Natural force damage from earth movement and heavy rains or floods accounts for only 8% of all pipeline failure incidents. However, these type of incidents account for 34% of all property damage. Natural force damage tends to result in rupture failure rather than leaks, hence greater spill volumes, longer downtime, and increased property and environmental damage. This article outlines how reliable data gathering and the use of inertial measurement unit (IMU) technology during inline inspections (ILI) can help prevent failures of this kind. The remote nature of long-distance pipe- lines can expose them to a range of external loads. Earthquakes, landslides, seabed movement, ship anchor drags, permafrost, flooding and third-party damage all have the potential to deflect a pipeline from its as-built position.
展开▼