Aerial Surveillance for Gas and Liquid Hydrocarbon Pipelines Using a Flame Ionization Detector (FID) Free

A novel application for the detection of airborne hydrocarbons has been successfully developed by means of a highly sensitive, fast responding Flame Ionization Detector (FID.) The traditional way to monitor pipeline leaks has been by ground crews using specific sensors or by airborne crews highly trained to observe anomalies associated with leaks during periodic surveys of the pipeline right-of-way. Our goal has been to detect leaks in a fast and cost effective way before the associated spill becomes a costly and hazardous problem. This paper describes a leak detection system combined with a global positioning system (GPS) and a computerized data output designed to pinpoint the presence of hydrocarbons in the air space of the pipeline’s right of way. Fixed wing aircraft as well as helicopters have been successfully used as airborne platforms. Natural gas, crude oil and finished products pipelines in Canada and the United States have been surveyed using this technology with excellent correlation between the aircraft detection and in situ ground detection. The information obtained is processed with a proprietary software and reduced to simple coordinates. Results are transferred to ground crews to effect the necessary repairs.