are sensors communicating via common industrial
protocols, such as OPC or Modbus, in order to
sample and intelligently stream the right signals.
The Arundo Equipment Condition and
Performance Monitoring (CPM) application was
developed on the Enterprise platform specifically
for midstream equipment, such as pumps or
compressors. Arundo CPM enables streaming
analytics on critical midstream system components. With
sensors streaming via Arundo Edge Agent, Arundo CPM allows
ongoing insight into equipment condition and performance.
Configurable panels allow customers to visualise streaming
equipment data, key performance indicators and data-driven
analytics. Condition-based alerts can also be sent to specific
users via SMS or email.
Predictive insight from streaming edge data
requires real data science expertise
Arundo is also a leader in remote detection of operating
anomalies through advanced machine learning techniques. A
key goal of many machine learning applications is to predict
future outcomes with high confidence. In few applications is
this more important than equipment maintenance, especially
for critical equipment such as pumps or compressors.
However, in practice, true predictive maintenance is difficult
to immediately apply to most equipment.
In true predictive maintenance applications, a piece of
equipment alerts human operators, or other systems, about a
specific mode of impending failure in time for an intervention,
avoiding unnecessary downtime or expense. In order to fully
achieve this goal, a machine learning model must be trained
on fully representative historical data, with all failure events
accurately labelled – i.e. there must be many examples of
all possible failure events labelled on historical sensor data.
However, such data sets are rarely available in actual industrial
operations.
The quality and accuracy of machine learning model
outputs are largely driven by the availability of large amounts
of historical failure data. Without a sufficient number of
historical failures, even the most sophisticated machine
learning techniques are often futile in predicting failures with
better accuracy than existing simulations or physics-based
estimates.
Arundo takes a ‘roadmap’ approach to predictive
equipment maintenance. Once equipment is properly
instrumented and edge analytics are deployed, a common
initial approach is to stream, capture and visualise sensor
data. This may be combined with threshold-based alerts for
 individual sensor values – for instance, if temperature or
vibration fall above or below specified levels, an automated
notification is sent to certain users.
However, industrial equipment typically exhibits a range
of complex behaviour, which may lead to challenges with
pure threshold-based alerts. Often, the equipment may have
multiple operational modes. Even normal operations may
display performance along an operational curve. Traditional
single sensor alerting systems have limited utility under these
circumstances. They may raise unnecessary alarms when in
fact the equipment is simply in a corner condition of normal
operations, or perhaps a different operational mode such as
ramp-up.
False alarms are a significant challenge for equipment
monitoring systems in heavy industry, as they often result
in operators ignoring alarms altogether, and failing to act in
advance of major equipment failure.
As noted earlier, true predictive maintenance is not
immediately applicable for most equipment, due to the
paucity of relevant data. However, anomaly detection, a
related type of machine learning-based system for equipment
analytics, can be used with significantly smaller data sets.
Arundo developed its anomaly detection system based
on many years of historical data from numerous pieces of
industrial equipment. One key approach relies on a set of
algorithms belonging to the unsupervised learning technique
called clustering, which learn from historical data and build up
a much richer and complex view of system behaviour across
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groups of sensors. The trained model can then raise alarms
when previously unseen or known failure behaviours arise in
the system.
This anomaly detection approach accounts for multiple
complex operational modes while providing transparency
into the underlying system, such that anomalous behaviour
can be investigated and resolved. It also enables the
combination of multiple sensors into a single measure (a
‘virtual sensor’) of the health of the system. This results
in the system raising fewer false alarms, while at the same
time providing a more accurate prediction of anomalous
behaviour. Arundo enable complex models like this to be
deployed to the edge or integrated into remote equipment
monitoring applications.
Midstream companies must make a choice in developing
and executing their digital strategy – which capabilities they
develop in-house, and for which they will seek external
partners. Midstream operators have decades of experience
in areas such as project engineering, operations and network
logistics, but limited experience with large scale data science,
machine learning or IoT software.
Arundo combines industrial software and world-class data
science expertise with specific, relevant domain expertise.
This allows the company to offer narrow applications, such
as equipment condition monitoring or advanced anomaly
detection, as well as the capability to drive a broader digital
transformation through an industrial machine learning
software platform.
9
1-274 436
8 1-35 78-7 om
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28-30 January 2019, Vienna, Austria

KEY SPEAKERS

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Committee Anadarko BP
Gazprom

Jorgo Chatzimarkakis Katan Hirachand Keith Martin

Secretary General Managing Director, Project Finance CCO
Hydrogen Europe Société Générale Uniper

Prof. Dr. Klaus-Dieter Borchardt
Director for Internal Energy Market
European Commission
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 A GAME OF
RISK
AND
CONSEQUENCE
Francisco Anes-Arteche, Mehran
Izadkhah, Hamid Saadat and Payam
Jamshidi, TWI Ltd, detail the
workings of a new risk-based pipeline
inspection and maintenance tool.
P
ipeline systems are subject to several damage
mechanisms that can lead to failures. To avoid
this, inspection and maintenance programmes are
recommended, in particular for ageing pipelines.
One of the significant costs associated with pipeline
operation is the management of the inspection and
maintenance plan.
An approach commonly chosen by pipeline operators
is the implementation of a risk-based inspection (RBI)
programme. RBI is a maintenance process used to examine
equipment, such as pipelines. It is intended to help
39
in: getting a better understanding of how equipment
degrades; extending its life; increasing the inspection
frequency, and can result in significant cost savings.
Figure 1. Fully quantitative probability and consequence of
failure analyses by RiskWISE for Pipelines.
Table 1. Qualitative factors for the effect of pipelines on the
environment
Rank Qualitative factor
A Insignificant
B Slight/minor effect
C Local effect
D Major effect
E Massive effect
Figure 2. RiskWISE is valid for onshore and offshore pipelines
and is compliant with industry standards.
Figure 3. Risk-based inspection and risk management along the lifetime of a pipeline.
40 World Pipelines / OCTOBER 2018
However, implementing and applying an RBI
programme for a pipeline system for the first time is not
straightforward and it can lead to incidents if carried
out incorrectly. RBI is an iterative process that requires
maintenance and ongoing commitment.
TWI Ltd is developing a software module for its RBI
software RiskWISE®. This new module, which will be
known as RiskWISE for Pipelines, is a risk-based inspection
and maintenance tool for optimising pipeline inspection
and assessing the condition of pipelines.
This article shares key steps and stages for
implementing an efficient RBI programme for ageing
onshore pipelines. The stages included in this article are
part of the capabilities of the RiskWISE software and are
compliant with API 580 Risk Based Inspection, API 581 Risk
Based Inspection Technology, B31.8S Managing System
Integrity of Gas Pipelines, and API 1160 Managing System
Integrity for Hazardous Liquid Pipelines.
RBI approach for the pipeline
A risk-based assessment approach for pipelines focuses
attention specifically on the equipment, and associated
deterioration mechanisms, that represent the greatest
risk to the pipeline system and are time-dependent. An
RBI approach covers calculations of probability of failure
(POF) and consequence of failure (COF) for each defined
segment of the pipeline. These two values are combined
to estimate the risk of the segment. The complexity of
the risk calculation is a function of the number of factors
that can affect the risk. RBI is focused on a systematic
determination of relative risks. In this way, pipeline
segments can be ranked based on their relative risks. This
provides a proper mitigation strategy following the risk
ranking processed by the RBI software.
Calculation of the probability of failure
Degradation of the pipeline can take place externally and
internally. For a typical pipeline segment, three time-
dependent damage mechanisms can be identified. These
damage mechanisms are:
) Thinning (internal and external).
) Stress corrosion cracking (SCC).
) Third party damage.
Considering the inspection
history and effectiveness, and also
the probable leak history in general,
five different likelihood factors (LF)
are involved to compute the POF of
a segment. Each LF is assigned with
a series of values and associated
weightings, and the combination of
all these results is used to calculate
the total POF.
) LF thinning = Failure likelihood
of thinning (internal and external
corrosion) damage mechanism.
) LF SCC = Failure likelihood of SCC damage mechanism.
) LF TPD = Failure likelihood of third party damage
potential.
) LF LH = Leak history.
) LF W = Weather related or outside force history.
) The operating temperature is equal or greater than
38˚C.
) The segment is less than 32 km (20 miles) downstream
from a compressor station.
) The age of the pipeline is equal to or greater than 10
years.

There are other types of threats to the pipeline which ) The coating type is not fusion bonded epoxy.
are classified as ‘time-independent’ threats that do not
change with time. These are construction threats and RiskWISE for Pipelines methodology considers these
equipment threats such as gaskets and rings, control/ factors to define a calculated likelihood of failure for the
relief, seal/pump, etc. If any evidence regarding these SCC damage mechanism.
threats was found on the
pipeline, it would need to be
checked before assessment
using the time-dependent
damage mechanisms. If
not possible, it should be
monitored during each
inspection.

Likelihood factor for

thinning – external and The pipeline partner
internal corrosion threat
All carbon steel pipelines are
subject to corrosion where the
protective coating is damaged IINDUCTION
NDUCTION
and there are inadequate levels HEATING
HEATING
of cathodic protection (CP). The
issue is particularly significant SYSTEMS
S YSTEMS
in ageing pipelines. Thinning
in pipelines can be assessed
both internally and externally.
For the external corrosion,
some factors are considered
effective to increase the
likelihood of having external
INDUCTION HEATING SYSTEMS
metal loss in the pipelines. Soil
type, resistivity and conditions;
presence of microbiologically
influenced corrosion (MIC);
coating type, conditions and
maintenance; hoop stress
Generators
Generators
by specified minimum yield
strength (SMYS) ratio, and
Converters
Converters
effectiveness of CP are some of Inverters
Inverters
Rings
Rings
these factors.

