Current Trends and Perspectives of Detection and Location for Buried Non-Metallic Pipelines

Buried pipelines are an essential component of the urban infrastructure of modern cities. Traditional buried pipes are mainly made of metal materials. With the development of material science and technology in recent years, non-metallic pipes, such as plastic pipes, ceramic pipes, and concrete pipes, are increasingly taking the place of pipes made from metal in various pipeline networks such as water supply, drainage, heat, industry, oil, and gas. The location technologies for the location of the buried metal pipeline have become mature, but detection and location technologies for the non-metallic pipelines are still developing. In this paper, current trends and future perspectives of detection and location of buried non-metallic pipelines are summarized. Initially, this paper reviews and analyzes electromagnetic induction technologies, electromagnetic wave technologies, and other physics-based technologies. It then focuses on acoustic detection and location technologies, and finally introduces emerging technologies. Then the technical characteristics of each detection and location method have been compared, with their strengths and weaknesses identified. The current trends and future perspectives of each buried non-metallic pipeline detection and location technology have also been defined. Finally, some suggestions for the future development of buried non-metallic pipeline detection and location technologies are provided.

Practical Application of Integrated Simulation Technologies for Asset Development and Surface Facilities Design of Gas Fields

The main goal of this paper is to describe the automation process for asset design solutions assessment in accordance with the expected production levels in dynamics. The integrated model contains embedded sub-models (various assessment elements, such as pipeline networks, compression facilities, gas treatment units, reservoir simulation models for production profiles simulation and an economic model to obtain an instant investment estimate). A continuous data flow between all the component models provides a quick assessment of different variables influence on the final efficiency of the integrated asset development option; this approach makes possible the rapid expansion of options range as well as the increase in analysis depth. We describe this approach on the example of the gas assets group development project, which includes the integration of following part of surface facilities: pipeline networks (gathering system) for well pads with the corresponding booster compressor stations and transport network to deliver well product to gas process unit. The work shows the recommendations about how to set up the optimal configuration of an integrated model (type and composition of sub-models, linking algorithms, data exchange directions, etc.) to solve various issues of long-term planning. In addition, we show the example of standardizing the process of managing the sub- models to provide the integrated model fast update when new production data arrives or when the surface facilities concept is changed and to make the approach transfer to other close projects easier. The novelty of the work lies in the creation of a unique approach to solve the issues of conceptual design by flexible configuration of an integrated model for specific tasks. This approach includes processing of production data different formats, the ability to connect an economic model to obtain the instant investment assessment of surface facilities option within comprehensive analysis. In addition, it includes the ability to connect detailed models of the gas-processing unit and booster compressor station with prospective economic efficiency assessment in accordance with the production profiles updates. The integrated model example and overall approach that we provide in this paer is unique due to the following factors: – "flexibility" of the model, which changes its appearance depending on the tasks. – prompt update of the economic indicators of the project. – clear accounting of transport and process facilities (use of detailed models for pipeline and processing systems (including booster compressor stations).

Mitigation of Risks Associated with Gas Pipeline Failure by Using Quantitative Risk Management Approach: A Descriptive Study on Gas Industry

Risk assessment is one of the main tools that oil and gas industries use to assess the hazards and risks in their facilities worldwide. Qualitative and quantitative risk assessments are carried out at various phases of the process industry: conceptual stage, design stage, construction stage, operational stage, decommissioning stage, etc. The quantitative risk assessment is directed during the detailed design stage to decide the spacing and layout out of equipment for safe operation and maintenance of oil and gas industries. The equipment layout and spacing are based on the safe distances are to be carried out on various design safety studies. In this work, a study was carried out on upstream onshore natural gas gathering stations and associated equipment and pipeline networks. The fire, explosion assessment, and toxic gas dispersion are conducted to evaluate how it affects people, assets, and the environment. Whether the design protection systems are adequate to mitigate the consequences or any additional measures to reduce risk to an acceptable level is analyzed.

Heuristic Methods for Minimum-Cost Pipeline Network Design – a Node Valency Transfer Metaheuristic

Designing low-cost network layouts is an essential step in planning linked infrastructure. For the case of capacitated trees, such as oil or gas pipeline networks, the cost is usually a function of both pipeline diameter (i.e. ability to carry flow or transferred capacity) and pipeline length. Even for the case of incompressible, steady flow, minimizing cost becomes particularly difficult as network topology itself dictates local flow material balances, rendering the optimization space non-linear. The combinatorial nature of potential trees requires the use of graph optimization heuristics to achieve good solutions in reasonable time. In this work we perform a comparison of known literature network optimization heuristics and metaheuristics for finding minimum-cost capacitated trees without Steiner nodes, and propose novel algorithms, including a metaheuristic based on transferring edges of high valency nodes. Our metaheuristic achieves performance above similar algorithms studied, especially for larger graphs, usually producing a significantly higher proportion of optimal solutions, while remaining in line with time-complexity of algorithms found in the literature. Data points for graph node positions and capacities are first randomly generated, and secondly obtained from the German emissions trading CO2 source registry. As political will for applications and storage for hard-to-abate industry CO2 emissions is growing, efficient network design methods become relevant for new large-scale CO2 pipeline networks.