At the Rio Oil & Gas Expo, which was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, last September, UK-based specialist measurement technology company Optical Metrology Services Ltd (OMS) displayed, what it claims, are ground-breaking pipe measurement and inspection systems, including its internal weld scanning tool and pipe end dimensioning tool.
OMS’ internal weld inspection system examines the internal size and shape of girth welds on pipes that are destined for use in deep-sea, sub-sea oil and gas applications. It internally scans welds inside pipes, both visually and dimensionally, enabling inspectors to quickly and confidently assess the quality of the root weld (Figure 2).
Figures 2. Optical Metrology Services Ltd's weld scanning tool internally scans welds inside pipes - both visually and dimensionally - enabling the quality of the root weld to be assessed quickly and confidently.
The technology can be deployed onshore and offshore at different stages of the pipe welding process. The tool can be used on corrosion-resistant alloy-lined pipe to identify sour (aggressive) ingress points, in both clad butt-weld and clad weld inlay applications. It also can be used to improve weld procedure development efficiency and to check the root weld and geometry before next passes are deposited. The technology is also used in fatigue-sensitive applications where pipes are subjected to higher dynamic stresses.
The system can be mounted to a purge dam, with an integrated camera for positioning and inspection procedures. The pipe can be inspected while being spooled onto a pipe-laying vessel or during stalk fabrication/tie-in. Here, the tool is retrieved using a winch-and-wire system, with weld positioning controlled by a camera and precision motorised system.
Visitors to OMS’ stand were also able to learn about the company’s complete range of measurement and inspection services for the end dimensioning of fatigue-critical steel catenary risers (SCRs) and flow-line pipes, which are destined for deep-sea, sub-sea oil and gas applications, as well as aiding in the fit-up of land-based pipeline projects, such as those recently undertaken for Petrobras.
These services include the management of automatic ultrasonic testing (AUT) calibration block selection and use; software analysis, tailored specifically to match customer requirements; and end-to-end matching (without counter-boring) or counter-bore parameters can be provided (removing minimum WT).
For end dimensioning, OMS uses its own automatic Pipe Checker laser measurement tool, which is capable of measuring more than 2000 IDs and 2000 ODs (and accurately measure the WTs for each pipe end) in less than 20 seconds (Figure 3). The company claims that this tool is accurate to 0.05 mm and enables two OMS workers to measure a minimum of 200 pipe ends in a single shift. This means less time is spent on-site, minimising project delays and costs for the customer.
Figure 3. For end dimensioning of pipes, Optical Metrology Services Ltd’s automatic Pipe Checker laser measurement tool is capable of recording more than 2000 internal and external measurements around each pipe end in less than 20 seconds.
The internal weld scanning tool and Pipe Checker (pipe end dimensioning tool) are available on a rental-only basis. OMS also provides a trained operator/inspector.
The firm says that its pipe measurement products and services are providing benefits for major oil and gas companies around the world. In Brazil, for example, OMS is currently involved in two projects. In the first, it is working directly for multinational energy company Petrobras on one of its onshore pipeline projects (Figure 4). In the second one, the firm is working for Subsea 7 on its offshore P55 project.
OMS was also asked to demonstrate its internal weld scanning tool during 2009 to Petrobras engineers at its CENPES Research Centre in Rio de Janeiro, which has resulted in further enquiries and demonstrations.
For further information, contact:
Optical Metrology Services Ltd, 8 Twyford Business Centre, London Road, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire CM23 3YT, UK. Tel: +44-1279-656038, Fax: +44-8700-940014, Web: http://www.omsmeasure.com/
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