Field Testing of OSBRA 964 km Pipeline Leak Detection System

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ma´rcio Manha˜es G. de Almeida ◽  
Andre P. Kotchetkoff Neto ◽  
Adilson S. Mendonc¸a ◽  
Ricardo R. Alvarez ◽  
Marcello P. Castro
Keyword(s):  
System Performance ◽  
Detection System ◽  
Field Testing ◽  
Leak Detection ◽  
Liquid Hydrocarbon ◽  
Diesel Oil ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Simple Task ◽  
Control Center ◽  
Tank Farm

OSBRA is the 964 Km pipeline which supplies over 6.000.000 m3/year of gasoline, diesel oil and LPG to Brazil Mid-West region. Products on OSBRA pipeline are pumped on 24 hours a day and 365 days a year scheduled basis from Planalto Paulista Refinary – REPLAN to 5 midsize cities through 6 remote operated pumping stations located along the pipeline. OSBRA pipeline operation including pumping, valve operation and tank farm monitoring are done remotely from PETROBRAS Transporte S/A – TRANSPETRO Pipeline Control Center - CCO. A real time leak detection system (LDS) was supplied and installed at this Pipeline Control Center. The LDS is based on measurements of flow, pressure and density as well as pump and valve status along the pipeline. A SCADA was implemented and field instrumentation measurements were observed in order to provide good quality data for the pipeline operation and its LDS. Assembling of some field instruments were improved in order to correct measurement fails. On-desk simulations were done in order to verify theoretical system performance and operation team was trained to use the leak detection tool. A field controlled leak simulation test was done in order to validate and verify the System performance. This apparently simple task demanded around 1 year for planning and implementation before test was done. The approach of this report is mainly operational and shows how the OSBRA LDS test was planned, programmed, commissioned and performed. Coordination and integration of Operation, Maintenance, Pipeline, Engineering, Safety, Telecommunication and Logistic teams are demonstrated in order to get good results. Field activities like designing and assembling of spools and instrumentations necessary to execute a controlled pipeline liquid hydrocarbon take off are showed. Safety and environmental precautions to avoid equipment damage, uncontrolled operation or product leak to environment are demonstrated.

Instrumentation Improvements for the Leak Detection and Batch Tracking Systems of the Sa˜o Paulo Brasi´lia Pipeline (OSBRA)

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ma´rcio Manha˜es Gomes de Almeida ◽  
Jose Augusto Morais de Andrade ◽  
Andre Paulo Kotchetkoff Neto
Keyword(s):  
Detection System ◽  
Leak Detection ◽  
Diesel Oil ◽  
Flow Measurements ◽  
Control Center ◽  
Tank Farm ◽  
Field Instrumentation ◽  
Pumping Stations ◽  
Actual Field ◽  
First Time

OSBRA is the 964 Km pipeline which supplies over 6.500.000 m3/year of gasoline, diesel oil and LPG to the Brazilian Midwestern region. Products on OSBRA pipeline are pumped 24 hours a day and 365 days a year on a scheduled basis from Planalto Paulista Refinery – REPLAN to 5 midsize cities through 6 remote operated pumping stations located along the pipeline. The pipeline operation, including pumping and valve actuations and tank farm monitoring, is done remotely from PETROBRAS Transporte S/A – TRANSPETRO National Pipeline Control Center (CNCO). A real time leak detection system (LDS) was supplied and installed at the CNCO. The LDS is based on measurements of flow and pressure as well as pump and valve status along the pipeline. An actual field leak test was done in order to validate and verify the LDS performance. The LDS performance was considered satisfactory at the first time, but after a few months an excessive number of false leak alarms started to occur. A detailed investigation was conducted both on operational procedures and field instrument installation. This report shows how this investigation was conducted and the main recommendations that were agreed in order to avoid the LDS to detract from credibility and the creation of complacency. It is presented the existing limitations on the flow measurements and the improvements that are planned to field instrumentation, operational/maintenance procedures and the OSBRA LDS and Batch Tracking models so it could reach a higher performance level.

