Pipeline Condition Monitoring

KEMA pipeline condition monitoring experts master several techniques to assess the condition of gas pipelines

Condition monitoring with intelligent pigs
Underground gas pipelines are protected against corrosion in two ways: firstly through their coating and secondly through cathodic protection. The high-pressure transport network and part of the regional network of Gasunie are monitored with the help of ‘intelligent pigs’. The pig is put into the pipeline and measures indirectly the material loss of the steel pipe. Corrosion, damage and manufacturing errors in the steel are revealed in this way. The pipelines are periodically tested; the inspection period between successive ‘pig runs’ depends, among other things, on the calculated corrosion rate.

Condition monitoring with aboveground technologies
Part of the gas transport network is not accessible to intelligent pigs. KEMA has developed a probabilistic methodology, based on External Corrosion Direct Assessment (ECDA), for such pipelines. In this process, the integrity of a pipeline is assessed on the basis of aboveground, electrical surveys. KEMA works continuously on further improvements to the existing survey equipment/method and to the ECDA model.