NDT advancements enhance interpretation of data The oil and gas industry is one of the most hazardous industries, especially when risk is not appropriately managed. The combination of powerful equipment, product under high pressure, remote, hard to reach areas and unpredictable weather significantly raises health and safety risks. The structural integrity of oil and gas assets supports the health and safety of the workers and the surrounding environment. Therefore, detecting asset defects is critical since the failures could have significant economical and environmental consequences.
Regular oil and gas inspections help companies ensure the integrity of their systems and that they comply with regulations and codes. Furthermore, the nature of the gas and oil industry demands extra safety precautions to avoid fires, accidents, and damage to the environment.A variety of non-destructive testing (NDT) methods and defect assessment methods are used to detect different types of defects. NDT, specifically is used to evaluate the properties of a material, component, structure or system for characteristic differences or defects and discontinuities without causing damage. According to Dr Irene Pettigrew, Federal Councillor of the Australian Institute for Non-Destructive Testing (AINDT), while the physics has not changed in terms of the technology used, NDT equipment has become more lightweight, portable and battery-operated. More importantly, large volumes of data can now be collected and processed in real-time.
These advancements, Dr. Pettigrew says, is due to the improved synergy between theoretical principles exemplifying advancements in algorithms and the practical application, ultimately fast-tracking the development of new technologies. “This has allowed for bridging of research once thought to be blue-sky to more application-based research, enabling accelerated collaboration between universities and industry,” she says. One of the major benefits of this is data visualisation in 2D and 3D, making NDT results easier to interpret and understand. “The irony is that although the NDT technique is more advanced and the physics is just as challenging to understand, often the application of the technique can be easier and the data can be straight forward to visualise over the application of conventional NDT methods.”Mr Paul Lavender, Vice-President of the AINDT’s Western Australian Branch, adds that safety and environmental considerations also play a huge part in NDT technologies being enhanced and advanced. “Above the water line, one major aspect is confined space entry and aiming to avoid introducing people in dangerous environments. This has led to many technologies becoming remote, such as remote digital video inspection and robotics for deployment of inspection capabilities,” he says.
Where feasible in the sub sea realm, Mr Lavender notes that diver-deployed NDT is substituted with use of remote operated vehicles (ROV) that can range in size from mini-ROV to working-class depending on the inspection location and size and weight of the NDT solution to be deployed. “In addition, inspection technologies deployed by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVS or drones) is prevalent in the industry to reduce the health, safety and cost implications of building scaffolding or having rope-access deployed personnel.”
Another topic which is gaining ground is in relation to the integrity threats that make it challenging to inspect with NDT, including corrosion under pipe supports, corrosion under insulation, inspection of composite repairs on pipelines, and inspection of concrete weight-coated subsea pipelines. Dr Pettigrew says there has been a recent development in Australia of a subsea computed tomography (CT) system that is capable of inspecting through concrete-coated pipelines for application of in-line verification (high definition scanning) and also general assessment of the condition of the pipeline (unpiggable lines) for corrosion, pitting and blockages. “Sometimes it may not be the technology that is novel but the application of the existing technology to a new integrity threat or the way in which the technology is deployed using bespoke manipulators and scanners and the short time frames given to develop the integrated solution,” she says.
An example of this is a recently deployed customised bend scanner for 360° ultrasonic corrosion mapping of gooseneck components in a subsea location in Western Australia. “Here, the challenge was the short time frame given for the development of a customised scanner for non-magnetic bend components of two different sizes, deployed via ROV in deep waters,” shares Mr Lavender. “NDT is not just about the technique but the full solution encompassing the deployment method, inspection personnel involved, data analysis and communication of the inspection results in a meaningful way.”
Repercussions of COVID-19 In the wake of COVID-19, DrPettigrew says several asset owners have had the flexibility to defer their NDT inspection scopes, whilst others have continued business as usual with planned shutdowns and scheduled turnarounds. She says that while the industry has been hit hard, it will gradually begin to recover, and will return with more knowledge. As a result, Dr Pettigrew believes businesses will be more agile, adaptable and will turn to technological innovation to get the most cost-effective solutions. Mr Lavender notes that while COVID-19 restrictions have presented several challenges, early action by many service providers has meant the workforce within their home state has been utilised along with essential travel exemptions where needed.
“This has allowed the industry to maintain the ability to rapidly mobilise on a job without being hindered by travel restrictions,” he says. While Dr Pettigrew notes that loyalty will play a significant factor in the future, with businesses being judged by how they handled the situation, Mr Lavender points to the new relationships formed with local businesses across Australia. “As interstate and international resources are heavily restricted, industry connections have developed in many local areas which have already proven fruitful. When the current situation is resolved, these relationships will continue working with those groups for the foreseeable future,” he says. He also notes that COVID-19 has presented the opportunity to train and upskill the inactive workforce. “This investment broadens the NDT community’s capabilities and will greatly benefit all when the industry slowly returns to previous production levels,” he concludes.
