Successful management of the pipeline cracking threat using an ultrasonic ILI tool - a case study

摘要

THE THREAT OF CRACKING on a pipeline is often managed through monitoring by using crack detection in-line inspection (ILI) technologies, followed by excavations and repairs where necessary. However, recently there have been concerns raised by regulators and operators regarding the performance and reliability of crack detection tools. Correspondingly, a detailed study was conducted on a 290-mile-long transmission pipeline that contained a higher population of cracking features, in order to compare the ILI and field results. The probability of detection, crack-sizing accuracy, and crack-in-corrosion interactions were evaluated for the nearly 40,000 features identified by the ILI.