Retro-fitting technology often involves some lateral thinking. Not only in terms of where to put it on the pipeline but also how to access some areas. Technology has moved on considerably and pipelines built several decades ago now require innovation to help them operate safely. With thousands of kilometers of pipelines, many of which are not close to operation centers, remote technology is vital.
Atmos Eclipse is Atmos International’s non-intrusive leak detection system. A ‘bolt-on’ solution enables remote pipelines and those not having instrumentation to be monitored for leaks. Accessing these areas, which were designed for minimum intervention after commissioning, can often be a challenge. Atmos has a team of field engineers who install and commission our hardware. Significant planning is required and as well as cooperation with the pipeline operators, the Atmos team needs to ensure they comply with all necessary regulations and permissions to work.
To assist our customers and provide a faster turnaround, the Atmos field engineers recently undertook training to enable them to work in confined spaces. Despite the challenges of doing this during the COVID-19 lockdown, they were able to learn how to work in a variety of spaces including underground and within pit areas underneath pipelines.
Johnny Hunter, Atmos Field Engineer, said: “Being able to work in a wider range of environments is going to increase the ability to apply Atmos hardware such as Atmos Eclipse faster without compromising our high standards of safety.
“It also means that our customers can be confident that we can work independently during the installation phase.”
Field engineers including the Atmos aviation team also work alongside operators and deliver regular training to customers and their staff. Added compliance such as confined spaces training adds value to all parties.