Coils
Coils
Likelihood factor for SCC
A pipeline segment is considered
susceptible to SCC if all of the
following factors are met as per
NACE SP-0204 Stress Corrosion
LK2 Srl
Cracking Direct Assessment:
Via Ada Negri, 2/4
) If the hoop stress/SMYS o (MI) – Italy
20081 – Abbiategrasso
ratio percentage is equal or
7.47 E-mail: info@lk2group.com Sales: +39 366 5788484
Telefono: +39 02 94.96.07.47
above 60%.
Technical department: tech2@lk2group.com Website: www.lk2group.com
Likelihood factor for third party damage
Likelihood of failure for the third party damage
mechanism will be derived from the following factors:
) Depth of cover.
) Siting of pipeline cross in populated areas.
) Location class of the segment.
Location class is proportional to the population in
the pipeline segment area. The population is estimated
using the number of the buildings in a defined zone
around the pipeline. The number of buildings is modified
through some other input factors that may have a direct
effect on the threats to the pipeline or the population
nearby. These factors are different for onshore or offshore
pipelines. Road crossings, multi-storey buildings, highway
crossings, etc. are sample factors affecting the onshore
pipeline location class, whilst average depth of water
in the segment and shipping traffic near the pipeline
segment are factors affecting offshore pipelines. By using
these modification factors for each segment, the final
location class will be determined.
Calculation of the consequence of failure
The calculation of the COF is used to rank pipeline
sections on the basis of risk. In addition, the measured
consequence aims to establish a prioritised inspection
programme. The COF is dependent on the following
factors:
) Effect of the pipeline failure
on the environment (described
as environment factor Fe) – is a

SPY® Field Proven Reliable 60 Years multiplying factor used to modify

the consequence of failure. It is

Under the Most Extreme Conditions defined using the ranking in Table 1.
The effect of the pipeline on the
environment is dependent on
Below zero or insane heat conditions, over under and across the fluid and the diameter of the
some of the world’s most difficult terrain, for decades Pipeline segment.
Inspection Company has understood the rigors of pipeline
construction. Our SPY® Holiday Detectors have been buried, ) The potential impact area
dropped from great heights, run over and even submerged (applicable only for gas transmitting
during the course of pipeline holiday detection operations pipelines) – is the area being
worldwide.
affected by a pipeline segment
When your project takes you to the extremes, rely on failure and it is defined using the
the SPY® Holiday Detector from Pipeline Inspection radius of impact calculation as per
Company. ASME B31.8S. This methodology
may not be applicable or sufficient
for non-flammable gases, toxic
gases, heavier-than-air flammable
gases or lighter-than-air flammable
gases operating above 1450 psig.

) Location class – is used and

defined in the previous section:
Likelihood factor for third party
damage.

) Cost of repair and production

loss (per million US dollars) – is
the combination of the predicted
production loss plus the total cost
of repair of the pipeline.

This article shows an industry-

accepted methodology with which to
assess the risk associated with onshore
pipelines that is also compliant with
API 580, API 581, B31.8S and API 1160.
TWI has developed and incorporated
this methodology into a user-friendly
software tool, RiskWISE for Pipelines,
which will be commercially released
before the end of 2018.
Pipeline Inspection Company
Phone : (713) 681-5837
Email : sales@picltd.com
www.picltd.com
Visit our website for complete details or call for a brochure.
 Pipeline
David Doze talks to Ingu
Solutions, Canada, on the
ability of micro-electronics

screening
and machine learning to
open the door to universal
pipeline access.

I in the
t is estimated that 40% of the world’s
oil and gas pipelines are unreachable
using current inspection technologies.
That translates to 1.5 million km of

palm of
the world’s essential pipeline infrastructure
unmonitored and at risk. However, recent
advances in micro-electronics and machine
learning have led to an innovative new

your hand
solution gaining attention from some of the
industry’s largest players.
Calgary-based Ingu Solutions has been
tackling the problem of universal pipeline
inspection access, developing smart sensor

43
technology capable of navigating even the smallest pipelines
under the most challenging conditions. The company calls its
inline screening technology PipersTM – golf ball sized sensors that
fit comfortably in the palm of your hand, yet powerful enough to
travel great distances within a 24 hr screening range. Pipers work in
both gas and liquid pipelines, regardless of composition, and can
Figure 1. PipersTM after run through a 2 in. line attached to a
cleaning pig.
Figure 2. Free-floating Piper ready to launch in an 8 in.
operational pipeline.
Figure 3. Pipers give operators maximum control in a self-service model.
44 World Pipelines / OCTOBER 2018
handle operating pressures up to 1450 psi. They can be deployed in
two ways, free-floating or attached to a cleaning pig.
The devices are designed to detect leaks, magnetic features,
geometric defects and deposits that threaten pipeline performance
and safety. Pipers travel with the flow through the pipeline,
mapping the interior while giving oil and gas companies immediate
and affordable access to pipeline assets with diameters as small as
2 in.
But it is clearly the ease of use that has industry officials sitting
up and taking notice.
“State-of-the-art monitoring today involves heavy equipment,
expensive engineering consultants and significant pipeline
downtime,” says John van Pol, Ingu’s Co-Founder and CEO. “Our
solution addresses each of these elements. We are using small
format technology, a self-service model that delivers maximum
control to the customer, and zero downtime. Simply put,
customers manage if and when to run their line, and our role is to
unpack the data and deliver the findings.”
Improving the accessiblity of inspection
Making inline inspection more accessible means operators can
have a clearer picture of their asset’s status, which in turn can lead
to strengthening preventive maintenance and lowering repair and
replacement expenditures.
The first Pipers deployed by a customer provides a baseline.
Each subsequent run provides better and more detailed insights
by comparing the information to the baseline. Since Pipers do not
require any interruption of service, they can effectively be run
down the line as often as necessary or preferred – providing an
almost unprecedented look into the state of the pipeline and how
liquid flows through it.
Given the remarkable small size and powerful abilities of its
Pipers, it would be easy to mistake Ingu for a hardware company.
Yet Ingu is, in fact, first and foremost a data analytics company.
Ingu provides its Pipers to companies at no cost, charging solely for
the screening analysis and reporting. This financial model makes
frequent screening possible and gives the end user the possibility
to pay only for the analysis needed to answer the questions they
are after.
While these are all attractive attributes, it is customer
empowerment that immediately resonates with Ingu’s prospects.
“Perhaps the most powerful difference in our approach is that
our technology does not require operations personnel to turn over
their assets to us in order to do the work,” says van Pol. “They can
use our technology when and how they want. It is a self-service
model, the ease of use, which is
completely revolutionary within the
industry.”
And the industry has taken
notice. Last year Ingu received the
Innovation in Technologies Award
at the 2017 Global Petroleum
Show. They were among the first
companies to be selected by
Chevron Technology Ventures (CTV)
for its CTV Catalyst ProgramTM,
an initiative to help early-stage
companies promote technology to
advance the oil and gas industry around the world. Most recently, promises maximum control in when and how the devices are
they were selected by the State of North Dakota, following a deployed, which is something industry is absolutely looking for.”
global technology review, for an extensive set of trials in some of In 2017, Ingu successfully completed 11 paid pilots and received
the busiest oilfields in the world. Class I, Zone 0 environments certification for its Pipers technology.
“With nearly 200 active wells across the state, there is nothing 2018 is the company’s first full commercial year, with customer
short of an oil boom underway in North Dakota,” says van Pol. “We assignments across North America. These have included successful
will be conducting 15 trials in the small gathering pipelines that runs of operational lines such as a 12.8 km sour gas line, a 2.3 km
serve well sites in the western part of the state. These pipelines emulsion line, a 10.7 km HDPE produced water line and a 0.7 km
are less than 8 in. in diameter and are not regulated like the larger 2 in. line.
transmission lines. There are more than 300 000 miles of these The company gave a paper and presentation to industry
types of gathering pipelines serving oilfields across the US. North attendees at the International Pipeline Conference held in Calgary
Dakota has an abundance of them. We are the only cost-effective in September.
solution that can reach into and inspect
these small diameter assets.”
The North Dakota assignments
arose out of a challenge issued to
the private sector by Governor Doug
Burgum: eliminate pipeline leaks
through innovation. His call for “zero oil
and gas pipeline leaks” has led to the
creation of a research and development
project focused on advancing new
technologies in pipeline inspection.
With a seed grant of US$1.6 million
from the North Dakota Industrial
Commission, industry players within
the state stepped up and provided the
additional funding required to establish
the Intelligent Pipeline Integrity Program
(iPIPE). iPIPE partners include Hess
Corporation, Equinor (formerly Statoil),
Goodnight Midstream, Oasis Midstream
Partners, ONEOK, and the Energy &
Environmental Research Center in Grand
Forks.
iPIPE’s mandate is simple: identify
and demonstrate the effectiveness of
cutting-edge technology in preventing
and/or detecting leaks in gathering
pipelines across the state. Through a
rigorous testing and selection process,
iPIPE intends to implement the best
new inspection technologies available
in the world into North Dakota pipeline
operations. Ingu Solutions is a serious
contender in this process.
Jay Almlie, Principal Engineer, Energy
& Environmental Research Center at
the University of North Dakota and a
member of the iPIPE review committee,
sees significant value in Ingu’s approach.
“Ingu is taking a novel and potentially
quite disruptive approach to inline
inspection,” said Almlie. “Their solution
is designed to detect and locate leaks,
geometric defects, magnetic features,
and restrictions in all pipelines – without
service interruption. Their approach
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 Taking action
against
corrosion
Graham Diamond, Kevin Kyeyune, Piotr Kubasiak, Petar Gugutkov and Spiros
Bozikis, Inspection Technologies Limited, UK, outline a recent field trial using
electrical impedance spectroscopy to detect corrosion.
joint UK and Norwegian consortium have
A spent 3 years working together to develop a
completely new solution based on Electrical
Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) that provides a
solution for one of the biggest global challenges facing
the oil and gas sector: the non-invasive detection of
corrosion under insulation (CUI). With this system, there
is absolutely no need to remove the outer cladding
or underlying insulation and there is only a need for a
single access point to a long continuous pipeline, which
means it can very easily be ‘retrofitted’ onto ageing
assets. Other advantages are that (i) it scans very long
lengths of insulated pipeline, in seconds, (ii) the sensor
network can become a SCADA system and operable from
a single location or control centre, (iii) will detect
both sudden catastrophic leaks and gradual
long-term changes as CUI progresses
in very large, distributed
pipeline networks.
Presented
below are the results of a 15 month-long field test of
the system, deployed in a real-life setting, on location in
Norway.
Background
Conventional methods of non-destructive testing (NDT)
for CUI largely rely on the periodic removal of outer
cladding and underlying insulation, and check visually
for corrosion. Such an approach is not cost-effective to
perform in real-world deployment environments. Indeed,
they are often too expensive to implement as they
generally cover too small an area and inspection speeds
are very slow. Moreover, they are usually highly labour
intensive, require extensive preparation and often involve
shutting down operation. Hence, there is an urgent need
to develop technologies/techniques that enable industry
to adopt more cost-efficient and reliable inspection and
monitoring methods.
To address this vital industrial need, Inspection
Technologies Ltd (ITL) have consulted with plant
installation and maintenance company SolidTech AS
(Norway) and ITL has now developed and
47

