OMS to showcase novel pipe inspection tools at Rio Oil & Gas Expo   -   09-08-2010

At this year’s Rio Oil & Gas Expo 2010 (13-16 September, 2010) UK-based specialist measurement technology company Optical Metrology Services (OMS) Ltd will be showcasing two groundbreaking pipe measurement and inspection tools, including the company’s Internal Weld Scanning Tool and Pipe End Dimensioning tools.

OMS’ pipe measurement products and services are providing benefits for major oil and gas companies around the world. In Brazil for example, OMS is currently working on two projects, the first directly for Petrobras on one of its onshore pipeline projects, the other working for Subsea 7 on its offshore P55 project. OMS was also asked to demonstrate the Internal Weld Scanning Tool in 2009 to Petrobras engineers at their CENPES Research Centre in Rio, Brazil, which has resulted in further enquiries and demonstrations.

Internal Weld Scanning Tool
OMS’ groundbreaking internal weld inspection system inspects the internal size and shape of girth welds on pipes that are destined for use in deepsea subsea oil and gas applications. The Internal Weld Scanning Tool is a novel system that internally scans welds inside pipes, both visually and dimensionally, enabling inspectors to quickly and confidently assess the quality of the root weld.

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. The tool can also 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 (SCRs) 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. Pipe can be inspected whilst 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.

Pipe End Dimensioning
Visitors to OMS’ stand will also be able to learn about OMS’ complete range of measurement and inspection services for the end dimensioning of fatigue-critical SCR and flowline pipes, which are destined for deepsea subsea oil and gas applications as well as aiding in the fit-up of land based pipeline projects as recently undertaken for Petrobras.

These services include the management of AUT (Automatic Ultrasonic Testing) Calibration Block selection and use; software analysis tailored specifically to match customer requirements; and end-to-end matching (without counterboring) or counterbore parameters can be provided (removing minimum WT).

For end dimensioning, OMS utilises its own automatic Pipe Checker laser measurement tool, which is capable of measuring more than 2,000 IDs and 2,000 OD’s as well as being able to accurately measure the WTs for each pipe end in less than 20 seconds. This tool is accurate to 0.05mm and enables just 2 OMS staff to measure a minimum of 200 pipe ends in a single shift. This means less time on site, minimising project delays and costs for the customer.

The Internal Weld Scanning Tool and the Pipe Checker (End Dimensioning) Tool are both available on a rental-only basis, along with a trained operator/inspector provided by OMS.

Denise Smiles, Commercial Director at OMS comments: “Visitors to the OMS stand will be able to discuss their pipe measurement issues with our team of experts, who have in-depth knowledge of and fully understand pipe measurement challenges. This means we look at projects from the customer’s perspective and therefore provide a unique combination of measurement tools, software and inspection services that reduce costs and make life easier for oil companies and their contractors.”