MONITORING OF THE POSITION OF A PIPE INSPECTION TOOL IN A PIPELINE

• US 20120067126A1
• Filed: 02/09/2009
• Published: 03/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Hartog, Arthur, Strong, Andrew, Hampson, Roger, Forbes, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 9,599,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/584
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 2101/30 Inspecting, measuring or testing
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/48 Indicating the position of the pig or mole in the pipe or conduit
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 5/06 using electric or acoustic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/001 Acoustic presence detection

Abstract

Apparatus and a method for monitoring of a pipe inspection tool in a pipeline, the apparatus comprising at least one sensor carrier apparatus being locatable along and in close proximity to a pipeline, a plurality of acoustic sensors being locatable on the sensor carrier apparatus, a pipeline inspection tool which is moveable through the pipeline being detectable by means of the acoustic sensors, and the location of the pipeline inspection tool being able to be determined by means of the acoustic sensors.

Claims

1. Apparatus for monitoring of a pipe inspection tool in a pipeline, comprising:

at least one sensor carrier apparatus being locatable in close proximity to and along the length of a pipeline;

a plurality of acoustic sensors being locatable on the sensor carrier apparatus;

a pipeline inspection tool which is moveable through the pipeline being detectable by means of the acoustic sensors; and

the location of the pipeline inspection tool being able to be determined by means of the acoustic sensors.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of acoustic sensors are in the form of one or more arrays.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the acoustic sensors detects the noise that a pipe inspection tool makes and the acoustic sensor can then determine the location of the pipe inspection tool in the pipeline.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the location of the pipe inspection tool is related to time and the speed of advance of the pipe inspection tool through the pipeline can then be calculated.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor carrier apparatus is locatable in the backfill of a pipeline.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the acoustic sensors are used to monitor the progress of the pipe inspection tool through the pipeline.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein monitoring the progress includes tracking the rate of progress of the pipe inspection tool through the pipeline.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the pipe inspection tool comprises an on-board logging tool.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 further including means for associating the time at which the pipe inspection tool passed a particular location in the pipeline with time stamps of the on-board logging systems so as to provide a better positional correlation of the log with location in the pipeline.

10. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 6 to 9, wherein the acoustic sensors are used to determine where a particular problem is in the pipeline.

11. Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the pipe inspection tool is instrumented.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the instrumented pipe inspection tool is used to transmit active acoustic signals.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the active acoustic signals are periodic signals to facilitate its location and/or coded signals to convey messages of specific significance.

14. Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, which further includes signal processing equipment for receiving active acoustic signals emitted from the pipe inspection tool.

15. Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, which includes a data interpretation device for determining information on the state of the pipeline based on the acoustic signature of the pipe inspection tool as it passes through the pipeline.

16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the acoustic signature is made up of a passive acoustic signature or an active acoustic signature.

17. Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor carrier apparatus is in the form of a cable.

18. Apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the sensor carrier apparatus is a sensor cable.

19. Apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the sensor cable includes acoustic sensors in the form of at least one fibre optic cable.

20. Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the acoustic sensors are used to collect background data through the pipeline before the pipeline inspection tool is moved through the pipeline.

21. Apparatus as claimed in claim 20, further includes means for removing background data from the data collected by the acoustic sensors when the pipeline inspection tool moves through the pipeline.

32. A method of monitoring a pipeline using the apparatus for monitoring a pipe inspection tool in the pipeline as claimed in claims 1 to 21.

22. A method of monitoring of a pipe inspection tool in a pipeline, the method comprising:

connecting interrogation electronics to a plurality of acoustic sensors located on a sensor carrier apparatus which is located in close proximity and along the length of at least a section of the pipeline;

detecting the acoustic data of a pipeline inspection tool which is moving through the section of pipeline by means of the acoustic sensors and interrogation electronics; and

determining the location of the pipeline inspection tool by means of the acoustic sensors and interrogation electronics.

23. A method as claimed in claim 22, which further comprises determining at least one of the progress of the pipe inspection tool through the pipe, the condition of the pipeline based on the noise made by the pipe inspection tool during its passage through the pipeline and/or collecting information actively transmitted by the pipe inspection tool through acoustic transmitters.

24. A method as claimed in claim 22 or 23, which further comprises locating the sensor carrier apparatus having a plurality of acoustic sensors located thereon along at least a section of the pipeline.

25. A method as claimed in any one of claims 22 to 24, comprising connecting the interrogation electronics to existing acoustic sensors located along at least a section of the pipeline.

26. A method as claimed in any one of claims 22 to 25, which further includes collecting background data through the pipeline before detecting the acoustic signature of the pipeline inspection tool.

27. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the acoustic data of the pipeline inspection tool is identified by separating it from the background data.

28. A method as claimed in any one of claims 22 to 27, wherein the plurality of acoustic sensors are in the form of one or more arrays.

29. A method as claimed in any one of claims 22 to 28, comprising relating the location of the pipe inspection tool to time, and then calculating the speed of advance of the pipe inspection tool through the pipeline.

30. A method as claimed in any one of claims 22 to 29, wherein the pipe inspection tool is instrumented and the method includes using the instrumented pipe inspection tool to transmit active acoustic signals.

31. A method as claimed in claim 30, further comprising receiving active acoustic signals emitted from the pipe inspection tool at signal processing equipment.