Figure 1. Each miniature EIS unit is a node in a distributed
network of in-situ corrosion sensors. These are attached to
exposed metalwork outside of the insulation: valves, flanges
etc.
Figure 2. Extension of the technique to measure CUI. Top:
specimen exposed to several months of salt-water corrosion
chamber. Metal loss approximately 10%. Bottom: control
specimen.
Figure 3. Lower frequency AC measurements (bottom of chart)
are insensitive to corroded and uncorroded pipeline sections.
However, higher frequencies (top of chart) readily detect outer
surface CUI.
48 World Pipelines / OCTOBER 2018
fully field-tested a new system based on EIS, which can
continually detect and monitor the progression of CUI in
large pipeline networks in industrial plants, without the
need to physically remove outer cladding or insulation.
The oil and gas sector in particular would benefit
greatly from such a technological step-change in
inspection technology, as it would enable early detection
and preventative maintenance in an industrial sector
where there are approximately 700 crude oil refineries,
with over 2 million being put into service. Thus, the need
for better monitoring technology is an enormous ‘market
pull’.
Other sectors apart from oil and gas which also greatly
benefit from this technology include power generation,
food, pharmaceuticals, chemical refineries, paper mills and
infrastructure common to many industrial sectors where
pipes are underground or enclosed in concrete.
According to the US National Association of
Corrosion Engineers, the annual cost of CUI across
the main production and manufacturing categories
is: mining 1% (US$0.1 billion); petroleum refining 21%
(US$3.7 billion); chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical
10% (US$1.7 billion); pulp and paper 34% (US$6 billion);
agricultural 6% (US$1.1 billion); food processing 12%
(US$2.1 billion); oil and gas exploration and production 8%
(US$1.4 billion).
Description of the technology
The EIS system consists of a dispersed network of small
and inexpensive transceivers. Each small transceiver
has an individual footprint of less than 50 cm2. EIS is a
powerful and well-established technique for material
characterisation that has grown tremendously over the
past few years and has made its way into the service
environment due to smaller sized and more portable units.
However, the consortium’s system is the first of its kind to
be used in fully-fledged industrial use.
It differs from conventional lab-based EIS by using
an embedded controller and associated circuitry that
uses on-board Fourier engines to speed up measurement
times by several orders of magnitude. This makes it a
commercially viable instrument that is capable of scanning
3 - 4 km/hr of pipe to non-invasively detect corrosion
under thermal insulation.
These small transceivers are easily retrofitted at
strategic nodes of a pipeline network, such as junctions,
valves, flanges and other places which are normally free
of thermal insulation during day to day operations, as
illustrated in Figure 1. All miniature EIS transceivers are
integrated via local hubs and routers into a supervisory
control and data acquisition (SCADA) system and operable
from a single control centre. Furthermore, the entire
network of pipes is constantly monitored 24 hrs a day
by specially written corrosion detection and condition
monitoring software.
The system specifically identifies metal loss/corrosion
only on the outside of pipe at the interface with the
thermal insulation.
 This highly surface-specific ability to detect
corrosion/metal loss only at the outer wall of a metal
pipe, is of special interest to commercial users as it also
Figure 4. Beta test rig on location in Kristiansund. A fully
insulated closed loop system continuously circulating hot
water. The sensors provide real-time relay CHM data to the UK
monitoring centre.
Figure 5. Layout of sensors and various pipeline segments
(varying degrees of corrosion protection).
Figure 6. Results of long term (15 month) tests. Unprimed and
primed sections show corrosion and no corrosion respectively.
50 World Pipelines / OCTOBER 2018
means that (unlike some other techniques) the EIS system
is totally insensitive to the actual content of the pipeline
system itself. Hence, it only monitors and tracks events
related to corrosion and maintenance issues directly under
the thermal insulation.
Of all the current state-of-the-art methods which
attempt to function in a similar way, only ultrasound
techniques have experienced a market take up of some
size. Even for these techniques there is a limited uptake
because of their high cost and the inherent limitations
that: require partial insulation removal; cover small areas;
are only sensitive to quite drastic losses in wall thicknesses
rather than smaller metal losses associated specifically with
corrosion at the thermal insulation/pipe wall boundary.
The EIS system reported here has the commercial
advantage of being able to continuously monitor entire
pipeline systems (being much cheaper and easier to install)
with higher sensitivity to shallow surface corrosion. If
desired degrees of corrosion and associated metal loss can
be classified by the system as: light, moderate, severe.
Preliminary lab-based characterisation trials
The aim was to establish the sensitivity of the EIS system,
prior to field deployment, to even minimal levels of CUI.
The system was able to specifically identify metal loss/
corrosion on the outside of pipe at the interface with
the thermal insulation. Figure 2 shows the application of
the EIS system to readily distinguish the hidden condition
of both corroded and uncorroded pipe specimens under
thermal insulation.
The findings of the lab-based characterisation trial were
consistent with theory – that is, only metal loss/corrosion
on the outermost surface of the pipe was detected by the
EIS system and that even mild metal loss/corrosion on the
outer surface was readily detectable (Figure 3).
Figure 3 also shows some results of tests performed
on the specimens shown in Figure 2. The chart of Figure
3 shows the results of measurements taken over a range
of sensitivity settings, with severe corrosion response
being at the bottom of the chart and the light corrosion
response at the top. The settings of the system (bottom
of chart) that respond to severe corrosion levels do not
discriminate between the corroded and uncorroded
Figure 7. Continuous measurement over 15 months. Section 5
illustrates corroded sections, while section 7 is uncorroded.
specimens. However, the system’s medium and light as March - May of 2017 and the consortium’s software
sensitivity settings do show the difference between them, advised an intervention at this point.
and large step changes are readily visible in the light In the coming months, it is intended that the system
corrosion settings (top of chart) when toggling between will be deployed in larger facilities and retrofitted onto
the corroded and uncorroded specimens. ageing assets. It will then be possible to characterise
the long-term EIS findings by cross referencing readings
Field trials (Kristiansund, Norway) with specific corrosion/metal loss events. From there,
A beta-test of the EIS system was trialled over 15 months supported by continued data collection, it will be
on location in Norway, to characterise the system in live possible to produce predictive models and empirical
operation under the demanding conditions of a real-life response matrices that characterise the precise nature of
deployment environment. This test installation itself the defect/ROI (whether corrosion, creep, deformation,
consists of a specially constructed closed circuit system cracking, etc).
which continuously circulates
high temperature water through a
pipeline network that has various
degrees of paint system, corrosion
protection and thermal insulation.
The EIS system is connected at
convenient nodes of the pipeline
system and provides full real-time
streaming telemetry back to the UK
control and monitoring centre. Over
time, a data-based response matrix
will be created in order to correlate
EIS measurement readings with a
specific corrosion/maintenance
event.
Figure 4 shows the beta test rig
on location in Norway and Figure
7 shows long-term measurement
results plotted from the continuous
real-time telemetry received at the
UK-based control and monitoring
centre.

Results
After the end of 15 months, the trial
was terminated and the cladding and
insulation removed from the pipeline
sections. Of special interest was the
fact that section 5 was not painted
in primer prior to being insulated,
whereas section 7 was. Upon removal
of the cladding and insulation, it was
THERE’S A REASON WE
revealed that section 5 (unprimed)
had experienced corrosion and
MAKE THEM RELIABLE.
section 7 (primed) had not. Can you see the decoupler in the photo
The long-term response over above? Probably not, because it’s at the
15 months of the EIS condition bottom of the lake.
monitoring system to these separate
pipeline sections also clearly We placed one of our decouplers at the bottom of
illustrates that, over time, section a lake, just to see what would happen. When we
5 has a radical and progressively pulled it out, it worked exactly as it was designed. Applications include:

