Qualification of ILI Performance in Accordance With API 1163 and the Potential Impact for Management of Pipeline Integrity

Characterizing the performance of In Line Inspection (ILI) continues to be a subject of ongoing debate. Knowing the accuracy and reliability of ILI measurements is important for determining optimum integrity rehabilitation project scope, re-inspection interval and the risk associated with the pipeline section examined. The introduction of API 1163 (In-Line Inspection Systems Qualification Standard) is a positive step in defining the key metrics for qualification of ILI results. Qualifying these metrics requires verification measurements having accuracies an order of magnitude higher than in-line-inspection. Lasersure^SM provides a process which uses high resolution, high accuracy, in-the-ditch, Laser Profilometry measurements which satisfies these requirements and therefore is well suited for this purpose. This presentation will identify the components of the Lasersure^SM process and through example the potential impact of this process for management of pipeline integrity.