L52272 Detection of Small Leaks in Liquid Pipelines - Gap Study of Available Methods

Abstract

The integrity of the liquid pipeline network in the United States is of concern to the pipeline operators, the surrounding communities, and the government. During a recent Office of Pipeline Safety industry forum, concerns regarding the detection of small liquid leaks were discussed. The important topic areas related to small leak detection included identifying the available real-time monitoring and detection systems, assessing the need for new detection technologies, and understanding the performance of currently available systems. The objective of the project was to assess the gap between what liquid pipeline operators need in terms of leak detection and what various leak detection technologies can provide, specifically related to small leaks. For this gap analysis study, small leaks were considered to be pipeline releases that were less than 5% of nominal pipeline flow rate.