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Success stories
Baker Hughes Bringing pioneering inspection and monitoring capabilities to the world of flexible pipes
Victor Farid, Business Leader
Baker Hughes needed an additional solution to monitor and inspect flexible pipes in a simple and non-intrusive manner. This capability would enable users to keep pipes operational for longer and boost on-site safety. The solution
How is Baker Hughes thriving? Baker Hughes has successfully adapted and applied its inspection and monitoring services to flexible pipe structures, which are commonly used in the oil and gas industry. For many years, the company developed and introduced a solution to the market. Now, the objective is to build on the success it has experienced in regions like Brazil, where the solution has proven its worth significantly. The challenge For many years, the R&D company called MAPS Technology has been developing and deploying magnetbased technology to identify stress in steel structures supporting a variety of industries. With venture capital backing, the company effectively applied its solutions to the US rail market, among others. In 2013, the company was acquired by GE’s oil and gas division (now part of Baker Hughes) with the intention of applying the technology to flexible pipe systems as well. These pipe networks are commonly found in offshore and subsea oil and gas developments because they enhance production and asset integrity, while reducing the overall cost of pipeline systems. However, these pipe systems are susceptible to mechanical failure, which, if undetected, can cause issues that significantly reduce the life of assets. Consequently,
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EIC Survive and Thrive
The journey to this new market has been one of perseverance and patience. A major engineering challenge involved developing the mechanical components that transmit signals and capture the response, as well as the ability to read the collected data. Concerning the latter, the key to success was to clean and interpret data using improved algorithms and software to eliminate excess noise in offshore environments. Development took six years. By 2016, Baker Hughes had reached a stage where it could successfully demonstrate its system in flexible pipes; however, reliability and consistency was needed before the technology could be commercialised. Three years later, Baker Hughes achieved the crucial milestone of fully qualifying its technology through blind testing. Today, Baker Hughes can offer a full inspection and early warning service for operators of flexible pipe networks. This process involves collecting and analysing data on wires, which can number up to 70 in each pipe. When unloaded wires are detected, reports and alerts are sent so remedial action can be taken before serious problems arise. Importantly, the system can also indicate safe service life, informing users when pipes will require repair or replacement and allowing them to plan maintenance work accordingly.
2023