Monitoring of Critical Metallic Assets in Oil and Gas Industry Using Ultrasonic Guided Waves

Abstract

This chapter presents advancements in structural health monitoring (SHM) using ultrasonic guided waves (UGW) technology for metallic structures to support their integrity and maintenance management. The focus is on pipelines and storage tanks, which are critical assets in the Oil and Gas industry, whose operational conditions can greatly accelerate damage mechanisms. Conventional routine inspections are both costly and time consuming and affect the plant reliability and availability. These operational and economic disadvantages have led to development of SHM systems which can be permanently installed on these critical structures to provide information about developing damage and optimise maintenance planning and ensure structural integrity. These technology advancements enable inspection without interruption to operations, and generate diagnosis and prognosis data for condition-based maintenance, hence increasing safety and operational efficiency. The fundamentals, architecture and development of such SHM systems for pipes and above ground storage tanks are described here.

Data-Driven Ultrasonic Non-Destructive Evaluation of Pipes and Welds in the Context of the Oil and Gas Industry

“…Composite materials have outstanding mechanical properties, such as high fatigue resistance, high stiffness, high-temperature wear, oxidation resistance capabilities, and cost-effective manufacturing [24,25]. Amongst these several advantages, corrosion resistance stands out since, according to Major Accident Reporting System (eMARS), corrosion is the principal cause of accidents in the OGI [14]. However, composites are subjected to cracks and delaminations caused by fluctuating and impact stresses [26].…”

“…The production and distribution of oil and gas involve complex and costly operations, requiring the employment of high-end technology. Therefore, it is necessary to assure the availability and reliability of assets and structures, especially those whose operational conditions can accelerate failure mechanisms [14]. Some of these components are storage tanks, thin-walled vessels, heat exchangers, offshore risers, sealing cement in wells, and pipelines [15,14,16].…”

“…Therefore, it is necessary to assure the availability and reliability of assets and structures, especially those whose operational conditions can accelerate failure mechanisms [14]. Some of these components are storage tanks, thin-walled vessels, heat exchangers, offshore risers, sealing cement in wells, and pipelines [15,14,16]. In this context, the use of Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) and monitoring techniques is critical in the OGI.…”