New Approach to Pipeline Detection

Skipper NDT, discusses the drawbacks of manual methods for detecting and locating abandoned pipelines and wells, providing a new solution system that combines several sensors to acquire precise magnetic data. 

The US is home to over 2 million decommissioned or abandoned oil and gas wells, alongside thousands of miles of decommissioned or abandoned pipelines. Among these assets, some are classified as ‘orphaned’ due to a lack of identifiable owners. 

These assets present a significant risk of emitting gases that contribute to safety and environmental hazards. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), decommissioned, abandoned, and orphaned wells release an estimated 7 – 20 million metric tpy of CO2 equivalent.

Compounding the issue, these decommissioned or abandoned assets often lack comprehensive records, posing challenges for midstream operators in verifying, mitigating, and avoiding them during other construction activities in affected areas.