different response to the steady
state condition of the uncorroded
section 7 (Figure 7).
In fact, early warning signs
for section 5 appear as far back
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Permanent protection
for your pipeline
Tim Ross, PureHM, Canada, describes the downfalls of
sticking to conventional pig tracking.
D
espite the potential for leaks or ruptures, pipelines
are still the safest way to transport natural gas and
liquid hydrocarbon fuel products – much more so
than using tanker ships, trains and trucks, which
have a much higher failure rate than pipelines. However,
both existing and new pipelines that transport these critical
energy resources are coming under increased scrutiny as the
transported materials can be harmful to the environment if
released. This threat is particularly high in areas where the spill
could contaminate a water source and become difficult to
contain and clean up.
Figure 1. Remote and permanent pig tracking offers reliable
and defensible data for tracking any type of pig.
PIG R E V I E W
Midstream oil and gas companies that transport products
across states, provinces and countries protect their pipelines
from rupture using a variety of techniques that target different
potential problems. With enough installed pipeline in North
America to wrap around the earth 100 times, there is increasing
societal and political pressure to keep pipelines safe. This is
leading to many operators starting to manage their pipeline
integrity more closely to ensure their safe operation.
The most common type of pipeline integrity management is
inline inspection (ILI) using smart tools or smart pigs, also known
as ILI tools. These tools were first developed in the 1960s but
53
PIG R E V I E W
did not become widely used until the 1990s. Over the past 50
years, ILI tools have improved significantly and can now detect
a variety of defects on the pipe wall, such as cracks, corrosion,
leaks and other structural issues that could lead to a failure.
These tools are reactive, and typically identify problems after
they have already occurred, and therefore must be re-run on
a schedule to ensure new and growing defects are identified
before a leak or failure can occur. This then allows the pipeline
owner to make repair or replacement decisions with close
precision.
An important component of ILI is tracking the tools at
predetermined locations while they are travelling through the
pipeline. Tool tracking is important for three reasons. First,
losing a tool while it is in the pipeline can be very expensive,
and even dangerous, for the pipeline operator. A stuck or lost
tool that needs to be cut out carries a high operational cost,
both in terms of the manpower needed to extract the tool, as
well as the lost throughput from shutting down the pipeline for
repair. Accurate tracking reduces the time and cost associated
with locating a stuck tool, allows for quicker return to service
and can prevent significant societal impacts – when considering
pipelines supplying critical services such as power stations or
airport jet fuel lines.
Secondly, accurate tool tracking is crucial for the ILI
vendor to provide a precise location of the pipeline defects,
Figure 2. Using advanced methods, technicians can now
remotely and safely monitor pigs from a control room using
satellite or cellular communications.
54 World Pipelines / OCTOBER 2018
particularly for first time runs on pipelines with no spatial data.
Having a correct passage time and location allows the ILI vendor
to reference an accurate location for any anomalies identified
during the tool run. Not tracking the tool at all or missing
tracking points during the inspection reduces this reference
accuracy, and ultimately can result in the pipeline owner digging
up the wrong location to repair.
The third reason is to ensure maximum throughput and
correct velocities for the ILI tool. When passing through mid-
line pump or compressor stations, the pump or compressor
must be shut down to allow the tool to pass, and while a
pump or compressor is shut down the line flow will slow
down. Slowing the line down too much, or for too long, can
result in energy product shortages at the delivery point, and
costly lost revenue for the pipeline operator. On the other
end of the velocity scale, the ILI tool is propelled by the
product, and if the velocity exceeds the maximum tolerance
of the inspection tool, data loss results and costly re-runs may
be required.
With these factors in mind, pipeline owners spend up to
25% of their ILI budget on tracking the tools. With budgets
sometimes in the hundreds of millions (depending on the
pipeline owner) this represents multiple millions each year.
Despite this, many operators still use tracking methods
that are archaic and unreliable, especially compared to the
inspection tools that can detect a coin-sized defect within
a few feet over the course of an inspection hundreds of
kilometres long.
Tracking ILI tools is relatively simple – each time the pig
passes a predetermined location, the exact GPS synchronised
time is noted and reported to the pipeline owner. Historically
this has been done by field technicians who drive to each site
and use a geophone to listen for the sound of the tool passing
at the reference location. This conventional method has evolved
in recent years to also include automatic sensor boxes provided
by the tool vendor that trigger when signal thresholds are met.
While this method is widely provided in the industry, it has
several notable limitations in accuracy that leave the operator at
risk of missing tracking sites.
First, the technicians are required to drive to each site,
but are restricted by road and pipeline site access, private
property, traffic and weather. When racing against a tool that
has a straight line and no disruptions, it can be difficult for the
technicians to reach each site in time to record tool passage.
For this reason, several field technicians work cohesively to
leapfrog one another and ensure each site is tracked – which
significantly increases the cost. This cost is further increased
on pipelines that have remote sites or night shifts, as it usually
doubles the technicians required to effectively track the tool.
Another downfall of conventional tracking is the lack of
defensible information available to the pipeline owner. Using
handheld equipment to record a tool passage can be difficult
and is always subjective, often resulting in false positives,
incorrect location placement, or missed passages. Additionally,
the automatic boxes provided by tool vendors are very sensitive
and can trigger easily due to factors independent of the
inspection, e.g. traffic noise HV power lines and foreign sources
of radio interference. For these reasons, conventional methods
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PIG R E V I E W
often result in erroneous data and mistakes that affect the
reliability of inspection data.
For most major North American pipeline companies,
increasing field staff safety has become a major internal
priority within integrity programmes, and the last and most
important downfall of conventional tracking is safety. Any time
a technician is in the field, there is a safety risk associated with
driving, and this risk is multiplied for each technician added
to a project and made worse by remote site access, weather
and night work – which are often encountered for midstream
pipeline pig runs. One method operators can use to increase
staff safety is to reduce the number of people in the field
where possible, which in turn reduces the amount of windshield
time behind the wheel of a vehicle and the overall safety risk of
the project.
While some operators are still using conventional tracking
methods, many are beginning to use remote tool tracking and
advanced monitoring technology to increase reliability and
safety. Remote tracking involves pre-deploying temporary
aboveground markers (AGMs) that monitor the inspection
tool using multiple geophones, 22 Hz and magnetic sensors
to determine when the tool passes a location. Monitoring
and recording the tool passage with multiple sensors provides
redundancy that conventional methods do not, as well as a
defensible file that shows the operator the exact passage time
at a precisely known location.
These remote tracking AGMs are also capable of
communicating with a control centre via cell or satellite,
which allows a technician in an office to track the inspection
tool safely, while also increasing reliability over conventional
methods. This entire process can also be viewed in online and
mobile software platforms that show the pipeline owner where
the inspection tool is along the length of the pipeline and
alerts them of important events during an inspection. Remote
tool tracking typically requires only one technician on site to
support the pipeline operator and no access to the tracking
locations during the actual inline tool runs.
Increasing inspection and routinely pigged
pipelines
While some pipelines are being inspected with smart tools
more frequently to ensure they are operated safely, critical
pipelines are often also routinely pigged using pipeline cleaning
tools and leak detection tools, in addition to smart tools.
Pipeline cleaning tools are used to clean debris from the
pipeline and do not provide any condition information, and
leak detection tools are increasingly being used to supplement
and improve the computer leak detection systems. While these
tools are not as critical or expensive as ILIs, many operators still
want to track these tools to ensure they are quickly located if
lost or stuck and to ensure minimum lost throughput at pump
and compressor stations. In some cases, critical pipelines are
pigged once per month or more, which represents a major
cost in terms of tracking – especially when the pipeline
has site access issues that require the use of helicopters or
other vehicles. Even using remote tracking, there would be
a significant cost associated with deploying and collecting
temporary tracking AGMs each month.
56 World Pipelines / OCTOBER 2018
To support operators with routinely pigged pipelines or
pipelines with major access challenges, permanent tracking units
are now available for use on these pipelines. Permanent tracking
units operate using the exact same technology as industry-leading
remote tracking units. The only difference is that the equipment
is installed in a more secure enclosure with a permanent AC or
solar power source. Using this technology, the tracking site only
needs to be accessed for deployment of the equipment, and
then only for maintenance. On a line that is pigged monthly, this
significantly reduces costs and risk – since the only operational
cost for the operator is tool launch and support, as well as having
a third-party technician track the tool from a control room.
In addition to tracking sensors, permanent units are designed
to be modular, which allows for other sensors to be installed
that can monitor the pipeline and stream data in real time. This
functionality is still being expanded and provides room for
expansion within the system after it is installed.
Operator installs permanent tracking sensors
on midstream pipelines
Over the last year, one leading North American pipeline
company has installed PureHM’s Armadillo permanent tracking
equipment on several of its critical pipelines that are routinely
pigged and have access challenges.
These pipelines run through a remote pipeline right-of-way
(ROW) that requires helicopter access to tool tracking locations.
On one specific pipeline, the operator planned to complete 18
inspections in 2018 – 12 cleaning runs and six smart tool runs.
To track each tool using remote methods, the operator would
spend approximately US$130 000 on helicopter and technician
costs per run for a total expected spend of US$1.56 million for
18 runs in 2018. After permanently deploying tracking sensors
for a one-time capital cost, the operator was able to reduce
per run tracking costs to US$43 000 per run and US$516 000 of
expected 2018 spending – saving over US$1 million in
operational costs, while increasing safety by nearly eliminating
field access to the tracking sites.
All that is required to track each cleaning or smart tool
is a single PureHM technician onsite to confirm the tool has
launched and trapped, as well as PureHM’s remote tracking
control room to monitor the pig during the inspection, which
can be undertaken safely 24 hrs a day. Despite the remote
location of some tracking sites, there have been no issues
connecting to the permanent tracking units that have prevented
tracking the tools. This has provided the operator with the
accuracy they require to ensure each run is successful.
Installation of the permanent tracking system on this
specific pipeline is expected to provide the operator with a
high return on investment, as well as nearly eliminate the safety
concerns associated with tracking pigs on this pipeline by
removing the need for site access outside of AGM installation
and maintenance.
While conventional tracking methods will continue to
provide value on short ILIs with no safety or access concerns,
permanent sensor installation and pipeline system intelligence is
beginning to become a priority for forward-thinking midstream
operators looking to reduce operational burden and generate
long-term ROI.
Keep Updated

Keep up to date
with us to hear
the latest
pipeline news

For more news visit:

www.worldpipelines.com
 PIG R E V I E W

Combining
forces
Dmitry Glinkin, Transneft Diascan, Russia, presents
combined ILI technology for detecting the most serious
pipeline defects.

