Non-destructive measurement of oil pipe wall thickness

Crude oil is conveyed by extensive systems of pipelines and the condition of the pipe wall is changing with time. It is very important to follow metal loss and the spread and growth of corrosion, or other types of damage, in order to prevent leakage of crude oil. Non-destructive methods of pipe wall thickness measurement using a tool which travels through a pipeline (a so-called "smart pig") started to develop in the early 1970s and the ultrasound tool was developed in early 1980s. When the measurement is done, it is very important to find the right positions of potential critical points and do necessary repairs as soon as possible. n this paper a few different methods of measurement are presented, along with some results of wall thickness measurement on crude oil pipeline and gas pipeline using a non-destructive tool.