After the successful completion of a proof-of-concept study, the technology will be refined to provide imaging of corrosion and leaks from an aerial platform. This will provide critical information to the client concerning the health of its system without affecting operations, offering the potential to greatly reduce the cost of repair and maintenance for pipeline owners.
Under the terms of this agreement, ViaLogy and ASTFS, which is part of the Advanced Spatial Technologies Group of Oklahoma, will collaborate on a pilot survey deploying helicopter-mounted light detection and ranging (LIDAR), ground-penetrating synthetic aperture radar sensors and advanced GIS analytics. The objective is to fly over and accurately detect approximately 100 km of underground pipeline in rugged mountain terrain. ViaLogy’s software will be deployed to process radar imagery and extract pipe position data, which will be controlled by AST’s ‘spatial asset management system.
The system is a data-management software tool with designed to have compatibility with any database management system the customer may be using. The technology provides the capability to easily locate assets with accuracy, mark the location with precision, record the condition or state of repair, estimate projections for end-of-life, and manage all of the critical asset data events in a way that can be operated by a non-technical field worker. The pilot project will be supported by a major pipeline company that intends to purchase the service going forward.