The New CSA Standard for Leak Detection

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Don Scott ◽  
Ulli Pietsch
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Detection System ◽  
Leak Detection ◽  
Liquid Hydrocarbon ◽  
Technical Committee ◽  
Gas Pipeline ◽  
Current Technology ◽  
The Us ◽  
Pipeline Systems

Standards and Recommended Practices require periodic updating so they represent current technology and industry practices. Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Z662 “Oil and Gas Pipeline Systems” contains Annex E that covers software-based leak detection for liquid hydrocarbon pipelines. The CSA Technical Committee determined that is was time to update Annex E. A Task Force of industry experts and regulators met over a period of 18 month to draft a new Annex E. This paper outlines some of the significant features of the new Annex and where possible does a comparison with the similar section in American Petroleum Institute’s API 1130 which covers recommended practice for software based leak detection in the US. A pipeline operator should consider using both Annex E and API 1130 in the implementation and use of a software-based leak detection system. The CSA Task Force did not want to copy and modify API 1130 to provide a new Annex E, so both documents provide necessary information.

Distributed Automation Systems Provide Information and Support to Decision

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Noac Feldman
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Data Transfer ◽  
Detection System ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Automation System ◽  
Digital Information ◽  
Process Data ◽  
Control Center ◽  
Supervisory System ◽  
Automation Systems

Transpetro — the transportation division of Petrobras — operates approximately 10.000 kilometers of pipelines and 43 oil terminals. It is the main oil and gas logistic company in Brazil and one of the top companies in Latin America. This work presents a concise description of Transpetro’s project to integrate these distributed sites. Most of the pipelines are remotely operated by the Operational Control Center (OCC), located in Rio de Janeiro, but there are also a number of pipelines and specific operations that are under the responsibility of the terminals, and these operations are called “distributed operations”. These operations include pump and compressors control, valves alignment, products quality monitoring, and even some pipelines control not integrated to the OCC yet, such as the ones that are used to deliver final products to the distribution companies. Each of the Terminals has, or is receiving, an automation system including instrumentation, programmable logic controllers, communication and supervisory systems. Pressure, density, flow and level are some of the variables collected by the automation system and made available to the terminal operator. The system also allows the remote control of valves, bombs, compressors and other equipment. All this information gathered by the automation system becomes digitally available on the level of the terminals supervisory systems, which in Transpetro are mainly based on Intellution iFIX and Telvent OASyS. Therefore, other systems can access the supervisory systems and use its digital information for the benefit of the company. On the Operational side, there are some specialist systems that refine and sophisticate the level of information available in the supervisory system. One of these is the Leak Detection System, which interfaces with the supervisory system using data transfer protocols such as DDE and OPC, receiving the process data and applying a computational model that allows the operator to identify a potential leak. In a Logistic Company such as Transpetro, it is important to keep all the information concerned to storage (in tanks or pipelines), both current and scheduled operations, in a set of systems functioning in an integrated way. One of these systems is the homemade one called BDEMQ (Storage, Transportation and Quality Data Base). Transpetro is now implementing the interface between the automation systems and BDEMQ in all terminals. The technology used is a C and Java language-based interface through an Ethernet TCP/IP network. Hence, once Transpetro has all the data digitalized in its terminals’ automation systems, it is possible to improve the level of control and information, increasing the support to the operators’ and managers’ decision taking processes.

Pipeline Diagnostics With Ultrasonic Meters

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Gailey ◽  
Noman Rasool
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Measurement Errors ◽  
Flow Measurement ◽  
Detection System ◽  
Leak Detection ◽  
The United States ◽  
Time Data ◽  
Critical System ◽  
Detection Systems ◽  
Transient Models

Canada and the United States have vast energy resources, supported by thousands of kilometers (miles) of pipeline infrastructure built and maintained each year. Whether the pipeline runs through remote territory or passing through local city centers, keeping commodities flowing safely is a critical part of day-to-day operation for any pipeline. Real-time leak detection systems have become a critical system that companies require in order to provide safe operations, protection of the environment and compliance with regulations. The function of a leak detection system is the ability to identify and confirm a leak event in a timely and precise manner. Flow measurement devices are a critical input into many leak detection systems and in order to ensure flow measurement accuracy, custody transfer grade liquid ultrasonic meters (as defined in API MPMS chapter 5.8) can be utilized to provide superior accuracy, performance and diagnostics. This paper presents a sample of real-time data collected from a field install base of over 245 custody transfer grade liquid ultrasonic meters currently being utilized in pipeline leak detection applications. The data helps to identify upstream instrumentation anomalies and illustrate the abilities of the utilization of diagnostics within the liquid ultrasonic meters to further improve current leak detection real time transient models (RTTM) and pipeline operational procedures. The paper discusses considerations addressed while evaluating data and understanding the importance of accuracy within the metering equipment utilized. It also elaborates on significant benefits associated with the utilization of the ultrasonic meter’s capabilities and the importance of diagnosing other pipeline issues and uncertainties outside of measurement errors.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document