Fibre optics as part of a pipeline surveillance toolbox

Norman Sanderson BP Exploration

2/10/2009 2

Onshore Pipeline Surveillance

Management of the interface between onshore pipeline systems, the external environment and the communities close to the pipeline corridor by early recognition of threats from external activities, from ground movement and rapid detection of loss of containment

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Threats

o  Farming activities (e.g. ditching, fence posts)

o  Maintenance of other buried facilities (e.g. utilities, gas distribution, communications)

o  Encroachment of societal development

o  Construction

o  Illegal taps/theft

o  Intentional damage (e.g. terrorism)

o  Geohazard •  Ground movement (e.g. land slide, settlement, frost

heave)

•  Seismic

•  Flood •  Meandering river

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Surveillance toolbox

Aerial surveillance ROW management ROW monitoring Direct leak detection

Process monitoring leak detection

Monitoring o  Encroachment o  Third party intrusion o  Ground movement o  Leak detection

Deployment platform o  Fixed wing o  Helicopter o  Satellite o  UAV

External relationship o  One-call-systems o  Public awareness o  Public relationships

Pipeline marking o  Marker posts o  Buried marker tapes

Pipeline protection

Corridor maintenance o  Ground remediation o  Vegetation control

Monitoring o  Encroachment o  Third party intrusion o  Ground movement

Methods o  Fibre optic cable (e.g. Integriti) o  Acoustic systems (e.g. Threatscan) o  CCTV

Patrols o  Walk o  Vehicle o  Horseback

Methods o  Fibre optics (Thermal & acoustics) o  Acoustic (e.g. Smart ball) o  Sampling (e.g. LEOS) o  Chemical sensing o  Spectroscopic sensing o  Thermal imaging o  Vegetation stress o  Olfaction o  Additives to aid detection

Simple model based systems o  PPA o  Line section mass or volume balance systems (e.g. Atmospipe)

Real time transient models

Rarefaction wave detection

Pressure decline

Prevent Detect

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Current work content

Areas of interest include: o  Development of sensing technologies use from aerial platforms for

automated surveillance of a pipeline corridor for encroachment, ground movement and leaks

o  Development of pipeline intrusion monitoring systems based on fibre optics and other technologies that would allow rapid, remote deployment

o  Use of CCTV and video analytics for pipeline monitoring

o  Use of IR absorption, olfaction and other techniques to detect hydrocarbon releases

o  Quantifying the risk reduction from improved surveillance practices and new technologies

o  Seeking new technologies and practices to improve pipeline protect and to increase the visibility of pipeline presence during third party digs

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Imagine…..

Frost Heave

Landslides

Fibre optic cable

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Concept

Temp

Strain

Vibration

Temp

Strain

Vibration

Temp

Strain

Vibration

Normal Operation Impact, and pipeline rupture Excavator approaches

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Fibre optic system (BP~Schlumberger)

o  DVS – Distributed Vibration Sensor to detect & locate external movement event (can be used with existing telecoms cable)

o  DSTS – Distributed Strain & Temperature Sensor to independently measure strain and temperature along the fibre optic cable

o  OTDR – Optical Time Domain Reflectometry providing fibre break detection indicating cut or damaged cable

o  Remote Optical Amplification extending continuous monitoring range from 25 to over 100km

o  Purpose designed strain sensing cable

o  Event recognition software supported by continuously growing event database

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BTC Pilot Project - Fibre Optics

•  To provide third party intrusion detection for BTC pipeline

•  Interrogating equipment located in pump station in Georgia

•  100 km of existing fibre optic control/data cable

•  Testing and configuring the system

•  Operational phase

Detected events:

•  Man walking •  Digging •  Horse back patrol •  Vehicles •  Pigging •  Patrol helicopter •  Pressure transients in pipeline

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Detection of leaks by acoustics and

Ground cooling Ice/hydrate bulb

Acoustic signature

Natural gas (100 barg)

Potential GERG project: Carbon dioxide Gas condensate LPG Live crude Jet fuel Dead crude Water

Fibre optic cable

T

t

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Quantifying advantages of Surveillance

Preliminary results from a attempt to quantify the reduction in risk from using a fibre optic pipeline monitoring system.

Fault tree analysis used to identify all potential failure sources.

(Preliminary unchecked result for one remote application)

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Discrete intruder wireless detection system Objectives:

To determine the feasibility and fully define the development requirements of a multiple component, remote, wireless intruder detection system that can rapidly be deployed in the field

Supplier: Zimiti Status:

BP defined the application scenarios based on a number of real pipeline applications for monitoring temporary works and adversary detection.

Comprehensive review of detection sensor, wireless and power options. Most promising technologies identified.

Proof-of-concept field tests performed on detect technique, initial investigation into recognition processes and selection of wireless aerial options

Prototype development now underway

Walking towards Walking away

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Intelligent CCTV Objectives:

To investigate a CCTV / video analytics based automated threat recognition system for use on the pipeline ROW.

Supplier: iOmniscient

Status:

Feasibility study complete giving the capabilities and limitations of currently available technologies. Available technology can provide effective surveillance offering the possibility of an early field trial during late 2010.

BP Canada has agreed to do a field trial on open ground within their Sarnia plant in Ontario.

Field trial to start late September.

o  People gathering on ROW o  Vehicles stationary or moving along ROW o  Ground disturbance or objects above pipeline o  Ignores all other activities

Handed over to Mike Popham in September 2010

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Canine olfaction

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Future challenges

•  Detecting small liquid leaks from low vapour pressure liquid pipelines

•  Determining the depth of burial for a pipeline under a major fast flowing river in full flood that prevents external techniques

•  Quantifying value of surveillance technologies

•  Investigating the limits of fibre optic leak detection for a range of fluid types