A new white paper from Energy Solutions International (ESI) investigates software methods for pipeline leak and theft detection. Recent litigation, increasing theft and the drive for safety and environmental protection have raised awareness of the need for detection systems. Realistically, leak sizes of the order of twice the accuracy of the flow meters are considered detectable with location accuracy of around 5 to 10 %. The detailed white paper includes advice on alignment with the API 1155 leak detection standards along with (naturellement) insights into deployment of ESI’s flagship PipelineManager software.
An alternative means of leak detection has been proposed by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals. The novel approach uses ‘PipeGuard,’ a robotic system that detects leaks by sensing pressure change at leak locations. PipeGuard was unveiled last month at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Hong Kong.
© Oil IT Journal - all rights reserved.