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0E81 SPE 10402.1 NEW TECHNIQUES OF PIPELINE INSPECTION

J.L. Herve M.T.S. Ling Offshore Engineers

.

Total Oil Marine Ltd.

J. Und.-i PipeIine Engineer Norek Hydro A/S

Cavrlght 19S1 Society of Petroleum Engineers of AIME

INTRODUCTION The Frigg Field Transportation System wae commissioned in 1977. Since sterthg production, Total Oil Marine hae initiated and maintained an In service inspection programme designed to identify any condition of the line which may lead to failure of the line either in the short or long term. Until 1980, the main problems on the pipeline were identified as short term stability problem% We believe that our current inspection programme is adequate to identify rapidly any area of concern. In 1981 our main effort is to determine the beet methods for identifying longer term problems such ae internal and external corrosion. Our current programme therefore now hee three main aspects. The external inspection, performed routinely over the pact four years, cathodic protection inspection tested in 1980, and an internal pigging programme which was initiated in 1978. The full inspection programme will be the subject of this paper.

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0E131 SPE M144XL2 NEW TECHNIQUES OF PiPELINE INSPECTION 1. External Inspection

/ Total Oil Marine uses a number of external inspection methods which are well known in the North Sea area, and are readUy avdlable from established contractors. The particular method chosen depends upon the type of inspection required and the location of the work. 1.1 LandfaU Survey

The sactim from PK (Kilometre Post) O to approximately PK 2 ia the beach area and due to the local conditima presents specific problems. More usual inspection techniques, as uaad for the offshore aaction of the pipelinaa cannot be used due to the constraints of the area. In past yenra our policy has been to perform a routine visual and pipb bUrifd survey with divers. During 1%31 we have adopted a more flexible approach, making use of side scan sonar end detailed bathymetry to delineate areaa of scour. Divers are then used in a mare seiective manner to inspect any areas of interest. 1.2 Offshore Survey the pipelines our aim has been to monitor the whilst performing detailed inspection work on found that side scan sonar followed by detailed unmanned submersible satisfactorily fulfils our Line Statue Monitoring

For the offshore aectlon of general status of the lines areas of concern. We have visual survey by means of raquiremanta. 1.2A External Inspection,

Our norm8i procedure m ~ . :%rm early in the weather window side scan sonar rms on each nide of each pipeline. A high frequency (100 KHz) sonar flown 20-30 melraa offset from the pipeline is sufficient to provide a iequate Informatim m the status of the lines, and to define buriai, trench and scour c0nditiOn8. We find that two runs, ona on each side of define condition, position and the line are essentialto accumtely requirement for detaiIed inspection. 1.26 Detailed Visual Inspection

Tha detailed inspection programme is normaUy performed by unmanned submersible (Figure 1). In the past we have made use of manned submeraiblee but the general improvement of the unmanned craft and the advantages of cost have resulted in the use of the latter system. The foUowing specific featurea are included in the submersible spread:Sonar for location of the pipe Good observational capabilities Colour video system Colour still photographic system Transverse trench profiler systam Navigatitm and positioning system

OE81 SPE 10402.3 NEW TECHNIQUES OF PIPELINE INSPECTION 1.3 Cancluaba8

We have found that in all case8 careful attention to the performance of the work is essential to the successful acquisition of the correct survey ie8U1tS. To this end our policy is to jointly compile with the contractor a field specifications document. This document details the scope of work, i.e. the inspection work required (location, standard, video, ph~tographic), and the method of work. Close offshore supervision of th > work by experienced pipeline inspection engineers 18 essential to maintain the 8tandSrd of work throughout the survey period. 2. CORROSION INSPECTION

Our pipeline hea now been in position for more than seven years and having satisfactorily solved our external inspection problems 80 that we can perfOrm essential stabilisation work in the same season we have focused our attention on corrosion inspection. Our aim has been to approach the inspection in the same way as our external inspection programme . in other W0rd8, monitoring the general status of the lines whilst performing detailed inspectim work on the areas where the condition i8 interpreted as more doubtful. 2.1 Cathodic Protection, Line Status Monitoring

