PIPELINE INNOVATIONS LTD
Pathfinder Foam Caliper Pig Pipeline Innovations Ltd (PIL) is a company based in the North East of England specialising in the supply of caliper and smart pig products for the oil and gas industry. Caliper pigs are commonly used in the oil and gas industry to measure the bore of a pipeline and to identify the characteristics and location of features such as bends, offtakes and valves. An example of the type of work carried out by PIL is a high profile project recently completed for Petronas in Brazil which involved supply of caliper pigs for inspection of a 24� diameter x 270km long subsea pipeline in water depths of 2300m. Traditional caliper pigs are mechanically complex and are expensive to build and operate and whilst this type of pig has previously been used for checking pipelines in the water industry, their use is not common. In recognition of the need for a lower cost simpler type of caliper tool, PIL have developed the PathfinderŽ Foam Caliper pig; a new type of pig which uses a unique patented technology to obtain a multi-channel pipe bore and geometry measurement capability in a foam pig body.
Applications The Pathfinder is typically used to prove the bore of a pipeline prior to running hard bodied cleaning or gauging pigs. The Pathfinder will identify and measure any significant dents, buckles or other restrictions in the line such as partially closed valves.
64
instituteofwater.org.uk
The Pathfinder has also proven to be an ideal tool to use in support of cleaning operations in a pipeline. By running the tool before starting the cleaning program, an accurate assessment of the quantity and distribution of deposits in the line can be obtained. Using this information the pipeline operator can design the most efficient and cost effective cleaning program for the project. Further use of the Pathfinder as the work proceeds allows the operator to modify the program as necessary to optimise the cleaning efficiency. A high bypass version of the Pathfinder has been developed which produces a high velocity jet from the nose of the pig to generate turbulence preventing a build up of deposits in front of the pig.
Key Product Features The Pathfinder comprises a medium density polyurethane foam pig with a removable electronics cartridge containing sensors, electronics and batteries located in the centre of the pig. The polyurethane foam material is both tough and yet highly compressible allowing the tool to negotiate severe restrictions in a pipeline with minimal risk of damage or tearing. Caliper sensors located in the electronics cartridge measure the compression of the foam at multiple points around the circumference of the tool, allowing the tool to identify and measure bore changes. Accelerometer sensors measure the roll (clock position) and the tilt angle of the pig and gyro sensors identify bend direction and angle. An onboard logging system (with real-time clock) collects and stores data from the sensors, allowing pipeline features and anomalies recorded in the data to be referenced to pressure and flow records.
One of the major advantages of using the Pathfinder is that the tool is relatively simple to operate and as it does not normally require the services of a caliper technician, it provides significant cost benefits and operational advantages over conventional caliper tools. Following download of the data onto a PC or Laptop, the operator transfers the data to the PIL operations base in the UK using an internet file sharing website for assessment by a skilled PIL analyst. A preliminary report detailing the main features in the pipeline including any anomalies will be issued within 24 hrs and a final report will be issued within 7 days.
Track Record Since the first production tools became operational by 2012, the Pathfinder has been used in over 40 pipelines by some of the major oil companies such as BP, Shell and ExxonMobil on pipelines in Europe, North America and SE Asia. The Pathfinder has successfully detected and measured deposits of wax, sand and hard scale deposits in oil and gas lines and has been used as a key element in the planning and execution of cleaning programs. The tool has also been used to identify and locate restrictions in lines where hard bodied pigs have been either damaged or stuck.