Intelligent inspection technology for cross-country buried petroleum pipelines

A case study is presented here on the continued deve­lopment efforts at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre on instrumented pipeline inspection gauge for Indian Oil Corporation Limited over the last two decades. A marvel of technology involving challenges of non-destructive testing techniques, mechanical, magnetism, electronics, data processing and analysis, operational safety requirements and portability, qualifications of the tools and characterization of defects with acceptable accuracy were achieved to be at par with the internationally available tools. These tools are being extensively deployed in the field. The homegrown technology for in-line inspection has brought down the cost of the tool and that of the services per kilometre. Different technologies are now being pursued to ensure that the in-line inspection work in the country is carried out in an ‘Atmanirbhar’ way.