Pipeline Integrity Inspections
The integrity of hydrocarbon transportation pipelines must be rigorously evaluated before commissioning and at predetermined intervals throughout their operational life. This assessment is typically performed using advanced inline inspection (ILI) tools, which traverse the full length of the pipeline to collect high-resolution data on wall thickness, corrosion, cracks, dents, and other anomalies. Inspection campaigns can be executed while the pipeline is in service (live inspection) or during shutdown (offline inspection), with the methodology selected based on operational constraints, risk profile, and safety requirements.
Through our specialized technology partner, NefteGazPerspektiva (NGP), SYGMA provides premium Pipeline inspection services to detect any anomalies in the pipelines early and avoid expensive downtime. Whether online or offline, our assessments are tailored to your operational needs.
Multichannel Caliper Survey
External mechanical damage is a leading cause of pipeline failures. Multichannel caliper surveys include detection, precise localization, and sizing of dents, ovality, buckles, and wall thickness reductions caused by external impacts or soil movement. Multi-channel caliper tools also provide detailed mapping of structural features such as valves, fittings, bends, and circumferential welds, as well as variations in wall thickness. These inspections are applicable both during pre-commissioning and throughout the operational lifecycle of the pipeline to ensure ongoing integrity.
MFL Inspection
The inspection technique employs axial magnetization of the pipeline wall to magnetic saturation, with subsequent measurement of local variations in magnetic flux density. This high-resolution method facilitates the detection, characterization, and sizing of a wide spectrum of anomalies, including general and localized metal loss (such as pinholes), circumferential cracks, defects in girth and spiral welds and geometric irregularities. The system is compatible with pipelines transporting any medium, including liquids, gases, or multiphase flows, and provides detailed, quantitative data for integrity assessment.
TFI Inspection
TFI methodology utilizes circumferential magnetization of the pipeline wall to magnetic saturation, with subsequent measurement of localized perturbations in magnetic flux density. This high-resolution technique enables the detection, quantification, and sizing of a broad spectrum of defects, including general and localized metal loss, stress corrosion cracking (SCC), axial cracking, longitudinal weld anomalies, and geometric irregularities. The system is fully compatible with pipelines transporting liquids, gases, or multiphase flows, providing high-fidelity, quantitative data for integrity assessment and proactive risk management.
Ultrasonic Inspection
The method employs measurement of ultrasonic wave transit times reflected from both the internal and external surfaces of the pipeline wall. This approach enables high-resolution detection, sizing, and characterization of metal loss (including corrosion and mechanically induced defects), geometric anomalies, and mid-wall discontinuities such as flat laminations, surface-breaking laminations, and non-metallic inclusions.
The Direct Beam Ultrasonic (DBU) system delivers precise determination of defect geometry, angular orientation, and longitudinal position, providing quantitative data essential for detailed structural integrity assessments and pipeline fitness-for-service evaluations.
XYZ Mapping
Accurate monitoring of a pipeline's spatial alignment is a key element of integrity management programs. Pipeline displacement due to several reasons can induce localized strain and compromise structural integrity.
XYZ surveys employ high-precision inertial and navigational measurement systems to capture three-dimensional pipeline positioning data. These surveys can be conducted in conjunction with caliper inspections or during magnetic and ultrasonic in-line inspection runs. The resulting spatial dataset enables detailed evaluation of stress distribution along the pipeline, supporting structural assessment, strain analysis, and proactive integrity management of critical segments.