F
or safe gas, oil and oil products transportation, pipelines must
meet the required parameters. To optimise pipeline performance,
operators resort to inline inspection (ILI) service providers
who recommend using the inspection tool depending on the
parameters of the pipelines’ operation. First of all, when choosing
the inspection tool, providers evaluate the types of expected flaws
in the pipeline, as well as the volume and speed of pumping and the
corresponding parameters of permissible pressures. ILI confirms the
possibility of using the pipeline modes of oil pumping required by the
operator.
The type of inspection tool is also chosen depending on the task
of the operator or the owner of the pipeline: pipeline commissioning,
regular inspection to maintain its operation, re-inspection of previously

59
PIG R E V I E W
identified flaws or creation of a pipeline integrity
management system. Each type of defect has a special
method of technical identification. The world’s largest
gas and oil pipeline operators often turn to using inline
combined inspection devices.
Why?
Usually, a pipeline operator expects particular types of
pipe defects, taking into account the terrain, soil, chemical
composition of the pumped product and other factors that
contribute to their emergence; tracking the dynamics of
flaws development through pipeline integrity management
programmes. Often a pipeline operator requires several
types of inline research. Using adequate inspection
methods to identify the expected types of flaws makes
it possible to accurately detect the flaw and evaluate
its geometric parameters and strength characteristics.
Depending on the parameters of the pipeline operation –
environment, pressure, speed, temperature, terrain features
– they evaluate the object’s serviceableness as well as its
lifetime. If an inspection tool does not allow the exact
detection, evaluation and identification of a particular
type of flaw, another type of tool or a combination of the
two or more types should be used. World practice shows
that the use of combined methods of ILI ensures the best
parameters of detection, identification and evaluation of
the majority of flaws.
Just one run of a combined inspection tool gives more
reliable information – due to avoiding the temporary lag
between successive runs of inspection tools based on
different operating principles. In the sequential run of
discrete devices, when reconciling the inspection data,
different conditions at which runs were made should be
taken into account. In a combined flaw detector, the data
obtained from each section corresponds to the same
pipeline operation parameters. At the time of running the
device, the pressure, speed and the temperature in the
pipeline are identical.
Figure 1. Combined magnetic inspection tool.
60 World Pipelines / OCTOBER 2018
Sensors used to gather data of separate sections of the
combined tool have a synchronous link to the distance, one
defect is simultaneously detected by two or more non-
destructive control methods. All this provides increased
reliability in the detection and the accuracy of flaw
parameters, which affect errors in strength calculations,
assessment of danger of pipeline flaws, assessment of
the suitability of the pipeline for operation, and accuracy
of its lifetime calculations. The use of a combined flaw
detector is costly compared to the use of a one-section
tool. However, the expense for running the combined flaw
detector is lower compared to the use of two or more
discreet inspection tools. Thus, the combined flaw detector
is the most cost-effective solution when it is necessary to
identify several types of defects.
Today, we focus on a combined magnetic flaw detector
that allows the detection of the most dangerous flaws.
Transneft Diascan was one of the first companies to
offer this ILI technology, and its analogues have been
subsequently used at oil transportation facilities all
over the world. The combined magnetic inspection tool
(MFL+TFI), developed by the company, is aimed at inline
non-destructive inspection without decommissioning the
pipeline. The principle of the flaw detector is based on
the detection of magnetic flux leakage with longitudinal
and transverse magnetisation of the pipe wall. This makes
it possible to detect both longitudinally and transversely
oriented defects along the pipe body and in welds.
The device allows for the detection of the following
types of flaws, regardless of geography and type of
pipeline: incomplete fusion, lack of fusion, gouges,
transverse and longitudinal wall cracks, and internal and
external metal loss in pipe walls. In one run, Transneft
Diascan’s combined magnetic device allows more efficient
flaw detection in comparison to conventional inspection
tools. The device also identifies illegal tapping and weld
flaws. To solve non-standard customer tasks in the field of
ILI, the company can adapt the parameters of inspection
devices and refine the equipment.
The device can cover up to 350 km
of pipeline in one run, working with
a wide range of pipe wall thicknesses
from 5.5 - 29 mm. The combined
magnetic inspection tool is a kind
of ‘workhorse’ that allows for the
detecting of the most dangerous
flaws on gas and oil pipelines and
is able to work at temperatures
from -15˚C up to 85˚C on certain
conditions. The tool provides high
accuracy data and is a more cost-
effective solution in comparison
with sequential runs of several flaw
detectors of various types. To date,
the company’s combined magnetic
inspection tools have proved their
effectiveness in inspecting pipelines
in Russia, Belarus and China.
Fittings fit for
the challenge
Andrew Scherfenberg, Dyna Torque Technologies Inc., USA, describes
the implementation of innovative pipeline fitting fabrication solutions.

I
dentifying industry needs and providing solutions
is why Dyna Torque Technologies Inc. (DTTI)
continues to develop new technology for the
pipeline industry. With fittings being delivered to
the pipeline installation contractors, DTTI has designed
and implemented a pipe facing machine (PFM) with an
articulating nose to accommodate the challenges of
segmenting in pipeline construction. Through the use
of this design, coupled with the LoneStar automated
welding system, many issues with segmenting are
addressed and mitigated.
Modern pipeline construction continues to push
the capabilities of carbon steel’s metallurgical properties
to tougher limits. Consequentially, new challenges have
emerged calling for new, innovative technologies to
address the changes in the industry. Specifically, field
segmenting of large diameter (20 - 48 in.), high yield
(y65 - y70) fittings.

61
 Fitting segmentability is determined by three factors:
diameter, yield and wall thickness. Larger diameter, higher yield
and thinner wall thickness challenge the field workability – which
has resulted in issues of out of roundness or improper fit up
Figure 1. Automated welding by DTTI.
Figure 2. Counter-bored pipe pup being welded to segmented
fitting being bevelled.
Figure 3. Cut to length segment being bevelled.
62 World Pipelines / OCTOBER 2018
and back welding challenges. As a result, pipe to fitting welds
have become a major construction headache, but also a quality
concern for many oil and gas companies worldwide.
Equipment for pipeline fittings
DTTI has recently provided custom equipment, allowing for a
cost-effective solution for the fabrication of segmented fittings,
including: welding of pup sections to fittings, bevelling of fittings
ends and counter-boring of pipe ends. DTTI has provided its
LoneStar automated welding equipment and bevelling solutions
to Custom Segmenting & Coating (CS&C), who have been
successful in qualifying welding procedures for the delivery of
turnkey segments to pipeline field locations. The welding solution
provides for a low-hydrogen, automated orbital welding process.
Traditionally, pipe to fitting welds are completed using cellulosic
electrodes. With higher grades of steel and increased carbon
equivalency values in fittings, hydrogen cracking has become
a concern to the industry. To improve quality and provide a
safer product, the low hydrogen welding process has been
slowly adopted. The LoneStar automated welding process has
allowed for improved quality, reduced labour costs and greater
productivity in the welding of segments and other pipeline
related fabrication. The combined process of bevelling segments,
counter-boring of the pipe pups, welding of pipe pups and finally
the coating of completed welds with a two-part epoxy Specialty
Polymer Coating, provides a full service, turnkey fitting product
ready for field installation.
To further explain, CS&C provides a service to cut pre-made
fittings to specific degrees provided by the field survey crew,
and, if needed, provides the technology to re-round each fitting
if they spring out-of-round when cut to final size. Bevelling and
counter-boring of segments of pup pieces is provided for by
DTTI’s specialised PFM. Current practice involves the welding of a
short pup of line pipe (or pupping) to the segmented bend. After
inspection, blasting and coating are provided in a special booth
designed to meet industry standard specifications. The solution
provides a turnkey product to the end user from portable locations
that can be set-up close to or on the job site. This product allows
installation contractors welding on the mainline to produce pipe
to pipe tie-in welds on the same material grade without a second
procedure qualification. These solutions greatly reduce the yard
fabrication costs, increasing overall productivity and cost savings to
the project.
Whether all fittings are ordered ‘on-the-fly’, ordered in
advance of the project, or engineered to specific degrees, CS&C
and Dyna Torque have proved that alternative solutions can make
a difference.
Fittings for a project
A recent project involved the Mountain Valley Pipeline project
(MVP), in the area of Parkersburg, West Virginia, USA, where
several contractors with different spreads contacted CS&C to
enquire about the segmenting service. A demonstration of the
operation was conducted, and a positive response was developed
as a cost-effective solution alternative to current practices. As
with any pipeline project, steps were then taken to get the proper
approvals of the involved gas company. Codes and standards
were reviewed, in this case API 1104 (20th edition), along with any
MVP required specifications, followed by a Welding Procedure ) After blasting, the piece is taken into the spray booth for the
Qualification. The consumables, project pipe, welding equipment, coating. It is coated to the proper mil specification for the
monitoring equipment, welders and Certified Welding Inspector project and verified by the inspector.
(CWI) were assembled onsite with the associated inspectors and
) The piece is baked in the spraying booth for faster curing and
client representatives to witness the procedure qualification.
production.
A procedure was qualified using the shielding metal arc
welding process (SMAW) with cellulosic E6010 and E8010 ) The completed fittings and pups (welded and coated) are
electrodes for the root and hot pass. With the cellulosic passes banded for shipment to the associated pipeline spread.
complete, the LoneStar automated welding system using the
flux core welding process (FCAW-G) was used to complete the This turnkey operation produces pipe segments in a
remaining fills and cap passes. The low-hydrogen welding process controlled environment, improving quality and achieving greater
has exceptional weldability and produces superior welding results productivity. The installation contractor has the ability to use
when coupled to the LoneStar automated welding system. his mainline procedure in the field to complete his project on
For the procedure qualification record (PQR) and WPS to be time.
validated, welding parameters were recorded
and compiled. The PQR will show all the
necessary essential variables required for
the WPS. Once the mechanical testing is
validated to the specification and passing
requirements, welding perimeter ranges are
documented in the WPS and sent to MVP
for final approval to be released.