For the first part of our !nspection we have made use of a trailing wire system (Figure 2) whereby, whiIe measuring the potential of the line relative to a siiver/silver chloride reference cell, a permanent connect it:. is maintained with the pipeline at the landfall or at the platform riser. The system provides a general potential status of the Iine which may be used to delineate areas where abnormal potentials occur. It is expected that the survey will have to be repeatad regularly before an accurate conclusion of the status 1s acquired. The system is obviously limited by the requirement to fly the fish, carrying the remote reference cell, as close as possible to the pipelines. We are attempting to solve this requirement by attention to accurate navigation end the use of a transit sonar, or a distance from pipe device. During 1981 we have succesafuIly performed over 1100 kms of survey. We have found, however, that in the North Sea area geomagnetic anomalies can cause a significant effect on the recorded pipe potential. Our pmgramme has included recording these anomalies which have shown good correlation with the anomalies in the survey records. Detailed analysis methods have been used to filter out the anomalies from the recorded potentials and to calculate the pipe potential. 2.2 DetaiIed Cathodic Protection Inspection

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The detailed cathodic protection inspection also preaenta specific problems. Two systems are now available in the North Sea. During our 1980 inspection progremme, we teeted one of these systems which waa a submersible mounted cathodic protection survey probe. The equipment consi8te of a submersible mounted probe, with two , aference cells and a remote reference cell positioned at some distance up the submersible% umbilical.

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CIE81 SW 10402.4 NEW TECHNIQUES OF PIPELINE INSPECTION Recordere m the support vessel provide en instantaneous read-out giving the company% dfahore representative an immediate indication of the ctmro8ion problem. Though the etated accuracy (~ 10nN/) of the sy8tem 18 very good, some difficulties ari8e. These include, with the particular system we have used, the requirement to keep the probe at a ccn8tant height above the pipeline and a requirement of repeated calibration. An alternative 8y8tem 18 available which makes u8e 6f the current den8ity 8tatu8 of the line. Again, around the pipeline to calculate the pOtt3fNid tlw etated accuracy of the system i8 very good, but aa the technique requires detailed ceiculetiona before determination of the true potential 8tatus of the pipelines, there are some obvious limiteticms. 2.3 Conclusions

Cathodic protection 8urvey technique8 for underwater pipelinea are still at en edy etage of development. Accuracy is still limited and interpretation difficulu @r experience 8ugge8t8 that the method 8elected and the confidence in the methnd re8ta entirely with the engineer who ha8 iEJ8p0n8ibilityfor the 8urvey. Our 81RI i8 to uee exi8ting techniques to the best of their ability in order to try to localise and remedy at the earliest moment any deficiency in the pipeline cethcdic protection system. We 8heU a180 continue to investigate available sy8tem8 by means of field trials, which are the sole criteria ffJr 8elacticn of an effective 8urvey technique. 3. INTERNAL INSPECTION BY CORROSION INSPECTION PIG

The natu~ of the North Sea long distance pipeline tran8portaticn 8y8tem8 haa motivated t~ development of advanced internaJ corrosicn inspection pig% Using field-proven practical idea8 and principles, it ha8 been poesible to create a design speciflcaticm to build an advaoced self contained 321 tool to inspect AP1 5LX grade X-6 3/4~ wall thickness pipe joints and to record true ga8 temperature. Before the new tool waa accepted en exten8ive capablIity test was arranged by Total Oil Marine and had to be paeeed in Aberdeen, 3.1 Oesign Criteria

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Tctal Oil M@ne8 knowledge about intelligent pigs is mairdy derived fmm the comprehensive teete performed with the Vetcolog (in 197$) and Linelog (in 1979 and 1981) in our te8tline8 (Figures 3,4) located in Aberdeen. Ba8Bd on thi8 unique experience we were able to specify the de8ign which ra8ults in th~ Frigg Transportation Sy8tem. wouid give us optimum In addition to specifying the acceptance levels of detecticn and grad$ng for th tool perfcrmence, much effort waa spant to specify pioeline I.D. re8trictiona that mu8t be negotiated by the inspection tool i.e. valve misalignment, flowtee barring etc.

