OEL's System Sales Manager, Carmen Orellana has written a blog about 'what is acoustic pig locating / tracking?'
Acoustic pig locating/tracking is a very quick and efficient way to identify a pig train in a subsea pipeline which is filled in with liquid and it is not trenched, buried neither pipe-in-pipe. This device is most commonly used for flooding, cleaning and gauging operations, as the water is an excellent conductor of the sound and enables detection from long range distances. This also enables accurate detection from either a support vessel or platform.
The acoustic pingers are usually configured to activate when the saltwater contacts are exposed to any conducting fluid e.g. salt water or MEG. This permits the loading of the acoustic pingers many months in advance; safe in the knowledge that the pinger will only activate once the line becomes flooded ready for launch.
Where there is a risk that a line may become wet through water ingress or there are concerns about condensation near the pig, the pinger can be configured with a pressure switch. The pinger can then be installed inside a ‘wet’ pipeline at atmospheric pressure several weeks in advance and will only activate once the pipeline internal pressure reaches the pre-configured threshold. Acoustic pingers can also be used to confirm that a pig has passed a certain critical point such as a wye piece or non-return valve.
Subsea applications are often in deep water; Online Electronics’ acoustic system is very robust and can withstand high pressure requirements. But also, if shallow water is the case, divers can also use a very diver-friendly receiver to confirm a pig launch, a pig received and to find a pig stuck in a contingency scenario.
Online Electronics pig locating systems are industry standard for pig locating in subsea liquid pipelines. Find out more on our products by contacting our sales team on 01224 714714 or sales@online-electronics.com