SAFETY
Specially equipped vehicles can be used to scan for gas leaks from underground pipelines. Photo by Southern Cross
This streamlines reporting and enables more effective survey planning and regulatory compliance.
Intero -The Sniffers, a global inspection company serving clients like Shell and Aramco, has seen business surge as demand for methane monitoring grows. Operations director Bas Hermans says the shift is clear: “Everyone in this sector is moving to infrared and laser. These instruments are far easier to work with than the older technology.
“One particular advantage of the IR instrument that we use is that it has a Bluetooth connection that we can use with our own software. The data is logged and uploaded within seconds, making the record keeping so much easier.”
Changing the old for the new
Atlanta-based Southern Cross, a manufacturer of FID systems for many years, is now pivoting toward digital tools. Alnoor Ebrahim, who leads advanced technology and strategy, says IR detectors with GPS and Bluetooth represent the future.
“Demand for IR is increasing. With GPS and Bluetooth, you get accurate recording of results, with geopositioning and automatic data gathering. You can even choose if you want the results in
A bell probe is sometimes used to draw gas through the natural porosity of the surface paving material. Photo by INFICON
Massive productivity improvements
One of Southern Cross’ customers, Cullman-Jefferson Counties Gas District, operates a 1000-mile gas network in central Alabama, based around the Birmingham to Cullman gas pipeline.
The organization has, until recently, operated FID instruments and other legacy technologies to detect leaks in valves and pipelines, but is now phasing out such equipment.
“We are making massive savings. We have a legal requirement to undertake periodic gas network surveys to search for leaks. It is one of our most costly operations. Surveying one-fifth of the network used to take us four to six months. Now, this can be achieved in two and a half to three months, saving somewhere between one-third and half the time required,” says Keith Blackwood, director of construction and engineering at the utility.
Blackwood and his team use an infrared leak detector from INFICON, IRwin, which means gas samples no longer need to be sent off for analysis, as the built-in gas chromatograph reveals the content of a sample in less than a minute. Additionally, the need to drill bar holes has been eliminated, as the location of the leak can be accurately pinpointed by pulling gas through paved surfaces with a vacuum bell.
Using IR detection, Cullman Jefferson Counties Gas District in Alabama can check its 1000-mile network for leaks in nearly half the time. Photo by Cullman Jefferson Counties Gas District
Demand for IR is increasing. With GPS and Bluetooth, you get accurate recording of results, with geopositioning and automatic data gathering
A mat that traps a small volume of air can be used to search for gas leaks from underground pipelines. Photo by INFICON
ppm, percentage of gas, or percentage of the lower explosive limit – different client companies want the results presented in different ways,” says Ebrahim.
As sales of FID systems are tailing off, the company is increasingly becoming a leading distributor of instruments from other manufacturers and an expert on gas detection across the board.
“There is still a hard core of people that use FID and will continue to do so for the next few years. But this group is shrinking,” Ebrahim says.
Preparing for a hydrogen future
Natural gas may one day be phased out in favor of hydrogen. Hydrogen is non-polluting but still flammable, and it has different properties compared to natural gas.
Hydrogen detectors already exist, but they require further development for field use in energy gas networks, including Ex classification for explosive environments. But the likely next step in energy gas distribution will be hydrogen blended with natural gas. That means today’s IR tools are likely to stay relevant for years, for as long as some natural gas remains in the mix.
Henrik Vennerberg
Market Segment Manager, Energy Leak Detection Tools, INFICON
Email:
henrik.vennerberg@
inficon.com Web:
www.inficon.com
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