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OE81 SPE 104OL5 NEW TECHNIQUES OF PIPELINE INSPECTION 3.2 System Components

The inetrumanted pig cmists basically of the standard three elements i.e. the drive section in the front, the combined magnetizing/transducer section in the centra, and the electronic amplifiers and recording system in the rem of the pig (see Figure 5). In addition the 32 tool irmorpora.ea two other special devices which are an acoustic pinger and a gas temperature probe. The pinger is of dual cylinder construction mounted onto the pigs drive Secticn, however the pinger transducer la mounted OntO the tools tranducer section to obtain a metal to metal contact with the pipe for the transmitted acoustic eignaia During the fimt survey run a diver with a pinger receiver located on the seabed adjacent to the pipe wea able to detect the pig 1 mile ewayo The temperature device consiata of a piatinum m8i8t&!~ element housed in a prasaura te8t8d dUMiniUm houaihg which la isolated by nylon mountings from the ateei body of the tool% The gas temparatura i8 read digitally off a spare instrument section. clmnnel on the magnetic tape. The dummy tool eke consists basically of the standard three elemanta a8 the instrumented pig and also includaa the same acou8tic pinger. A gauging ring 18 located at the cantra of the dummy magnetiser and hae a diameter equal to the shoe collapse d$ameter of the live magnetiser.
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3.3

Acceptance

Tent Results

The tool detectad about 95% of ail the defects introduced in our pull teatiine and approximately 80% of defects detected were graded correctly. Several tool limitution8 can be summarised aa followNo defectscan be detected

near to circumferential

or longitudinal welds

The tool indicate8 some unidentified defects The grading 18 not very accurate Defects of leas that 15% wait penetration are not detected Defects with a width of less than 0.5 are not confidently detected. Both the 32 live tooi and the dummy tool can succeasfuily negotiate our 2.RD 90 riser bend8, and ail the properly constructed barrad flowteaa etc. A differential pressure of naar to 5 bam 18 needed to move these pigs through the riser bend8. It can be concluded that both pigs succesafuiiy met our agreed acceptance criteria. (Figure 6) 3.4 Pigging Programme I

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We propose to follow a conservative approach in that safety and operational pipeline requiramenta are of prime importance. During the 1981 survey before launching the live 32 tool, we used a pra.pigging programme as foIlows:-

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OE81 SPE N14U2.6

NEW TECHNIQUES OF PIPELINE INSPECTION

Four batching (LBCC-2) and cleaning pigs (Vantage iv) Two caliper pig trains Dummy tool

This pre~pigging programme waa intended to minimise the risk -of getting any pig stuck in the pipeline. However, we have on standby a set of Unicaet pigs and intend to have an EPRS (Emergency Pipeline Repair Service) to tackie such an event in the future. F~ pig location Wrp~e8 (in additi~ to tb acoustic pingere) a special ?mmputer pmgramme has been used succeeafully to predict pig running titnea and eetlmatad timae of arrival. 3.5 Conclusions

After having performed a mrioue prcgramme in testing axisting Intelligent pigs, Total Oil Marine LtcL was in a position to specify the design criteria f6r a prototype 32n intelligent pig. Deepita the tools severe limitations (failure to detect defacte near to welds, grading Inaccuracy etc.) we believe that this pig is the best operational tool available in the market today to suit our raquiraments. Our confidence was supported by the eucceeeful completion of the planned pigging programme performed in a pipeline aacticn during June, 1981. More and more mntractora are actively involved in development of naw improved tools baaed on ultraamica and radioactive isotcpea and we expect some new tools to ba avaiiable within 3-5 yamw. 4.
Non

NON DESTRUCTIVE ;ESTING FOR AND RISER inspection

UNDERWATER

PIPELINE

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D(38tNCtiVa Testing (NDT) haa now become a major p@ of 8Ub-8~ Inepacticn pmgrammea for platforms, but. has not been extensively ueed on 8Ub-8eS pipt3iifW8. The techniques include ultraecnica, magnetic particle lnapection, x-rI y gammagraphy, and electric potential measurements. Total Oil Marine8 present tdm ia therefora to fully evaluate all the available techniques, and to define procedures, interpretation, coete, and qUalifiC8tiM$ of the h18pSCtOMfOr thdi applicathn to 8ub-8ea pipalina inspection.

