ASSET INTEGRITY AN EVOLUTIONARY STEP AWAY FROM CONVENTIONAL NDT

A client focused solution

Oil and gas assets are inherent with risk due to the nature of production, transportation and refining
operations, all of which raise red flags. Therefore, it is absolutely essential that risk is adequately
monitored and managed. In order to mitigate and reduce risk to life, the environment and the assets
themselves, effective risk management should include the implementation of:

preventative maintenance programmes;

inspection schedules; and
real time monitoring

In todays oil and gas market, companies rely heavily on the technical expertise and consultancy of
third party inspection companies in order to monitor assets under management.
Some examples of the services provided by third party inspection companies include:

inspection and certification of lifting equipment;

structural inspection;
infrared radiographic testing;
vibration analysis; and
conventional non-destructive testing.

One of my main objectives is to successfully develop business opportunities covering the services
mentioned above. Other aspects of my role include market analysis, new product discovery and the
evaluation of new service lines, together with introducing those service lines to the market.
Todays third party inspection market is saturated with organisations competing for business - the
same business for which the solution, in most cases, involves expensive NDT. This is simply not costeffective. On the contrary, it is asset intrusive and could affect concurrent operations, all of which
may be detrimental to the operational efficiency of the client.
It is essential to provide clients with a service that not only meets their requirements, but offers real
value for money. Providing an efficient and cost-effective service can not only strengthen an existing
business relationship but it can develop further business opportunities in the future.
Wouldnt it be wonderful to offer a client what they really need - a service that iscost effective whilst
meeting all of their needs?
Operators and drilling contractors utilise these services because that is what is currently available to
them on the market. That is the way it has been for many years.
But what if we offered something more valuable?
What if we offered an alternative which makes that third party inspection company stand out from
the crowd?
Wouldnt that be a unique selling point?

Letslook at the following example - inspection of a 300km pipeline.

Common practice here would be to utilise Long Range Ultrasonic Testing methods (LRUT). The
operational range of an LRUT unit is 100 meters above ground and 10 meters in buried pipelines so
above ground that would require 30 test locations. Now incorporate the cost of the technical
inspection team and the time it would take to complete such a survey. Consider the cost involved with
a buried pipeline.Bear in mind that 300km is relatively small concerning cross country transportation
lines.
Just imagine if there was a simple solution. Well, there is!

95% of service providers are happy with the expensive version that brings in the money. Of course,
this is good business.As I said earlier, NDT will always have its place and operators/contractors will
never move completely awayfrom these forms of NDT.
However, imagine a service provider who offers all of these services (the same as every other service
provider at the same competitive (costly) price)but, at the same time, steps away from the crowd and
moves towards innovation. Imagine a service provider who seeks to differentiate themselves in such a
way that they can actually provide the client with an alternative to these costly inspection methods.
Of course the original services will still be on offer but there is one major difference. The client has
been given another option. This is key. Who do you think would become the preferred service
provider? Who do you think would acquire market share whilst the competitors are left in the dust?
Lets look at another example - a nuclear, fossil or petrochemical plant.
The average plant has tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of pipe elbows, tees, valves and
various other piping points that are extremely susceptible to pipe wall thinning as a result of corrosion.
Typically, zero beam ultrasonics (UT) is used, although radiography (RT) is an option. Another
option is to use crawlers and TV cameras to examine piping inner surface.
Imagine the cost of the technical inspection teams and equipment required to carry out those survey as
per the plants inspection and maintenance schedule.
Just imagine if there was a service provider who could offer an alternative. Well, there is! The
alternative is available.
The fibreoptic hybrid Brillouin-Rayleigh sensing system, essentially a fibre optic cable or mesh of
sensors applied to the asset on a permanent basis.
A solution that offers real time stress, strain and temperature monitoring. A solution that can monitor
pipe wall corrosion with the same precision as ultrasonic testing, at a quarter of the price. The range
of this system can cover up to 300km with the inclusion of optical amplifiers, and 1,000s KM with
multiple control points.
A permanent solution that is:
cost effective;
accurate; and
meets the clients needs.
Now that is evolution!
Ryan Gillespie
Rg83.rg@googlemail.com