Pipelines are recognised as the safest method of delivering energy. However, pipelines, like all engineering plant can, and do, fail. A number of transmission pipelines have failed recently, with both tragic and spectacular effect. For example in Venezuela in 1993, 51 people were burnt to death when a gas pipeline failed and the escaping gas ignited. More recently (1994), a pipeline failed in New Jersey, USA, and the resulting fireball killed one person, and injured 58 others. There have been other recent reports of pipeline failures in Russia, Pakistan, Argentina, Canada and Britain.
Pipeline failures rarely cause fatalities to the public, but they can disrupt an operator's business, either by loss of supply, or by necessary remedial work. They can be extremely costly in terms of replacement and repair. For example, the BP Forties oil pipeline in the UK North Sea has had to be replaced due to internal corrosion at a cost of $250 million, and a single pipeline failure can cost tens of millions of dollars if it occurs in an environmentally-sensitive area.
An operator needs to maintain a safe pipeline, and ensure it has a long and profitable life. Consequently, he must consider maintenance measures that are both cost effective, and prevent
failures or large repair bills.
Internal inspection of a transmission pipeline using intelligent pigs is increasingly being used by pipeline operators as a means of both maintaining their pipelines and ensuring that their major asset has a long and efficient life. British Gas has internally inspected most of its 18,000 km high pressure pipeline system, and is now able to reduce maintenance bills. This company can now look to the future with confidence in the knowledge that it knows the condition of its (mainly 25 year old system) pipelines, and can demonstrate to Regulatory Authorities their safety, potential for uprating, and potential for an infinite design life.
This Section of the Workshop is aimed at answering the type of questions a pipeline operator should ask himself before he considers an internal inspection. The paper starts by covering maintenance and inspection methods in general.
An operator needs to maintain a safe pipeline, and ensure it has a long and profitable life. Consequently, he must consider maintenance measures that are both cost effective, and prevent
failures or large repair bills.
Internal inspection of a transmission pipeline using intelligent pigs is increasingly being used by pipeline operators as a means of both maintaining their pipelines and ensuring that their major asset has a long and efficient life. British Gas has internally inspected most of its 18,000 km high pressure pipeline system, and is now able to reduce maintenance bills. This company can now look to the future with confidence in the knowledge that it knows the condition of its (mainly 25 year old system) pipelines, and can demonstrate to Regulatory Authorities their safety, potential for uprating, and potential for an infinite design life.
This Section of the Workshop is aimed at answering the type of questions a pipeline operator should ask himself before he considers an internal inspection. The paper starts by covering maintenance and inspection methods in general.
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder