Tom Gilmour, DNV GL - Software,
USA,
illustrates how valuable inline
inspection data can be to a pipeline
operator and looks at the role it plays in
the future of pipeline integrity analysis.
I
ntelligent pigging, or inline inspection, has been around for nearly 40 years and
has seen vast changes in technology, accuracy and scope of use. These advances
have created new challenges. Without the right approach to the vast amounts of
data available, you could be missing out on substantial improvements in safety
and performance.
For many, intelligent pigging is the primary instrument of an integrity management
programme. In most cases, however, pipeline operators are not realising the full
business value of the data. This means that they are missing out on substantial
improvements of their pipeline performance and safety. In parallel with the advances
in technology for inspection and information collection, the software capabilities have
risen exponentially. When integrity engineers realise the full benefits of their inline
inspection data, the changes will be far reaching and will impact the effectiveness of
international standards such as ISO 55000 and the operational excellence initiatives of
every pipeline owner and operator, globally.
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