API 2026, Rapid Non-Intrusive Pipeline Baseline Mapping

Keeping Pipelines Safe on Unstable Ground

 When land shifts, buried pipelines shift with it and in dense neighborhoods, that could be a serious safety risk. Skipper NDT presents here a prime example: a location where NASA studies found the ground moving up to 4 inches per week after heavy rains in 2023–2024. In July 2024, the operator had to cut gas service to 135 homes because the ground was moving too fast to safely manage the pipelines below.

 Skipper NDT developed a fast, non-invasive way to track exactly where buried pipelines are and detect when they move. Using a cart-mounted magnetic mapping system, we surveyed pipeline corridors at street level without any digging or disruption, even in a busy urban environment with high levels of magnetic interference.

 In just four days, Skipper NDT mapped three natural gas pipeline segments totaling nearly 3,900 feet, producing a detailed 3D picture of each pipeline's position. This becomes a precise baseline a "before" snapshot that future surveys can be compared against to spot any movement caused by the shifting ground.

 The result is a practical, repeatable monitoring program for utilities managing pipelines in geologically unstable areas: map it accurately, re-survey it regularly, and measure any change over time. This approach works alongside other ground monitoring tools to protect both infrastructure and the communities that depend on it.