The process for a fitting

With the approval from MVP, fabrication can
commence. The process for a completed
fitting takes the following steps:
) Pipe joints of various lengths and
fittings of various degrees would be
documented and stored onsite in the
yard in advance of the project start.
All fittings and pups are barcoded for
traceability throughout the process.

) As each contractor requires fittings,

dimensions would be sent to CS&C –
such as degree, length, segment, etc. Heavy Duty Through-wall Reference Electrode
The appropriate fitting and pipe would
be chosen and cut to length and degree
using fabricated templates to achieve
7KURXJKZDOOUHIHUHQFHHOHFWURGHVDUHXVHGIRU
the proper degree angle. PHDVXULQJFRUURVLRQSRWHQWLDORQWKHLQVLGHRI
FRQGHQVHUZDWHUER[HVFLUFXODWLQJSLSHVWDQNV
) The pipe and fitting would then be DQGYHVVHOV
bevelled using a specially designed 7KHVHHOHFWURGHVDUHLQVWDOOHG
PFM from DTTI that can articulate to E\WKUHDGLQJLQWRDWDSSHGKROHRQWKHZDOOD
accommodate the curvature of the MXQFWLRQER[LVW\SLFDOO\DWWDFKHGWRWKHRWKHU
fittings, as well as the straight pipe HQGWRSURWHFWWKHZLULQJFRQQHFWLRQV
pup.
$YDLODEOHLQWKUHHVL]HV
) Once the fittings and pipe pups are
bevelled, the two welds are made using
the approved WPS.

) The finished welds are non-destructive

tested using visual (CWI) and real-time
radiography (RTR) to ensure quality.

) The welded fitting to pipe pups are then

sent to the blasting booth to be cleaned
and prepared for coating.

electrochemical devices, inc

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 Figure 1. Longitudin
al external pipe we
SAW portal. The pip lding with multi-arc
es are welded fro
long reach welding m the inside with
boom and roller be PEMA
d solution.

Intelligent
welding
T
Timo Tynkkynen, Pemamek, he energy industry is under an ongoing change.
The already fragmented markets require reliable,
Finland, discusses how advances in safe and affordable energy, whereas energy
providers require high-quality technology,
technology have enabled the welding higher production capacity and cost efficiency. To meet
these industry demands and maintain competitiveness,
of challenging fittings to become companies need to reconsider their production and
identify the phases that slow down the total process and
automated. from which they can look for improvements.

65

Figure 2. Headstock positioners are specially designed for long,
revolving workpieces. A typical application includes height
adjustable supporting roller beds, for example for pipe elbow
joining.
Figure 3. A column and boom designed for internal welding of
the pipe elbow segment in integration with welding positioner.
Figure 4. External circumferential large diameter pipe welding. Column and boom with SAW
welding head for pipe joining line.
66 World Pipelines / OCTOBER 2018
In oil and gas pipe production, pipe component
and special pipe fabrication are the most demanding
phases in the entire pipe manufacturing process. When
implemented manually, the entire process from handling
to welding is time consuming, inefficient, and there is
never full guarantee of labour safety. Additionally, it
requires a significant amount of highly skilled manpower
to weld demanding components – such as pipe elbows
and valve frames – in a timely manner and with high-
quality results.
One, if not the only, option to meet the modern
challenges is production automation. When integrated
to daily fabrication routines, automation brings immense
and long-lasting advantages that are visible immediately.
Automation is versatile, reliable in quality and
performance, plus it reduces costs.
Automated solutions for pipe shops
Pipelines require a huge amount of straight pipe sections
provided by reliable pipe mills. Building different types of
pipelines demands a large variety of sub-components that
align with the same strict production requirements.
Today there is a great amount of intelligent
automation solutions for longitudinal welding of tubular
pipes, pipe-to-pipe, elbow-to-pipe and flange to pipe
connections available in the markets. The wide selection
of roller beds and positioners integrated to welding
column and boom solutions and combined with special
welding automates, have proven to bring significant
improvements in pipe shop production capacity.
Integrated solutions can be typically modulated from any
welding and production automation providers’ standard
product families.
Various welding processes, such as GMAW or GTAW
for root pass welding and multi-arc SAW welding for
filling up, are integrated in large diameter pipe fabrication
equipment. In order to maximise the output without
compromising any fabrication
quality, automated tube end
bevelling machinery and hot
wire GTAW for joining small
diameter process tubes (but
also joining the end connectors
to pipe spool components)
must be integrated in the
production lines. Additionally,
modular welding torch sets with
motorised slide modules are
required in order to automate
the welding of different size
geometries and designs.
Elbow pipe welding with
integrated special column
and boom and welding
positioner
One of the most common
components used in oil and
gas piping is the elbow pipe. This fitting provides the
simplest way to alter the flow deviation in piping
systems. Angle bending is typically 90˚ or 45˚. The larger
the pipe diameters and wall thicknesses are, the more
challenging it will be to meet the operational demands.
In the production of critical pipe components, there is
absolutely no room to compromise on quality.
Despite the challenging shape and angle degree, thanks
to modern and innovative production technology, elbow
component welding can also be automated. This requires
faultless integration and machine communication between
handling, welding and control systems.
Typically, the fabrication of the elbow component
process is separated in two different phases – internal and
external seam welding. Due to the wall thicknesses and
handling requirements, both of the phases have their own
specific stations and processes.
Automation solutions utilising welding, and
production control systems with adaptive multi-pass SAW
functionality for thick materials, have a wide range of
tools to control process parameters. A verified welding
parameter library, WPS, ensures a reliable welding process
without the possibility of human errors during the welding
process. The actual weld data can be monitored and
stored with ID-information for QC and tracking purposes.
Integration of control systems (including the welding
process itself), and controlling welding movements by
linear or rotating systems make an effective management
tool for the operator. The operator is therefore able
to monitor the process, collect data, control process
parameters and enable a full management over the
production equipment (such as column and boom),
material handling and welding power sources.

Welding solutions and

heads for elbow welding
) Internal welding head:
column and boom with
elbow welding head and AmericanAugers.com
material handling.

) External welding head:

special station with column
and boom, plus material
handling.

) Single and tandem SAW

process.

) Special positioners with

interpolating movements
and integration to welding.

Special pipe section

fabrication
) Internal welding – welding
column and boom with long
reach boom, single arc and
tandem arc SAW. ONE COMMITMENT TO PIPELINES WORLDWIDE
) External welding – welding
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multi-arc SAW.

Control system
integration
Most of the modern production
control systems include all
the functions that effective
component and special pipe
production requires. When
quality is one of the most
important criteria, a well-
rounded production control
system becomes a necessity.

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Construction
in the
forbidding
desert

68
Mourad Hadj-Kaci, Algeria, describes the construction
challenges in the inhospitable Algerian desert.
T
he ever-challenging hydrocarbon exploration projects,
like those characterising Algeria’s far south-east oil
and natural gas field, continue to drive technological
creativity to domesticate the most ferocious natural
features encountered in this domain.
The richness of Algeria’s underground makes the country one
of the most important destinations for major oil companies. The
El Merk perimeter, situated in the south-east part of Algeria, is a
searing desert land with high entwining sand dunes spread over
approximately 5000 km2. The immensity and complexity met on
the El Merk field development requires a highly sophisticated
range of skills and tools to make sure that the project is fulfilled
in accordance to deadlines and budgets, and with great ability to
contain unpredictable geographical matters.
The El Merk project has been successfully completed by
ABB, whose long experience is proven in carrying out projects in
remote and exacting environments, where logistical challenges of
deploying material, equipment and manpower through different
process stages are extremely hard.
The El Merk oil and gas field is located in the Berkin Basin,
ranked Algeria’s second largest hydrocarbon resource in terms
of proven reserves and the rhythm of new discoveries. Its
unwelcoming environment, doubled with frequently scorching
weather, temperatures of 50˚C and rarity of rainfall, offers a view
of a Martian landscape.
The most prominent feature of the El Merk terrain is its
interlocking and vast sand dunes whose shapes are mysteriously
changing under the blazing hot wind. Void of infrastructure and
approximately 1000 km from the country’s inhabited coastal
belt, the all-time bewitching quietness and silence of this part of
Algeria has been conquered by the sovereign technology.
Containing four fields within two blocks (Block 405 and
208), the El Merk project was developed by a consortium of
six partners (Sonatrach, Anadarko, Eni, Maersk, ConocoPhillips
and Talisman) and managed by the Sonatrach-Anadarko
association, a joint venture called Groupement Berkine. From
nearly 140 wells, the El Merk facilities were initially meant to
process 160 000 boe/d, thus all wells have been interconnected
by a system of field pipeline to field gathering stations (FGS).
The product is then piped to a central processing facility for
separation, stabilisation, gas compression, natural gas liquid
extraction and storage.
In addition to other EPC contracts made for the
development of the El Merk field, ABB has been awarded a
contract for the construction of pipelines, power lines and
substation. The ABB-managed consortium, made up of ABB,
Sarpi (Algeria), and PetroJet (Egypt) had the responsibility of
offsite facilities. The El Merk development comprises the
following four major works:
) Ten field gathering stations.
69
) Six gas distribution manifolds.
) Complete material supply for 120 wells, as well as the hooking
up of the primary 80 wells for production.
) 719 km of pipeline and process piping across all four fields of
Block 208.
Geographic Information System
Due to the unevenness of the El Merk terrain, a key issue causing
serious perturbations for small-diameter gathering pipelines
path, the Geographic Information System (GIS) had been used
throughout the El Merk development. GIS is a geospatial-based
infrastructure management system that enables the design,
construction, maintenance and management of all the field
infrastructure and production assets at the utmost level of
precision and efficiency. One of the GIS high-performance
functionalities is the assessing of all possible interferences along
the pipeline corridors, such as differences in elevation, the angle
of dune slopes, etc. This system supports the pipeline open data
standard (PODS), the most widely used pipeline data model in the
oil and gas industry.
GIS has played an important role in the El Merk development,
without it the whole project would likely take additional months,
with the added costs and revenues loss that such a delay would
Figure 1. El Merk Central Processing Facility, off-site works.
Figure 2. Rig at El Merk oilfield.
70 World Pipelines / OCTOBER 2018
entail. In a project of such scale, the location of wells and/or
the pipeline route are likely to change as reservoir developments
progress, because geodetic datum is differently interpreted,
therefore misunderstandings may occur as to the correct
positioning of production assets. GIS not only prevents any
misunderstanding (which is a potential source of delay), but also
brings efficiency to the field. Intergraph has been selected by ABB
for use on GIS, with Intergraph providing a geospatial database
and ABB managing the development project. GIS monitors the
construction of each single site asset, from wells and pipelines to
the workshop.
Dealing with the challenge of complexity
El Merk is not only a highly complex and very challenging project
but it is also in a very unwelcoming environment, referring to the
project technicality. All the El Merk fields are spread over a large
area and all the works being carried out there – like well drilling,
the laying of pipeline and the construction of facilities – must
be done in parallel. This requires the ordering of huge logistical
volumes, of which equipment from suppliers and factories across
the globe are needed and to be transported from Algeria’s ports
to the desert. This huge task must be executed in an efficient
and cost-effective way to ensure everything arrives in perfect
accordance with the schedule.
Figure 3. El Merk spools and pipe fittings.
Figure 4. View of a section of the El Merk industrial buildings.
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 Making
welding
mechanised
Matt Steel, RMS Welding Systems,
USA, details the mechanisation
of welding and the importance of
accurately executing a project.

