3P Services - In-Line Pipeline Inspection

3P Services offers in-line inspection (ILI) services for both onshore and offshore pipelines. Various inspection techniques are applied on-board "intelligent pigs", which measure different integrity parameters while being pumped through the pipeline together with the product. Pipelines are inspected for metal loss (such as internal and external corrosion), mechanical deformations and other features without interrupting the transportation process.

In-line pipeline inspection tools

3P Services has a well-proven range of in-line pipeline tools covering the following categories:

• Magnetic flux leakage (MFL) high-resolution tools from 3in in diameter and larger; this is the classical tool to locate both internal and external metal loss such as corrosion
• Direct magnetic response (DMR) tools to inspect for internal local metal loss in pipelines of 2in in diameter and larger, regardless of the wall thickness
• GEO (high-resolution and multi-channel geometric) tools to identify discontinuities of the internal geometry (including dents and ovalities) of pipelines of 2in in diameter and larger
• XYZ mapping available on any of the tool types
• Buckle detectors for real-time geometric inspection during offshore pipe lay
• Bi-directional offshore riser inspection
• HandyScan: external MFL scanner equipment, sales and support; test heads from 2in and larger; tank floor scanners for bottom, wall and roof

Inspection technology for difficult pipelines

3P concentrates on applying its inspection technologies in pipelines that are considered to be difficult or impossible to pig. Our unique modular design philosophy means that we tailor-make the inspection tools that we will use in nearly every inspection project. Some examples of these special applications include the following:

• Bi-directional tools for pump-in/pump-out operation in single-access pipeline situations
• GEO tools that negotiate, determine and measure mitred bends
• MFL tools that can negotiate short radius elbows, for example 4in pipeline and 1.5D-90° bends
• DMR tools to inspect small-diameter pipelines with heavy walls
• WAX tools to measure thickness of paraffin or other sedimentation
• Multi-diameter lines
• Lines with difficult and mitred bends
• Difficult flow conditions

Specialised inspection equipment

All specialised inspection equipment is of genuine 3P Services’ origin. The development of all components, including hard and software, is carried out under one roof at 3P Services in Germany.

Marine-terminal loading and unloading pipelines

"Unpiggable" pipelines include various types of marine terminal pipelines, which are often referred to as tanker-loading lines, tanker-unloading lines, jetty lines and submarine pipelines. As marine terminal operators rely on techniques that offer only partial inspection and qualitative condition assessment, often pipelines have never been pigged and much less inspected.

A typical marine terminal pipeline connects a shore-based installation, such as a refinery or tank farm, to a subsea pipeline end manifold (PLEM). The PLEM usually lies in water around 25m to 40m deep and is connected to a buoy by a flexible hose or hoses. Floating flexible hoses complete the connection to the tanker.

As typical marine terminal pipelines have not being made for pigging, there is no access to the subsea end of the line to either insert or retrieve a pig. There is very often limited opportunity to get access even to the shore end of the pipeline as space can be very tight. While PLEM/SPM installations do have similar characteristics, each system and installation contains unique configurations. The PLEM can connect to the shore with a single pipeline – or several. Diameters can vary and dual-diameter pipelines are occasionally encountered.

Subsea pipeline inspection

For more than a decade, 3P has developed subsea pipeline inspection with many successful applications. The experience we have gained allows us to provide a great deal of assistance to operators when they are considering their first inspection of their subsea pipeline.