PIPELINE MONITORING WITH GEOTECHNICAL OPTICAL FIBER

The 408 km x 34" PERULNG pipeline (operated by Hunt LNG Operating Company) is monitored in its first 62 km by a geotechnical fiber optic cable, since these first 62 km are exposed to major geohazard threats such as landslides, large river crossings, high slopes, bofedales, etc. The fiber optic cable geotechnical monitoring relies on the measurement of strain and temperature in the pipeline right-of-way. Due to the continuous and real-time monitoring of the duct, it was possible to detect a tension cracking near KP 25 + 600 as an abnormal temperature change was captured by the temperature sensing cable; also near KP 27 + 900 and KP 34 + 750 unusual cable stresses were detected which announced landslides of the rotational type in both locations. In these three cases, protection decisions could be taken to secure pipelines integrity.