T.D. Williamson (TDW), a world leader in pipeline services and equipment, announced that it has completed its first inline inspection using a unique new approach to Electro Magnetic Acoustic Transducer (EMAT) technology.
The EMAT inspection took place in late September on 33 miles of a 12-inch diameter pipeline in Texas. The project was successfully executed, and the data is currently in analysis.
“Leveraging our patent-pending SpirALL™ Magnetic Flux Leakage technology, and know-how from our sensor partner, TDW has developed a unique approach to EMAT technology,” said Eric Rogers, TDW director of strategy and business development for its Pipeline Integrity Solutions division. “EMAT is designed to detect cracking features such as stress corrosion cracking. The TDW approach requires minimal transmitters and receivers, and is compact in design.”
TDW conducted hundreds of pull tests at its Global Pipeline Integrity Center in Salt Lake City, UT, to validate the approach. Multiple passes through its test loop in Tulsa, OK, confirmed the technology was field ready.
The new EMAT technology continues a TDW tradition of introducing ground-breaking inline inspection technology to assist pipeline operators in improving pipeline integrity. SpirALL™ MFL technology was introduced in 2009, followed shortly by the Multiple DataSet platform. This technology allows geometry, metal loss, seam assessment, mechanical damage prioritization, bending strain, and more, all in a single inspection.