technical services
Assessment Services for Integrity Management
IAG Technical Services provide support across your assets and their IMP’s delivering traceable, verifiable, and complete data from every assessment performed that enable clients to proactively manage risk to avoid costly failures and downtime. From regular maintenance program support through compliance driven actions, the SME’s and digital delivery capabilities within the IAG Technical Services team have the industry experience, and technology expertise that ensure best practices optimize our projects, your assets, and facilities. We can provide consulting, value engineering, new technology adoption, and expert testimony services to our customers.
CORROSION MANAGEMENT
Above Ground Surveys
- ACVG
- DCVG
- CIS
- PCM
AC Mitigation Design and Testing
AC Mitigation is making material selections to add forms of grounding to the pipeline system. Without a decoupler installed between the grounding and the pipeline, these systems would reduce the effectiveness of the cathodic protection system due to the additional bare surface area being added to the protected structure. There are four (4) primary reasons why a pipeline operating company would need AC Mitigation:
They operate a pipeline that is co-located in a high voltage transmission right of way
- …..and experiencing high induced AC voltage on their system causing 15 volts AC or greater. This has a potential to shock any personnel that come into contact with the structure
- …..and need to lower AC current density in order to reduce corrosion threat.
- to prevent voltage spikes during fault conditions of the AC transmission system
SOURCES REFERENCE:
- AC mitigation strategies can be found in NACE SPO177-2014
- The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) published 49 CFR Part 195 to establish rules for controlling corrosion of hazardous liquid transmission pipelines. Subsection 195.575 addresses safeguards and states:
“… (e) If a pipeline is in close proximity to electrical transmission tower footing, ground cables, or counterpoise, or in other areas where it is reasonable to foresee fault currents or an unusual risk of lightning, you must protect the pipeline against damage from fault currents or lightning and take protective measures at insulating devices.”
Leak Patrols
IAG can provide qualified individuals or teams to conduct a Leak Patrol whether your system contains combustible gas or combustible liquids. A typical IAG Leak Patrol is a foot patrol over 100% of the system utilizing a calibrated combustible gas detector that samples the atmosphere continuously for combustible gases. Equally as important as a combustible gas detector, a leak patrol also requires an awareness with the operator’s senses of sight, smell, and sound. If the wind is in the wrong direction the combustible gas detector will not pick it up, but the operator may be able to hear hissing, smell additives, or see vapor clouds, standing liquid, or dead vegetation. All abnormal operating conditions are recorded and reported accordingly to expectations.
DIMP/IMP Plan Review and Compliance
IAG’s expertise in identifying threats, evaluating risk, implementing corrective measures, and monitoring performance complies with regulations such as the PHMSA IMP (Integrity Management Plan) and DIMP (Distribution Integrity Management Plan).
Our team can help improve business performance through the benefits that DIMP/IMP compliance produces such as a deeper knowledge of the physical asset, focused resources, and a continuous improvement process.
Centerline & Profile Surveys
- Depth of Cover
- Inclination
- Construction
Annual CP Test Point Survey
An Annual Cathodic Protection test point survey is a regulated requirement that must be done every 12 months, not to exceed 15 months. IAG can perform your test point survey to ensure you stay up-to-date with all requirements.
IAG follows the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) best practices for evaluation of the performance of cathodic protections system published in Standard SP0169. Specifically, Section 6.2 of this standard addresses what JRGO looks to prove compliance:
For buried steel piping, Section 6.2.2.1 states … “one or more of the following shall apply:
6.2.2.1.1 A negative (cathodic) potential of at least 850 mV (.850 volts) with the cathodic protection applied. This potential is measured with respect to a saturated copper/copper sulfate reference electrode contacting the electrolyte. Voltage drops other than those across the structure-to-electrolyte boundary must be considered for valid interpretation of this voltage measurement.
6.2.2.1.2 A negative polarized potential of at least 850 mV relative to a saturated copper/copper sulfate reference electrode.
6.2.2.1.3 A minimum of 100 mV cathodic polarization between the structure surface and a stable reference electrode contacting the electrolyte. The formation or decay of polarization can be measured to satisfy this criterion.”
Short Locating
IAG can provide qualified and well-trained technicians to identify suspect locations of electrical shorts to any pipeline system. Short identification or locating is typically utilized when a system operator is experiencing low cathodic protection levels without a clear understanding of why. It is very typical with congested utilities buried in the same area that due to settling or third party damage that utilities come in physical contact with each other making them electrically common. A cathodic protection system is designed to provide enough protection for a designated amount of surface area. When another utility electrically shorts to a protected structure, all the unintended surface area overwhelms the cathodic protection system causing a reduction in CP levels. There are several different methods and manufacturers of equipment to assist in identifying shorts in a system; locating or tracking a unique frequency, current mapping, or interrupting cathodic protection current and tracking that unique interruption signature.
Rectifier and Bond Monitoring
Rectifier and bond monitoring is keeping record of all rectifiers output (voltage & amps) and critical bond current exchange magnitude, and direction, that manage cathodic protection for a regulated structure. These must be measured and recorded for proper operation 6 times per calendar year, not to exceed 75 day intervals.
Note: this can be completed by a qualified technician or utilizing RMU technologies (Remote Monitoring Units: report this data to a website for record storage)
INSPECTION SERVICES (NDT)
ILI Validation Assessments
- MFL
- Caliper
- Hard Spot
- Elastic Wave
- USWM
- USCD
- EMAT
- Tri-Axial
Corrective Action Order Support
- Rapid Response
- Comprehensive Reporting
- Advanced Tools with TVC Deliverables
Advanced Crack Sizing
- Manual Tip Diffraction
- PAUT
- TFM-FMC
- TECA Sharck
- TOFD
Corrosion Mapping (ID/OD)
- 3D Laser Scanning
- AUT Corrosion Mapping
SCT / LSM
Stress Concentration Tomography with Uniscan
-
Screening for Stress Concentration Zones (anomalies)
-
Detecting Casing Starts and Ends
-
Screen for Wall Thickness & Diameter Changes
-
Measuring Stress from Geo-Hazard Impacts / Changes
SCC Program Dig Support
- EMAT Validation
- USCD Validations
- USCD Duo Validations
- SCC Model Digs
Material Validations
- HSD Tester
- Frontics IIT
- UCI & Leeb Hardness
Rapid Anomaly Screening
- Laser
- ECA Spyne
- HD MFL Pipescan
- TECA Sharck
- Guided Wave Ultrasonics
3D Laser Scanning
- External Metal Loss
- Burst Pressure Calculations
- Mechanical Damage
- Strain Calculations
- Part to CAD Comparisons
Case studies & project stories
Project summary
- ILI Tool Validation Dig with up to 5 metal loss features to be verified
- Need high accuracy and traceable results for engineers to analyze and feedback to ILI vendor
- Need high quality and dependable construction company to
- Verify the correct location
- Ensure that dig is safe and secure
- Ensure minimal impact to immediate environment – dig in a sensitive area