Inspection of Polyethylene (HDPE) Lined Pipelines
Pica has a partnership with United Pipeline Systems, a world leader in pipeline rehabilitation using high density polyethylene, to offer in-line inspection of HDPE lined pipelines. United has rehabilitated over 15,000 miles (24,000 km) of oil & gas, mining and municipal pipelines since 1985 using its Tite Liner® system.
Tite Liner® is a thermoplastic lining system that creates a tight-fit liner inside the existing host pipe, extending the life of your assets by protecting them from internal corrosion. To learn more of United’s capabilities, visit its website at http://www.unitedpipeline.com/.
PICA offers its See Snake line of autonomous in-line inspection tools, in pipe sizes from 4″ (100mm) to 36″ (914mm) to inspect lined pipelines. PICA’s tools “see” through the HDPE liner to detect corrosion pits on the inside or outside of the steel pipe. For one customer, we have inspected their HDPE lined pipes every year since 2008. In their case, the HDPE was 3/4″ (19mm) thick, although it can be even thicker than that in some pipelines. PICA’s “Smart Pigs” travel through the pipeline with the flow. Usually, the flow is controlled in order to achieve ideal inspection speed. The Tools (Smart Pigs or In-Line Inspection Tools) are introduced into the pipeline through “launch barrels” and “receive barrels” which are very common in the oil and gas industry but virtually unheard of in the water industry. Water pipeline owners can expect to have to perform some piping modifications in order to attach these launch and receive barrels (nb: they are not actually “barrels” they are pipes with larger diameters than the pipeline, that are attached through riser pipes). This is true if the pipeline is to be left in service during the inspection. If the pipeline can be out of service, the Tools can be blown through the pipeline using compressed air, and pulled back using a wireline. For more detailed information about PICA’s line of See Snake Tools, please contact [email protected].
