CAN keeps gas flowing to homes and businesses across the UK
11/11/2021
CAN Group’s Advanced Non-Destructive Testing (ANDT) team recently completed a critical and challenging scope for a leading oil & gas operator, which kept gas flowing to homes and businesses across the UK.CAN Group’s market-leading inspection business stream received an urgent request from its client to conduct an internal inspection on a large export gas line to understand and remove any uncertainty around the correct stem travel position of valves associated with a 38" pipeline.
The initial concern arose following maintenance activities during a planned shutdown, where calculations created uncertainty as to whether an isolation tool sitting upstream would be able to pass through the gate bore of the valves.
The consequence of assuring this information was critical to both the client and the UK gas supply network, so it was essential that the position of the gate was verified as quickly as possible.
CAN’s ANDT team urgently mobilised and arrived on site within hours to conduct an assessment of the pipeline and the distance required to reach the inspection point. With some creative thinking and utilising advancements in technology, the team proposed the deployment of CANdrone, CAN’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) service, as the optimal solution.
CAN has a fleet of UAVs for completing visual inspections in hazardous areas and in locations usually inaccessible during normal production operations, delivered through a single and efficient contractual interface, resulting in reduced manpower requirements and costs associated with system or asset outages.
Due to the nature of the pipe positioning, which was both above and below ground, CAN’s technical team recommended deploying one of its specialist drones that is specifically designed for safe and efficient inspections within confined spaces.
CAN’s team of two, a highly skilled UAV pilot and an experienced inspection engineer, deployed the UAV within the pig receiver, which was flown up the inside of the pipeline, above and below ground level, to verify the position of the gates to a distance of approximately 70 m. In total, two flights were undertaken and verification was successfully completed in around 30 minutes, a fraction of the time it would take to complete this scope using conventional inspection methods.
CAN’s approach of utilising CANdrone allowed the team to safely, efficiently and successfully complete the scope and deliver rapid results to the client in a time-critical situation.
The high-quality footage that was captured and provided to the client allowed them to confidently visualise the valves and make an informed and crucial decision on the status of the pipeline, and in this case reassured the client that they could continue operations safely without further action, resulting in a substantial cost saving by negating the need for a prolonged shutdown period.
Neil Rose, CAN’s Inspection Services Director, commented: “Being able to react in a time-critical situation is just one of the many benefits of our dedicated operations teams and we’re pleased to have successfully delivered a crucial scope that not only had significant implications for our client, but also the UK’s gas supply.
“As technology continues to rapidly evolve, we continually adapt and develop our data visualisation solutions to provide a best-in-class service and help to ensure that assets continue to operate safely, efficiently and successfully for years to come.”
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