Features

While no one would ever label the natural gas pipeline industry as “high-tech,” technology nevertheless is playing a major part in the industry’s response to a series of deadly pipeline incidents in North America in the past 18 months. For example, today there can be a digital footprint created and stored on new pipe literally as it is being buried in the ground.

After TransCanada's Bison pipeline experienced an as-yet-unexplained rupture in Wyoming July 20, an investigation is under way but has not yet uncovered the cause of the accident. The rupture occurred in remote country and did not result in any injuries or property damage aside from the pipeline itself.

To date, limited testing has been done to determine the effects pulsation in the gas stream may have on the ultrasonic meter’s accuracy and performance. Some previous testing does show that there may be an impact on accuracy when the frequency of the pulsation is the same as -- or a multiple of -- the sampling frequency of the ultrasonic meter.

Inspection and assessment capabilities in the pipeline industry are constantly improving, thanks to competitive technology developments. More advanced inline inspection (ILI) tools yield better data on pipeline condition, which in turn drives the need for advanced assessment capabilities to leverage the improved data quality and accuracy. Damage mechanisms like dents, cracks and internal and external corrosion can now be accurately quantified.