Enbridge and NDT Global partner in R&D pipeline inspection project

The multi year collaboration agreement focuses on the development of a new generation of inspection tool that is targeted to even further improve pipe crack assessment. Enbridge and NDT Global have already been working together for 15 years on pipeline inspections and are at the forefront of the industry in advancing crack assessment with high resolution ultrasonic inspections. This joint investment will bring further innovation and a new technology capability to the existing integrity management programmes.

“At Enbridge, we are continually looking for opportunities to enhance existing technologies, and progress new ones, in the areas of design, construction, operation and maintenance, to keep our pipelines safe,” said Walter Kresic, Enbridge’s Vice President Pipeline Integrity of Enbridge Pipelines Inc. “We believe this next generation project with NDT Global will build on the industry leading tools and technology we already use, and further enhance our ability to inspect, monitor and prioritise cracking threats in pipelines,” added Kresic.

Enbridge works with organizations around the globe that provide best-in-class technologies for keeping pipelines safe, assisting such organizations to develop the technologies, including inline inspection (ILI) tools, ever further. ILI tools, known in the industry as “intelligent pigs,” are highly complex pieces of equipment that use sophisticated sensor technology and powerful computation to inspect pipes millimeter by millimeter, with a level of detail similar to that provided by MRI and ultrasound technology in the medical industry. They are essential to Enbridge’s program of pipeline integrity management.

"NDT Global's long term goal is to eliminate pipeline failure due to pipe integrity defects," said Mario Lemme, CEO of NDT Global. "Achieving this requires collaboration in long term research and development projects. We are delighted to collaborate closely with Enbridge on this initiative, which offers a real opportunity to make a breakthrough in crack assessment capability."

The scope of the new project is aimed at evolving existing inline inspection performance. Enbridge and NDT Global have set ambitious goals for improving the ability to accurately and consistently find crack features. An important step in this research and development program will be to prove the equipment capability by conducting test runs within the Enbridge pipelines in Canada and the US.

Enbridge invests significantly in the fitness of its systems and in leak detection, and in the past five years spent more than US$4.9 billion on programmes that help Enbridge maintain the fitness of its systems across operations in Canada and the US.

"Investing in research and innovation is an important component of our approach to pipeline safety, benefiting Enbridge and the industry as a whole,” concluded Kresic.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/project-news/04042017/enbridge-and-ndt-global-partner-in-rd-pipeline-inspection-project/