I
n today’s demanding industry the need for a sub-
contractor that can supply equipment, support and
expertise is more important than ever. The size of
the project does not matter. Whether it is a complex,
multiple spread; larger than 500 km; a smaller 10 km pipeline;
a 2 km pull section; or fabrication work, RMS Welding Systems
(RMS) has the capability to support it. With management
having greater than 100 years of combined pipeline experience
specialising in mechanised welding, RMS is able to tailor
an equipment package and provide leading industry
expertise in mechanised welding to remove all
concerns in the ever-changing oil and gas pipeline
industry.

Equipment selection
Selecting an equipment package that blends
financial impact and project requirements is
critical for mechanised welding. RMS offers a
full range of equipment that can be utilised for
any type of pipeline project.
If high production is required, RMS’s
Internal Welding Machine (IWM) in
conjunction with the MOW II external dual
torch welder is capable of welding pipe at
up to 4 km/day.
The IWM is used for lining up, and
internally holding two sections of pipe in
position, and applying the root pass from
the inner diameter of the pipe. It is capable
of welding pipe ranging from 24 - 48 in.
diameter and has a weld-to-weld cycle
time of 2.5 - 3.5 min. and welding times of
0.9 - 1.1 min.
As the oil and gas industry continues to
demand the need for low-hydrogen welding
processes, the MOW II supports both flux
core gas metal arc and pulse gas metal

Figure 1. Flux core gas metal arc

tie-in configuration.
73
arc welding with the ability to be configured in single-torch,
dual-torch or tandem torch. Through the benefits of a narrow
groove and the low heat-input pulse gas metal arc welding the
necessary quality and mechanical properties needed for today’s
higher grade pipe can be achieved. In the past five years, over
2000 km of pipeline has been laid with an average repair rate
of 1.6%, utilising pulse gas metal arc welding. The MOW II offers
Figure 2. MOW II dual torch welding.
Figure 3. Procedure qualification coupons ready for mechanical
testing.
Figure 4. Internal welding machine in action.
74 World Pipelines / OCTOBER 2018
digital control and monitoring of all critical weld parameters,
and features through-the-arc, tip-to-work distance and weld
seam tracking.
If high production is not as great of a concern, RMS offers
the capability to weld utilising a copper back-up line-up clamp.
In doing so it still utilises the benefits of reduced crew size and
pulse gas metal arc welding with the MOW II.
For tie-in welds the MOW II can be configured in single-
torch, utilising the low hydrogen process of flux core gas metal
arc welding. In doing so, the digital control and monitoring
capabilities of the MOW II ensures the welds are within the
parameters set by the welding procedure. This allows a decrease
in production times of around 30 - 50% compared to the
conventional downhill shielded metal arc welding process.
Not only does RMS offer mechanised welding equipment,
all supporting equipment to make a project succeed is also
available. To completely protect the welding from the elements
to allow production to continue in virtually all weather
conditions, a solid walled shack for mainline or a half-solid
and canvas shack for smaller areas (such as tie-in applications)
are available. To power the welding equipment, RMS has
generators and decks that can fit any conventional side-boom
configuration. All equipment leaves the shop fully tested, rigged
up and ready to go in the field – this allows the equipment
to start working in as little as a day after arriving on site. This
eliminates the time and cost of rigging up the equipment once
it arrives on site.
Welding procedures
Once an equipment package has been selected, RMS in-house
welding engineering department will develop a welding
procedure qualification plan that will ensure all company and
regulatory requirements will be met. RMS has the capabilities
and experience to develop and manage a complex alternative
acceptance criteria, multiple process, pipe diameter, wall
thickness, pipe manufacturer or a more standard workmanship
procedure qualification campaign.
As the requirements for today’s pipelines are becoming
increasingly more stringent, with the use of higher grade
materials becoming more prevalent, the need for a consistent,
high quality, low-hydrogen and mechanically superior weld to
the conventional manual shielded metal arc welds is key. These
requirements demand the use of mechanised welding.
Working closely with the contractor and owning company,
a qualification plan will be developed to meet all the necessary
project welding and industry requirements. Upon agreement of
the qualification plan, RMS will execute the welding campaign
at either of its two facilities in Texas or Alberta. Throughout
the procedure execution stage RMS will interface with all
necessary parties to ensure the project’s success. All necessary
documentation to ensure that the welding is compliant with
the project’s requirements will be thoroughly maintained and
developed throughout the entire process. Upon completion
of the welding campaign, RMS will continue to provide the
necessary oversite during the mechanical testing and possible
engineering critical assessment stage to ensure on-time delivery
and compliance. Once all of the welding and mechanical
testing has been completed, RMS will develop and supply all
 Sicim S.p.A.
Via Consolatico Superiore, 96/98 - 43011 Busseto (PR) - ITALY
Tel. +39 0524 930211 - Fax +39 0524 930082 - www.sicim.eu - info@sicim.eu

Figure 5. Welding on the right-of-way.
Figure 6. Welding of procedure qualification welds.
welding procedure specifications with the necessary supporting
information to the project. The whole procedure development
programme will be undertaken in the most efficient and cost
effective way, without jeopardising the quality that the oil and
gas industry demands.
The complete procedure planning and execution was recently
executed for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and Mountain Valley
Pipeline projects. RMS qualified procedures for: internal welding
machine, copper back-up, hybrid shielded metal arc welding with
mechanised flux-core, and manual shielded metal arc welding for
tie-ins and repairs. The complexity of the campaign was made
more complicated as multiple pipe and plate manufacturers for
42 in. and 36 in. pipe diameters with wall thicknesses ranging from
76 World Pipelines / OCTOBER 2018
0.515 - 0.864 in. were needed to be qualified. Not only were the
welding procedures executed and managed by RMS, there was
direct involvement in the mechanical testing and development
of the engineering critical assessment to ensure practical industry
standards were implemented.
Project execution
All of the welding and supporting equipment will be shipped
to the job site where experienced technicians will be ready to
rig-up the equipment as soon as it arrives. As the equipment
is fully tested prior to leaving for the job site, the field rig-up
time is minimal. Even though the equipment was tested prior
to getting to site, upon completion of the field rig-up it will be
tested again by the technicians to ensure everything is working
properly and ready for welder qualification.
Depending on the welder’s skill set and familiarity with
the equipment, it is recommended that the welders perform a
number of practice welds under the supervision of the onsite
technicians – prior to the actual welder qualification test.
According to most industry standards for mechanised welding,
only one welder qualification weld on the heaviest wall
thickness is required for the welder to be qualified.
Once production has started, dedicated technicians will
service the mechanised welding equipment on a daily basis
to ensure everything is operating at its peak performance. In
the event something breaks, a full array of spare parts and
equipment is sent to the project to allow the technicians to fix
any issue with as little production downtime as possible.
The technicians work closely with the welders, welding
foreman and non-destructive examination operators to identify
any possible trends in repairs. In doing so they are able to
adjust equipment or welding parameters to eliminate any
potential future repairs. Not only is there direct oversight in
the field by the technicians, there is continuous monitoring of
production performance and repair rates for trends by office
personnel. In the event of any negative trends appearing, they
will communicate with the necessary field personnel to ensure
appropriate measures have taken place to eliminate the trends.
The majority of RMS work is on the front end of the project
prior to even striking an arc for production. Everything including
welding procedure qualification and write-up; equipment
overhaul and shipment; delivery of spare parts and wire to
a central location; and welder qualification happens prior to
production kick-off.
Conclusion
As the oil and gas pipeline industry evolves to more stringent
requirements, the demand for a mechanised welding where
the human element is minimised and controlled, is prominent.
Starting out working within the project requirements and
closely with the contractor, a mechanised equipment package
can be determined. From there a detailed welding procedure
qualification campaign will be developed and executed. Upon
completion, all necessary equipment will be overhauled, tested
and mobilised to the project. Once on site, technicians will
service and maintain all equipment and work side-by-side
with the welders to ensure optimal production and quality is
maintained throughout the life of the project.
Say goodbye
to human error
Jack Sine reports on the use of external
flow metering by a major pipeline operator
to minimise human error during welding.

