Pipeline Leak Detection
Over 200,000 Miles of Pipelines
In the U.S., oil and other oil-based products are transported through over 200,000 miles of pipelines. These pipes transport crude oil from oilfields to refineries that turn crude oil into useful products such as gasoline, lubricants and the raw materials for other products from chemicals to fertilizer. Then other pipelines carry these products to depots to be delivered to the various companies that convert the products into their practical use.
In the oil business, small leaks can mean big losses. Not only can a leak cause an explosion, it can force a plant shutdown, as workers search for and repair leaks. Unplanned shutdowns due to leaks and other incidents cost the petrochemical industry more than $1 billion per year in lost revenue.
Airborne GPSAR: A Comprehensive Way to Inspect Underground Pipes
Given Mirage’s success at finding and characterizing underground anomalies, in 2008 the company intends to pursue opportunities to validate the use of Airborne GPSAR in the detection of subsurface pipeline damage. Baseline SAR images are taken by fly-over survey of the entire pipeline system. Then on a regular basis additional surveys would generate SAR images for comparison to archived SAR images of pipeline. With early detection, a potential breach can be identified and repaired before a an environmental disaster happens. |
