Publications

PT Pertamina Hulu Energi Offshore North West Java (PHE ONWJ) field has been in operation for 53 years and is located offshore north of West Java Province, on the island of Java, with an area of 8,300 square km. PHE ONWJ used pipelines to transport oil and gas from wells to platforms or between platforms until they reached the customer or a floating storage facility for sales. As part of inspection maintenance and repair (IMR) program, in-line inspection (ILI) is conducted regularly. This paper discusses the selection of an alternative geometric tool to address blockages found in pipelines during in-line inspections (ILI) due to geometric issues. In this case, the 14” 3-PHASE BE-BPRO experienced blockages during a run of the bi-directional (BIDI) pig with a gauge plate before an ILI-run, with a maximum bore restriction of 280 mm. While clarifying the type of anomaly is essential, identifying the location of the blockage is equally important to prevent the ILI tools from stalling. The foam pig caliper was introduced as a solution to the problem. The foam pig caliper consists of medium density polyurethane with a removable cartridge containing sensors, electronics and batteries located in the centre of the pig. This tool is able to detect and measure bore variations, dents, ovality, scale and wax deposits, and other constraints in the line by measuring the compression of the foam at specific spots around its circle. Additional sensors track the pig's roll (or clock position), tilt, and heading orientation. Data from the sensors is gathered and stored by an onboard logging system (which has a real-time clock), enabling pipeline features and anomalies to be compared to pressure and flow records. Inspection data results unveil the precise dent location at 1673 m from the pig launcher. In addition, the foam identifies the changes in bore measurement, dents, ovality, scale and wax deposits, and other obstructions in the line. This work paves the way to address unprecedented ILI operations due to pipeline anomalies.