W
hen anyone puts a liquid in a container environment
for the purpose of transportation, there is only
one guarantee: someday, somehow, there will be
leaks.
Whether the container is a tractor trailer, a train car, a ship
or, the most reliable of all, a pipeline – there will always be an
opportunity for physical failure or, more commonly, human error.
Even in pipelines.

77
Pipeline problems
Unlike the other modes of liquids transportation, pipelines
have the advantage of being stationary. Operators do not
have to worry about road accidents, derailments, or storms
and underwater dangers.
But there are still dangers to pipelines, which is why
pipeline operators go to extraordinary ends to take
advantage of the latest technology to protect their lines.
However, human error is always a risk.
A short time ago, a subcontractor for a major US
southeastern pipeline was using a backhoe to unearth a
pipeline for welding maintenance and accidently pierced
the pipe, causing an explosion that killed two of the
contractor’s employees and created a major spill.
But that was a rare occurrence and one that can be
further minimised by the pipeline management team
implementing more refined supervision protocols.
However, there are far more common sources of human
error that can create damage to gasoline pipelines, resulting
in as much, or even more leakage than the backhoe
incident.
Risks of underground pipelines
“For those unfamiliar with the hazards attached to running
underground pipelines, there are many,” said Mike Marlow,
Sales Engineer for the Massey Company, a large southeastern
manufacturer’s representative specialising in pipeline support.
“While underground pipelines are safer from leaks than
the alternatives, there are many variables that have to be
monitored constantly. Depending on the location, there are
always chemicals in the soil that will attack the steel pipes.
There is also the question of movement caused by changes
in the seasons and climate variations that put pressure on the
pipes, testing the connections.
Figure 1. Portable ultrasonic meters monitor pipes and warn welders of changes in
flowrates.
78 World Pipelines / OCTOBER 2018
Pipeline safety measures
“Naturally, the pipeline companies don’t stint on protective
measurements because there is too much at risk,” said
Marlow. “They use the latest technology to monitor the
integrity of the pipeline from the inside – everything from
ultrasonic elastic wave monitoring to the latest magnetic
flux pig technologies that can detect exterior corrosion
as small as 0.5 in. in size, to cathodic protection systems.
Using the results, the technicians identify areas on the pipe
where corrosion has weakened the wall and welding crews
are called in to affect repairs.”
“We do not stint on safety measures,” said the CEO of
the pipeline company. “We visually inspect the pipelines
from the air on a weekly basis. We meticulously clear
vegetation from the right-of-way and use ground control
inspectors. We also monitor flowrates, pressures, pump
operating status and valve positioning, 24/7/364. And,
in addition to our other electronic pipe monitoring, we
also use low-level electrical current that we run through a
sacrificial metal to help inhibit pipeline corrosion.”
So, the gathering of pipe integrity data is not the
problem. The problem is repairing the exterior damage.
“There are several protocols for welding repairs,” said
Angela, District Pipe Repair Manager for one of the major
pipelines that runs between the Gulf Coast and New
England. “If there’s no flow, we have a procedure for that,
and if there’s an empty pipe, we have a procedure for that
as well. But, by far the safest pipe to weld is a full, flowing
pipe because the flowing liquid immediately transfers the
heat downstream away from the weld and quickly dissipates
it. The other procedures carry greater risk of explosion,
severe damage and leaks. The key is that the welding crew
has to know the gasoline level in the pipe and its flow
status to know which procedure to follow.
“We get that information from
the local individual pipeline operator
who runs that section of the line,” said
Angela. “So, our flow information is
only as reliable as the local operator.”
The human element
“In a recent incident, the operator
became distracted by other tasks and
a flow gap developed that the welding
crew did not know about,” said Angela.
“They discovered it just in time to
prevent an explosion, but a nasty leak
was created.”
“That leak dumped more than
250 000 gal. of refined gasoline before
the line could be shut down,” said
Marlow. “Fortunately, it was in mining
country away from developed real
estate, and a mine’s holding ponds
captured most of the fuel, avoiding an
ecological disaster.
“The pipeline company promptly
repaired the leak, brought the pipeline
 back to operation, and recovered and reclaimed the spilled
gas. But this near disaster made it even clearer that this
facet of their operations was the most open to human
error. The local line operators simply had too much on their
plates to give the welding crews the focus that they needed
so that they could be sure of the flow and levels in the
pipes as they performed their repairs”, explained Marlow.
Exterior ultrasonic flow monitoring
“I had already done some work with the pipeline company
on some ordinary flow applications, which is the majority
of our business,” said Frank Flow, Southeast Regional
Manager for FLEXIM Americas, a major manufacturer
of ultrasonic flowmeters. “This time, the Instrument
Flow Manager, Gary, wanted a full presentation and
demonstration of our flow measurement capabilities.
He was getting ready to make major changes to his flow
management system and liked what we had done for him
so far. Now he wanted to know more about our meters’
capabilities.”
How clamp-on ultrasonic flow
measurement works
“The technique most ultrasonic flowmeters use is called
transit-time difference. It exploits the fact that the
transmission speed of an ultrasonic signal depends on the
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flow velocity of the carrier medium, kind of like a swimmer
swimming against the current,” said Flow. “The signal moves
slower against the flow than with it. Transit time inline
meters have become the industry standard for custody
transfer measurement. Clamp-on meters are becoming the
secondary standard of measurement where 1% accuracy is
acceptable. Most of our customers start off by trying out
one meter, which generally leads to many more meters as
they gain trust in the product and technology. We have
pipeline customers that use more than 100 clamp-on
meters on their network measuring a full range of refined
petroleum applications.”
Presentation surprises
Detailing the presentation, Flow said, “When I got to
the presentation site things got a little bit different than
I expected. The demo went great. The flow team was
impressed with the accuracy, the ease of installation, and
the flexibility of our flow measurement capabilities. But
then the flow measurement manager tells me that they
are also looking for a meter that will tell them if there is
flow or no-flow in the pipe and if there is a way to tell
their repair teams if there was or wasn’t liquid in the pipe.
Well, we could actually do these things and more, so I
showed him the ‘flow/no flow’ feature and how to zero
the pipe out. Then we drained the pipe we were using for
A
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Y
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Environmentally Safe VpCI ®/MCI ® Technologies
 Advertisers’ the demo and added fuel at different levels. He was able to

Directory see how he could view exactly where the level was on this
horizontal pipe simply by strategically re-positioning the
transducers.”

Advertiser Page
Pipeline repair
3X ENGINEERING: Composite “We went back to the building and Angela had come to
72
Repair Specialist
ask the same questions Gary had just asked about gas level
ABC 52 monitoring during repairs,” said Flow. “She explained how
American Augers 67 earlier they narrowly avoided disaster because they were
welding on a pipe where they thought they had flow, but
Axalta Coating Systems 2 the flow had stopped and the pipeline operator had failed
to keep them up to date. The crew detected the problem
CDI 64
just in time and implemented procedures that avoided
Cortec Corporation 79 disaster.”
“We have procedures for welding at lower flows or no
CRC-Evans 4, 64
flow, but we prefer not to use them because they are riskier,”
Dairyland Electrical Industries 51 said Angela. “So, it’s always better to know with confidence
the gasoline level in the pipe and to know it is flowing. In the
DMI International 57
previous leak situation, we not only had no flow, but we also
Dyna Torque Technologies, Inc. OFC, 23 had an air gap between the standing fuel and the top of the
pipe, which was a recipe for an explosion.”
Electrochemical Devices, Inc. 63
“We all went back out to the field to demo the
European Gas Conference 38 portable meter for Angela and her team,” said Flow. “We
put the meter on a 14 in. line and drained the system
Fronius International GmbH 55
down. We demonstrated the meter’s capability at all of
Girard Industries 57 the situations a welding crew would meet in the field. The
welding team was impressed by the ease of installation and
Gulf Interstate Engineering 7 the capability to instantly identify the status of the flow.
IPLOCA 72 But Angela had one problem.”
“I didn’t want my crews to constantly interrupt their
LK2 S.r.l 41 work to check the meter,” Angela said. “It not only slowed
Maats Pipeline Equipment 17
the project but distracted the welding crew. I asked if there
was any way they could add an alarm to the meter that
MONTI 45 would alert the crew if flow and liquid level would exceed
safe levels.”
NDT Global 15
“It was a reasonable request,” said Flow. “We had never
Pigs Unlimited International, Inc. 37 had reason to incorporate alarms with our meters, but
it made sense in this case. I asked Mike Marlow, with his
Pipeline Inspection Company Ltd 42
extensive knowledge of pipelines, if he could work with our
Polyguard Products 21 engineers to develop an alarm system.”
“I agreed immediately,” said Marlow. “It only took
Quest Integrity 35
a month to integrate not one, but two audio alarms
ROSEN Group IFC integrated into the meter. One gave an audio alert if the
flow was slowing and the other gave a louder alert if the
SICIM 75
flow stopped.”
STATS Group 49 “Ever cautious, the pipeline management rented
three meters and tested them extensively in simulated
T.D. Williamson 11 circumstance,” said Flow. “The meters passed every test.
Tracerco 32 Then they returned the rented meters and bought three
others for extensive testing in the field. At last report, all
Tri Tool OBC field tests went very well.”
Tekfen Construction and Installation At the time of this writing, the pipeline company was
27
Co., Inc. considering acquiring between 100 and 150 meters so every
Vallourec, Project Line Pipe 71 welding crew on every one of their lines could be equipped
with one.
Vietz IBC The chance for human error with this pipeline company
Winn & Coales International Ltd 9 is being greatly reduced.

World Pipelines 46, 58, 79

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Vietz GmbH
Vietz GmbH
Fraenkische Straße 30–32 +49 (0)511 949 97-0 info@vietz.de
Fraenkische Straße 30–32 +49 (0)511 949 97-0 info@vietz.de
30455 Hannover (Germany) +49 (0)511 49 51 42 www.vietz.de
30455 Hannover (Germany) +49 (0)511 49 51 42 www.vietz.de
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