Stability monitoring of buried pipelines in permafrost regions

Conference · Sun Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1996

OSTI ID:287804

Cox, M; Garrigus, A; Walker, W; Wade, R

According to the Grant of Right-of-Way Agreement, a comprehensive monitoring system for all sections of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System was required. Originally, the Super pig was built to fulfill this requirement. After the failure of the Super pig and the discovery of two settlement related leaks in 1979, the monitoring plan was modified to include other techniques, such as, monitoring rods and a deformation pig. Major improvements in the TAPS stability monitoring system occurred with the successful development of the curvature pig, developed by Nowsco Pipeline Services. The curvature or geopig uses gyros, accelerometers, and ultrasonic transducers to perform inertial geometry and pipe deformation surveys. The geopig has completed three full length (800 miles) surveys and one partial (215 miles) survey of TAPS. Alyeska has evaluated the results of two runs and is satisfied that the geopig is the best method for monitoring TAPS. The Nowsco geopig is now the primary method used in Alyeska`s Comprehensive Belowground Stability Monitoring Program.

• OSTI ID: 287804
• Report Number(s): CONF-960154--; ISBN 0-9648731-8-4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
ALASKA OIL PIPELINE
DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEMS
DEFORMATION
DESIGN
DIMENSIONS
INERTIAL GUIDANCE
LIMITING VALUES
MAINTENANCE FACILITIES
NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING
OPERATION
PERFORMANCE
REPAIR
STABILITY