World Pipelines Magazine, New approach to pipeline detection

Detection of Abandoned and Orphaned Wells and Pipelines - SKIPPER NDT

The United States has over 2 million decommissioned or abandoned wells and thousands of miles of pipelines, some classified as orphaned with no identifiable owners. These assets pose serious safety and environmental risks, including greenhouse gas emissions and hazards during construction activities.

Challenges for operators:

• Locating decommissioned assets with incomplete or inaccurate historical records.

• Difficult-to-access sites, creating operator safety risks.

• Manual detection methods are time-consuming, costly, and inefficient.

The Argos sensor system:

A fully automated, magnetic-based technology deployed via UAVs or ground platforms to precisely locate abandoned wells and pipelines. The system integrates:

• Fluxgate magnetometers capturing 3D magnetic fields

• Real-time GNSS and tactical-grade IMU

• Remote distance sensors for depth measurement

• Proprietary electronics for data acquisition and processing

Key advantages:

• Remote operation ensures operator safety in challenging terrain.

• Rapid coverage of large areas (up to 20 acres/day), reducing time and resources.

• Real-time preliminary processing provides actionable insights within 15 minutes of flight.

• Consistent and repeatable data quality through automated acquisition and processing.

• Comprehensive geospatial positioning integrating photogrammetry and known well locations.

Results and impact:

Extensive field testing in California identified over 30 potential wells in a single campaign. The solution enabled same-day inspection and excavation, cutting mitigation response time by over a month. Clients can validate records, correct misalignments, discover unknown wells, and plan future inspections with confidence.

Looking forward:

Skipper NDT revolutionizes abandoned asset detection with automation, efficiency, safety, and precision, replacing manual, labor-intensive methods and providing a transformative approach to environmental and operational risk management.