Validity of the LAPA Method for Assessment of Defects Reported by In-Line Inspection Tools Available to Purchase

Over recent years, RSTRENG has gained acceptance as a reliable method of assessing the effect of pipeline corrosion defects, while reducing the conservatism inherent in some of the alternative assessment models. The Length Adaptive Pressure Assessment (LAPA) algorithm has been developed to apply an adaptation of the RSTRENG methodology directly to the results of a magnetic in-line inspection. Adoption of the LAPA technique offers substantial accuracy and efficiency benefits over the more conventional processes, but the industry requires confirmation of the method’s validity before it can take advantage of these. The paper will describe the LAPA validation work performed by PII, and independent validation undertaken by TransCanada Pipelines and other pipeline operators. The independent validation took the form of a comparison of LAPA-based burst pressure calculations with RSTRENG calculations based on direct infield measurements of the defect profile. TransCanada also performed a series of burst tests to quantify the accuracy of the LAPA calculations.