This was achieved based on an expandable and modular
recording system that resulted in the reduction of power
by a factor of two, despite the increased number of
sensors.
These sensor heads were then pressure and vibration
tested to ensure compliance with the design goals. The
sensors have now been operational for more than six
months and have successfully completed numerous
inspections.
VECTRA SENSOR7
inspection services
The result of all this innovation
is the Baker Hughes VECTRA
TM
SENSOR7 high-resolution MFL
ILI services, which have the
tightest triaxial sensor spacing in
the industry, giving operators a
more accurate look at complex
anomalies within their pipelines.
The VECTRA SENSOR7 services
offer many benefits to a pipeline
operator compared to a standard
MFL tool. The industry-leading
specifications in Table 1 are based
on pull testing and operational
experience.
When compared to the
high-resolution MFL industry
standard of 10% on depth and
10 mm on length and width, the
error volume has been reduced
by more than two-thirds. To put
that into perspective, a heavily
corroded pipeline was recently
inspected with a standard MFL
tool and showed more than 1400
immediate concerns of a rupture
pressure ratio
<
1.05. If the VECTRA
SENSOR7 service had been run on
the pipeline, the higher resolution
would have shown that the
number of immediate concerns
was actually only approximately
550. Even at a nominal cost of
US$20 000 per dig to find and
fix the problem, the operator
would have saved approximately
US$17 million.
Additionally, the introduction
of enhanced data acquisition
allows pipeline operators to take
the next step in the identification,
and more importantly, sizing of
smaller anomalies within their
pipelines. This offering provides
another important option for
those who want the best available information and those
who know of, or suspect, specific anomaly types that this
enhanced technology can detect.
The industry will continue to move forward in the
accurate identification and sizing of defects to provide
operators with the information they need to continue to
operate as safely as possible. Being armed with the best
available information at all stages of the decision process
allows them to do so.
