Pipeline Monitoring – Locating leakages at oil and gas pipelines

Leaks occurring in underground pipelines constitute a substantial danger for both, human beings and the environment. Oil escaping from pipelines pollutes the earth and ground water.
Leaking gas creates the danger of fires and explosions. In addition, leaks bring about large economic losses. It is extremely important to locate leaks as soon as they occur and to be able to locate small leaks. Until now, monitoring systems have only reacted to large leaks and have not been able to pinpoint them accurately. Oil leaks cause temperature anomalies below the pipeline, whereas escaping gas induces a temperature decrease above the pipeline due to the easing of pressure.
Efficient leak location and the long-term monitoring of gas and oil pipelines can therefore be achieved by measuring the temperatures along a pipeline and observing how these temperatures vary over time. Optical-fibre, temperature-measuring technology presents new opportunities in this connection.
An optical-fibre, temperature-measuring cable is laid along a pipeline, enabling the temperatures in the ground to be measured simultaneously over long pipeline distances with a high degree of locational accuracy.
The sensor cable is completely passive electrically and can therefore by fitted to pipelines where a high risk of explosions exists.
The leakage-location principle by means of optical-fibre, temperature-measuring technology

Using optical-fibre, temperature measuring to monitor pipelines makes possible:

• The economical location of leakages and the long-term monitoring of pipelines

• The monitoring of pipeline sections up to 30 km long by means of a system

• The opportunity of linking individual systems to form an overall system to monitor longer sections if necessary

• The quantifying of leakage rates using model calculations

• It is not necessary to empty and clean the pipeline before inspecting it

• Shutting-down the pipeline is not necessary

• Small quantities of escaping oil can be exactly detected and located

• Damage can be identified in its early stages

The measuring system enables the temperature along a section of pipeline to be measured by using optical-fibre sensors. Temperature anomalies caused by leakages are identified via this system and the efficient location of leakages and long-term monitoring of gas and oil pipelines are thus made possible.
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• Distributed Temperature Sensing
• LNG and LPG Containment Integrity Monitoring Solutions

Containment Integrity Monitoring Solutions for LNG Carriers

LNG Carrier

LIOS Technology distributed temperature measurement system (DTS-System) is suited ideally to detect reliably and to locate precisely any temperature anomaly caused by an accidental release of LNG. Our innovative and patented OFDR evaluation method enables the determination of a continuous temperature profile along the entire length of an optical fibre offering thousand of data points at a single measurement. Based on our expert knowledge and our impressive record of safety installations we have developed suitable alarm processing algorithm to detect temperature events fast, reliably and precisely. Also multiple temperature events are identified and pinpointed simultaneously allowing the operator to initiate proper counter measures rapidly.
With the capability to use multiple optical channels and a measurement range of  several kilometres per channel the LIOS Technology DTS system is a cost - sensitive solution for an entire cryogenic supervision including containments, foundations, pumps and piping.  The system supplies precise temperature information which facilitates the control of cool-down operations like load- and unload procedures. Additionally an optional loop set-up of the sensor cable enables a redundant operation of the system. Consequently the entire measurement length keeps maintained in case of single fibre break.  Summarized the operator takes the following benefit from using LIOS Technology DTS system:

• Full information of containment integrity – everywhere at any time
• Significantly reduced off-times due to exact pinpointing of leaks
• Enabling effective and automatic counter measures
• Fast detection of slow leaks as well as sudden leaks
• Better control of load and unload procedures (cool-down operations)
• Maximum safety of people, assets and environment
• Redundant operation thanks to loop set-up of the sensor cable
• Reduced installation efforts – additional wiring is not required
• Low maintenance efforts and cost
• Long lifetime

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	LNG and LPG Containment Integrity Monitoring Solutions
	Information centre for LNG operations