During 1981, we shall ba performing a trial on ttm pipeline to. demonstrate the applicatia of NDT techniques. The vertical risere at MCPO1 are in a permanently dry anvimnment and can therefore be inspected easily and regularly using conventional hspaetim methode. Our pmcadure is to ~rform every thrae monthe, visual and ultrasonic inspections on the bendb, at convenient Iocationa. on Ziafle joints and pig trapa. The approach the straight sections,crossovers, seems reliable and any ohange in wall thickness immediately obviow Strain gauges are attached to the riser anchor blocks at the bottom of the shaft which allows us to check if any risar movemant is taking place. In addition the cathodic protection status of the riaere in continuously monitored using a permanent Morgan BerkeIey System.

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0E81 SPE 10402.7 NEW TECt-lNIQLIES OF PIPELINE INSPECTION 5. COSTS OF THE INSPECTION PROGRAMME

The COS* of the annual inspection programme are a significant feature of the annual operating costa. In 19B0, the total costa w6110in the order of 0.25 - 0.3% of the total pipeline investment. The typical unit coats per kilometre of the survey methods described are a8 foilow@Lendfall Survey, Total/km g20,tJO0 External Survey, Line Status Monitoring ToteI/km S150 External Survey, Detailed Inspection Total/km S3,000 Cathodic protection, Line Statue Monitoring Total/km 2150

Cathodic Protection, Detailed Inspection Total/km S3,500 Internal Inspection, Linaiog TotaI/km S2,000 .. It can be men from the above figures that the c)~sts of pipeline inspection can be very significant. There era clear coat ~Jrantages in the delineation of problem area8 by means of monitoring techniques such as side scan sonar or cathodic protection monitoring. 6. CONCLUSIONS

Pipeline inspection is a combination of different methods. The methods for external visual inspection are now well established. In 1961 our main effort and investment is to investigate and use techniques for inspecting the cathodic protection status &Td internal condition of the pipelines. Our inspectim techniques are therefme turning in emphasis from the shorter term problems, which are now Satisfactorily resolvad by means of well established maintenance techn!qiies, to the longer term problems which will exist over the life of the pipelines. 7. REFERENCES

A. BARES, J.L. HERVE, M.T.S. LING Inspection and Maintenance of Frigg Pipeline Transportation System Paper Reference EUR 158, Proceeding of the 19S0 European Offshore Petroleum Conference and Exhibition.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to acknowledge the helpful assistance of the folIowinW Total Oil Marine, for allowing the presentation of the paper. Sub Sea Surveys Ltd., for diagram of Consub 2. Harco Corporation, for diagram of the I-larco C.P.L. technique.

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t. NEW TECHNIQUES OF PIPELINE INSPECTION

OEB1 SPE MIMI%

. Copyright 1981
1

American Institute of Mining,

Metallurgical

end Petroleum

Engineers Inc.

This paper was prepared for the Off8hara Europe f31 Conference in conjunction with the Aberdeen Petroleum Saetlon of the Society of Petroleum Engineers of AIME, held in Aberdeen, Scotland 15-16 September 19S1. Permiaaion to copy is raatricted to en ebatract of not more than 300 words. Illustrathme may not be copied. The abstract should conteh conapitwous acknowledgement of where and by whom the paper ia praaented. Publioatim eleawhere after publication in the Journal of Petroleum Technology or the Society of Petroleum Engineers Journal is uauelly granted upm request to the Editor of the appropriate journal provided agreemmt to give proper credit is made.

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