Method of detecting leaks in oil pipelines and elimination of accidents

Abstract

This article is devoted to the detection of leaks in oil pipelines and the elimination of accidents. During the transportation of hydrocarbons through the main pipeline, losses classified as operational losses such as evaporation of oil products in tanks, leakage from connecting fittings and pumps were reported. At the same time, during the transportation by the main oil pipeline, the occurrence of accidental losses as a result of the loss of hermeticity of the technological and main pipelines was also noted. Accidental spills have been shown to result in loss of injected product, subsequent additional costs for restoration and repair work, serious environmental damage, and pollution of the atmosphere, soil, and water bodies. Currently, the existence of many different methods for the detection of leaks, each of which has both advantages and disadvantages, is noted, and their internal and external classification is given. It was emphasized that the detection of leaks and the elimination of accidents in oil pipelines, especially in the sea water area, is a technical, economic and ecological problem that has not yet been fully resolved. To detect possible liquid leaks from the oil pipeline, a method based on the determination of waves reflected from the possible leak site in the oil pipeline was proposed. The generation of pressure waves allows not only the detection of the leak itself, but also the identification of the damaged section of the oil pipeline. To determine the location of the leak, it is necessary to install a timer on the pressure sensors. By setting the time from the origin of the recorded pressure wave to the arrival of the reflected wave, the distance to the likely leak can be found by knowing the exact time of travel and speed of sound. Since the calculations are complex and large-scale, commonly, they are carried out using computer programs. To determine the optimal calculation volume, it is necessary to correctly define the calculation step. It is indicated that the calculation for the Oil Rocks-Dubandy subsea oil pipeline should be carried out for 222 points. A classification of methods for detecting leaks in oil pipelines is given and a more effective method based on the wave theory of hydrodynamics is explained. Considering that the repair process in offshore conditions can take days, to reduce oil losses and pollution of the sea, it was proposed to transfer the oil up to the point of leakage to the non-accident part of the pipeline by connecting the receiving lines of the pumps to the sea water source in advance and injecting water instead of oil into the pipeline in case of an accident.