Detection and Numerical Simulation of Potential Hazard in Oil Pipeline Areas Based on UAV Surveys

Abstract

Western China is rich in oil and gas resources, and many oil and gas pipelines are under construction or have been completed. However, many water-related natural hazards, such as landslides, collapses, rockfalls, and debris flows, have developed in the areas passed through by oil and gas pipelines and seriously threaten the operational safety of these pipelines. Therefore, it is urgent to carry out large-scale identification and assessment of pipeline geological hazards. At present, conventional on-site investigation, evaluation, monitoring, and early warning methods are difficult to apply for rapid identification and evaluation of pipeline geological hazards across large-scale areas. Based on this, this study takes the pipeline of Sinopec Marketing South China Branch in Yunnan Province as the research area. In this research, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and photogrammetry technology were used to quickly and accurately obtain multi-phase images of an oil pipeline passing through the study area, and the images were post-processed to obtain multi-phase high-resolution, high-precision digital orthophoto maps and digital terrain models (DTMs) to identify landform changes and deformation. The focus of this research is to propose a set of technical methods for UAV point cloud filtering. The DTMs obtained based on this method can effectively identify unstable areas of oil pipelines. In addition, we have carried out numerical simulations under different motion scenarios in unstable regions, providing scientific support for future geological hazard prevention and mitigation and engineering practices in oil pipeline areas.

Quantitative Estimation of Pipeline Slope Disaster Risk in China

“…Slope-pipe models are commonly used to analyze pipeline stress and displacement (Zhang et al 2016;Han and Fu 2019;Yan et al 2021), and this study used the ABAQUS software to establish a coupled slope-pipe model. The welding seam at the pipe connection is ignored in the modeling, and it is assumed that the pipe material is uniform and the distribution direction is constant.…”

“…Real-time monitoring of landslides can provide early warnings for pipeline landslide hazards (Vasconez et al 2010;Lombardi et al 2016;Yan et al 2019). The technical method of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) point cloud filtering can be used to identify dangerous areas of oil and gas pipelines (Gao et al 2011;Yan et al 2021). However, these systems only monitor the slope hazard, and they cannot determine whether and to what degree it impacts the pipeline.…”

Design Configuration and Technical Application of Rotary-Wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

“…Pipeline monitoring [121] Gas leak monitoring This study uses the data on gas (methane) leak gathered by an UAV with a gas sensor and a Lidar. [122] Oil pipeline monitoring This study presents a filter for UAV point cloud, and effectively identifies unstable areas of oil pipelines.…”

Detection of over-ground petroleum and gas pipelines from optical remote sensing images

“…The climate conditions in the pipeline laying area are harsh, making it difficult for humans to detect and repair pipeline faults in a timely manner. In addition, there is lack of documentation of installed petroleum and gas pipes and current studies of petroleum and gas pipelines are mainly carried out through on-site investigation 4 .…”