SK Energy Uses Ultrasonics to Inspect Subsea Pipelines

At SK Energy Ulsan Complex (CLX), the 'Intelligent Pig' is being unloaded (left in the photo) or inserted into the No.2 buoy subsea pipeline for inspection. Photo by SK Innovation

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] SK Energy announced on the 18th that it inspected the subsea pipeline supplying crude oil at its Ulsan site using ultrasonic sensors.

The facility inspected this time is the subsea pipeline of the second newly constructed buoy (No.2 Buoy) in 2008, consisting of 1.1 km on land and 4.5 km offshore. Preliminary and main work began in mid-April and lasted about 80 days, and it is currently in the post-work stage. The buoy is an offshore loading facility where ultra-large crude oil carriers that cannot dock at the pier mainly berth. Crude oil is supplied through the subsea pipeline connected to the buoy and stored in onshore storage tanks. The company operates two buoys.

In the past, inspectors directly entered the buoy subsea pipeline to check for corrosion, but due to safety concerns, the inspection method was changed to an intelligent pig system using ultrasound. Intelligent pigs are mainly used to inspect long-distance pipelines and underground pipelines for crude oil transfer, where general non-destructive testing is difficult.

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