Pipeline Failure Analysis and Inspection

Oil and gas (O&G) pipelines are expensive assets that cross through both the ecologically sensitive and densely populated urban areas. If not well maintained, pipelines may fail with potentially significant consequences that could have long-term and irreversible impacts on both natural and human environments. The United States Department of Transportation reported more than 10,000 failures in O&G networks across the country which caused losses around six billion US dollars in the form of property damage, production losses, environmental impacts and human casualties.^[1] Therefore, to improve the reliability of infrastructure, pipeline failure analysis and inspection is the integral activity. The main components of the pipeline integrity management are: failure identification process of pipelines in high consequence areas; assessment baseline plan; an integrated analysis of defect information and failure consequences of pipeline integrity; criteria for repair actions based on information analysis during assessment plan; a continuous improvement plan of pipeline integrity by assessment and evaluation; preventive and mitigation measures to protect the high consequence areas; programmes effectiveness measurement methodology; a process of information analysis and the review of integrity assessment results; a process of management of change; and a process of record keeping and documentation control.

Oil and gas pipeline system: (a) Oil pipeline system (b) Gas pipeline system, adopted from Natural Gas Pipelines.^[2]

As a global leading energy analytical services company, Alfa Chemistry provides incredible services and credible results. Alfa Chemistry is your one-stop-shop laboratory to perform pipeline failure analysis and inspection.

Pipeline failure analysis parameters tested by Alfa Chemistry:

• Metal loss

• Cracks

• Pits shape

• Length

• Maximum pit depth

• Wall thickness due to corrosion and erosion

• Axial flaws such as stress corrosion cracking, longitudinal seam cracking, selective seam corrosion, long narrow axial corrosion and hydrostatic testing

Alfa Chemistry's common techniques for pipeline inspections include:

• Pigging

• Hydro-testing

• External and internal corrosion assessments

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References

• Iqbal, H., Tesfamariam, S., Haider, H., & Sadiq, R. (2017). Inspection and maintenance of oil & gas pipelines: a review of policies. Structure and Infrastructure Engineering, 13(6), 794-815.

• Natural Gas Pipelines. (2015). CEPA. Retrieved June 1, 2015, from http://www.cepa.com/about-pipelines/types-of-pipelines/natural-gaspipelines