The in-pipe scanner for oil pipelines, developed by scientists from St. Petersburg Mining University, has successfully passed initial testing at the university's Sablino training facility. The introduction of this invention could help oil transportation companies worldwide significantly reduce energy costs associated with pumping oil through main and inter-field pipelines by promptly detecting water accumulations. For example, Transneft enterprises alone could gain an additional profit of approximately 380 million rubles per year.
Savings are achieved by accurately locating areas where water accumulates in the pipeline. These accumulations reduce the effective cross-sectional area, hindering oil flow. The device also identifies sections where the liquid moves incompletely through the pipe, creating a stationary saturated vapor in the upper part. These complications lead to a significant increase in energy costs for transporting hydrocarbons. The in-pipe scanner precisely identifies problematic sections, enabling the removal of water build-ups and restoring full flow.
«Our spherical device, about 10 centimeters in diameter, moves freely within the oil flow. By detecting differences in dielectric permittivity, it identifies when it encounters water, records this data on a memory card, and then the information is processed by an operator.
At the Sablino facility, we launched a prototype scanner into a specially constructed pipeline system, and it successfully passed the most geometrically challenging sections. At this stage of testing, it was crucial to ensure the device's ability to navigate various pipe turns, ascents, and descents. The sensor parameters were confirmed again.
The scanner's second function is to locate oil or gas leaks. It detects through-holes in the pipe using acoustic sensors. In this area, our development has a foreign counterpart — the SmartBall device from the Canadian company PureTechnology. However, SmartBall can only locate leaks, whereas our scanner is currently the only device capable of detecting water accumulations inside the pipe» – said one of the inventors, Enver Jemilev, an assistant professor at the Department of Oil and Gas Transportation and Storage at St. Petersburg Mining University.
At the next stage of the project, according to the developers, a commercial prototype will be created in collaboration with one of the interested companies. Its testing will be conducted on an actual section of both a main and a technological pipeline.
Compressor and oil pumping stations are located 90-120 kilometers apart, depending on the terrain along which the pipeline is laid. The scanner is launched into the pipe at such a station, travels actively through the entire segment, and is retrieved in a receiving chamber at the next station. The device's operational lifespan is virtually unlimited, especially if its metal casing is equipped with a replaceable foam covering.
The cost of creating the commercial prototype is approximately 3 million rubles, including manufacturing the metal casing, purchasing sensors, and developing software. The economic benefit from energy savings at just one of Transneft's subsidiaries ("Transneft-Baltika") is estimated at 32-38 million rubles per year. Across all company enterprises, the projected additional profit amounts to 380 million rubles annually.
A significant effect will also be achieved by reducing the risk of metal pipe wall corrosion. Detecting water accumulations will allow timely repairs of problematic sections, substantially lowering repair costs. Additionally, preventing oil leaks will eliminate land reclamation expenses and reduce other environmental risks.
The in-pipe scanner developed by scientists from the Mining University can be effectively used by any company engaged in transporting oil through main and technological pipelines worldwide. Currently, companies use flaw detectors for in-pipe diagnostics, but these devices cannot detect water. While a dielectric permeability sensor could theoretically be installed on such detectors, they are unable to navigate complex pipeline sections.
The potential market for this development in Russia includes all vertically integrated companies such as Rosneft, Gazprom Neft, Surgutneftegas, Lukoil, Tatneft, Bashneft, and others.
The total length of main oil pipelines worldwide exceeds 4 million kilometers, making the potential for the scanner's application virtually limitless. Global giants such as China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), as well as companies from Russia's western neighbors like Gomeltransneft Druzhba (Belarus), KazTransOil (Kazakhstan), Transpetrol (Slovak Republic), and MOL (Hungary), could be interested in the technology. Major international players such as BP, Shell, and Chevron should not be overlooked either.
Intellectual property rights for the in-pipe scanner for oil pipelines have already been patented. Last year, the developers presented their invention at the XXIX International Innovation Exhibition "HI-TECH" at the Expoforum, where they became laureates of the accompanying competition. Additionally, the device received high praise from the jury of the XXVI Moscow International Salon of Inventions and Innovative Technologies "Archimedes."
Looking ahead, scientists from the Mining University plan to enhance the automation of data processing measured by their device by integrating neural networks into the process.