Protection of Fuel Tanks Safety ahead! - GL Group

INDUSTRIAL SERVICES | PIPELINES
Smart Pigs on a Mission
Robots check pipelines for corrosion, ruptures and deformation
Global demand for energy is set to rise sharply over
the coming 25 years. The International Energy Agency
(IEA) expects an average annual growth rate of 1.7
per cent until 2030, with renewable energies and natural
gas identified as having particularly strong potential for
growth. The implications for the latter energy source are
that facilities will become larger and more expensive and
that projects will become increasingly international.
Venezuela and Colombia, for instance, recently started
building a joint gas pipeline which will first link the two
countries and then be extended to Panama. The costs are
estimated at US$ 335 million. Similarly, the Nabucco gas
pipeline, the construction of which is scheduled to begin
in 2008, will provide Europe with access to the vast
gas reserves of the Caspian region. The pipeline is due to
be phased into operation from 2011 and planned to carry
some eight billion cubic metres of gas per year initially,
with the figure expected to rise to as much as 30 billion
44 nonstop 4/2006
cubic metres in 2018. Investment costs amount to EUR 4.6
billion.“ The more gigantic and expensive a project is, the
more costly it becomes to check the plans and drawings
and to verify the strength calculations for the pipeline and
its components”, explains Ulrich Adriany, an expert on onshore
pipelines at Germanischer Lloyd Oil & Gas (GLO).
Target: Maximum Reliability
He specializes in an inspection method using a device
known in the jargon as a“smart pig”. The term refers to an
inspection robot that performs the important task of detecting
corrosion, ruptures and deformation of petroleum
and natural gas pipelines. Adriany observes that this used
to take weeks, but can now be done in a matter
Simulation:
of hours.
Das
After the current condition of a pipeline
Schiffshebewerk
is assessed, GLO
des
Staudamms.
evaluates the residual risk using special IT tools. Early detection
and elimination of weaknesses not only improves
safety, but also increases the life of the pipeline. With
PIPELINE. Regular maintenance
enhances safety
and extends the life circle.