A transformative fibre optic partnership

Hifi’s engagement with the Trans Mountain Expansion Project provides high fidelity distributed sensing (HDS™) using specialised fibre optic technology for comprehensive pipeline monitoring along the full project length, which involves twinning of the existing 1150 km (715 mile) pipeline from Edmonton, Alberta to the Canadian West Coast in Burnaby, British Columbia. The new pipeline will feature an extensive hybrid fibre optic network deployed during construction inclusive of a fully distributed fibre sensing architecture to monitor for leaks, integrity risks, and other operational applications, while also providing surveillance capability for both the existing and new pipelines. Once completed, this continuous HDS system will represent the world’s longest fully distributed fibre optic sensing deployment on a liquids pipeline. The project represents a significant achievement for both industries, as recognised by the Fibre Optic Sensing Association (FOSA) in awarding Project of the Year honours to Hifi and Trans Mountain for this initiative. Trans Mountain (formerly Kinder Morgan Canada) is in the process of twinning its existing 1150 km (715 mile) pipeline which extends from Alberta to British Columbia, Canada (Figure 1). The original 24 in. Trans Mountain pipeline was constructed in 1953. The Trans Mountain Expansion Project represents a major undertaking and consists of adding a combination of 36 in. and 42 in. pipeline along with 12 pump stations, 3 berths, and the addition of 19 petroleum storage tanks.

Hifi is a fibre optic sensing technology service provider based in Calgary, Canada which is partially owned by Cenovus, Enbridge and BDC. With these stakeholders it should come as no surprise that Hifi is exclusively focused on supporting the HDS technology for turnkey, preventative pipeline monitoring, with a primary focus on energy sector assets.

As part of the project design, Trans Mountain partnered with Hifi to incorporate the ambitious deployment of an extensive hybrid fibre optic network consisting of a large telecommunications fibre cable coupled with Hifi’s specialised optical sensing fibre via dual micro duct conduit secured to the pipe. Upon project completion, a state-of-the-art monitoring and communication system will span the full length of the pipeline and monitor every inch of the asset, making it the largest fibre-on-the-pipe liquids pipeline monitoring system of its kind in the world.

Project challenges

The sheer scope and scale of the project created an impetus for process and technology innovation. Some of the more significant developments related to the project included employing custom-designed clips to secure conduit and sensing fibre to the new pipe during construction (Figure 2), as well as designing complex conduit and fibre cable redundancy strategies for hundreds of trenchless crossings (Figure 3). The challenges posed by such crossings are anything but trivial, with many exceeding 2000 m (1.25 miles) in length. Perhaps the most daunting of these features was a 2600 m (1.86 mile) tunnel in Burnaby, British Columbia where the main pipeline was split into three separate pipes stacked in a vertical configuration (Figure 4), requiring independent optical monitoring of each different pipe. Other unique milestones achieved during project execution related to the variety of construction methods employed in addition to open trench, including Direct Pipe, auger bore/guided horizontal auger bore, micro tunnelling, pipe ramming, as well as retrofit trenching of conduit across 200 km (125 mile) of existing pipeline segments (these were twinned several years earlier). These different deployment techniques were combined over multiple construction spreads operating in parallel and proved very challenging for pipeline construction, let alone for the subsequent installation of conduits for the fibre cables where it was critical to maintain both continuity and proximity to the pipe at all times. Overcoming these – and many other – challenges allowed for continuous fibre deployment across both the greenfield and brownfield elements of this vast project.

The retrofitting of approximately 200 km (125 mile) of existing pipe represented yet another unique challenge in the context of the overall Trans Mountain deployment. Two sections of the expansion pipeline traversing a national park were already twinned a number of years ago as illustrated in Figure 1. Advancements in vibratory plowing technology, as well as in the technologies and processes governing pipeline locating, were leveraged by 3C Information Solutions Incorporated (3CIS) to enable accurate and cost-effective deployment of the fibre optic conduit at a precise clock position next to the pipe while maintaining a specified distance of 1 m (3.3 ft) within a tight allowable offset (+/- 0.2 m). Plowing machines were augmented by 3CIS with complementary technologies such as high accuracy GPS and inertial compensation to provide confidence for the desired conduit deployment position, resulting in successful retrofitting of the existing pipe segments within the stated offset interval regardless of the often extreme nature of the terrain involved (Figure 5).

Some of the valuable applications being supported by Hifi’s HDS platform and the associated hybrid fibre optic network deployed for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project will include…

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