Pipeline inspection specialist Cokebusters has developed a new single-bodied ultrasonic in-line inspection (ILI) tool designed to improve defect detection and axial positioning in complex pipeline systems.
The compact inspection tool integrates an odometer directly into the ultrasonic inspection assembly, allowing operators to gather up to 60,000 wall-thickness readings per linear metre while accurately correlating each measurement to its position along the pipeline. The system uses multiple independently monitored measuring wheels and hall-effect sensors to improve the reliability of positional data during inspections.
According to the company, the new design addresses several limitations associated with traditional multi-bodied inspection tools, which can struggle to navigate tight-radius bends and often require dedicated launchers and receivers. The lighter, free-swimming design is intended to reduce operational downtime and lower project costs by enabling the use of existing inline valves as launch and receive points.
Before field deployment, the odometer system was calibrated and tested at the company’s technology centre in the UK using a purpose-built testing pipeline. Engineers focused on minimising cumulative measurement errors caused by factors such as wheel slippage and tread deflection.
The technology was subsequently deployed during a 2025 inspection of a 1,853-metre subterranean multiphase pipeline in Europe. The 6-inch carbon steel pipeline featured heavy schedule bends and multiple unbarred tee-pieces above and below ground level. Following cleaning runs, the inspection tool successfully completed the pipeline survey and gathered ultrasonic and positional data for analysis.
During the inspection, the system identified a range of pipeline anomalies, including axial and circumferential grooving, pinholes, and both internal and external wall loss. Additional features such as bends, schedule changes, tee-pieces, and seamed tube sections were also detected.
The client later compared the reported defect locations against previous inspection data generated by conventional multi-bodied inspection tools. The findings aligned with existing tally tables, leading to the approval of the Cokebusters system for future inline inspection activities.
The company said the project demonstrates that compact single-bodied inspection tools can deliver high-density ultrasonic measurements and accurate axial positioning in pipelines previously considered difficult or impossible to inspect using conventional pigging systems.
