NDLI: The Design and Installation of the LEOS Leak Detection and Location System for the Northstar Project

Content Provider	The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Digital Collection
Author	Peter, W. Bryce Jax, Peter Fang, Jie
Copyright Year	2002
Abstract	The Northstar project is the first crude oil production facility constructed offshore in the Beaufort Sea. Produced crude oil is transferred via a buried subsea pipeline to shore and overland to the Trans Alaska Pipeline Pump Station PS1 facility. During the permitting process, concern was expressed that a very small chronic leak in the subsea oil line would remain undetected during the winter months of continuous ice cover. Therefore, the US Army Corps of Engineers stipulated that a prototype leak detection system be installed that would capable of detecting a threshold leak less than 32 BOPD. This paper addresses the efforts to develop and install the LEOS leak detection system for arctic operations. The system is based on the well-established LEOS leak detection technology (manufactured by Framatome ANP, formerly by Siemens AG). The system comprises a perforated plastic tube with a thin water impermeable acetate outer sheath that allows hydrocarbon molecules to diffuse into the air filled tube. The air inside the tube is replaced periodically (every 24 hours) and is passed through a hydrocarbon-sensing module. The module contains resistors sensitive to the presence of very small concentrations of hydrocarbon molecules. The presence and location of a leak is determined by measuring the time taken for the localized concentration of hydrocarbon molecules associated with a leak to reach the end of the tube. LEOS components and materials were engineered to survive installation during arctic winter conditions. It was also necessary to protect the plastic LEOS sensor tube as it was lowered through the ice, attached to the pipeline, into a pre-excavated trench and then backfilled. The 10km long LEOS tube was delivered to site in 31-coiled 300m (1000-ft) bundles that were transported from Germany to Alaska. The LEOS sensing tube was preinstalled in a protective outer polyethylene tube which was unreeled through a reverse bending jig. Crude oil production started at the Northstar production facility in October 2001 and the LEOS system has been operational since then and is providing the highest degree of assurance that no oil is escaping from the pipeline.
Sponsorship	Pipeline Division
Starting Page	97
Ending Page	106
Page Count	10
File Format	PDF
ISBN	0791836207
DOI	10.1115/IPC2002-27042
e-ISBN	0791836045
Volume Number	4th International Pipeline Conference, Parts A and B
Conference Proceedings	2002 4th International Pipeline Conference
Language	English
Publisher Date	2002-09-29
Publisher Place	Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Access Restriction	Subscribed
Subject Keyword	Leakage Resistors Water Army Seas Pipelines Ice Production facilities Plastic tubes Design Crude oil Pumps Arctic region Jigs and fixtures Ocean engineering Engineers Sensors Engineering prototypes Underwater pipelines
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article

Sl.	Authority	Responsibilities	Communication Details
1	Ministry of Education (GoI), Department of Higher Education	Sanctioning Authority	https://www.education.gov.in/ict-initiatives
2	Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	Host Institute of the Project: The host institute of the project is responsible for providing infrastructure support and hosting the project	https://www.iitkgp.ac.in
3	National Digital Library of India Office, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	The administrative and infrastructural headquarters of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in
4	Project PI / Joint PI	Principal Investigator and Joint Principal Investigators of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in Prof. Saswat Chakrabarti will be added soon
5	Website/Portal (Helpdesk)	Queries regarding NDLI and its services	support@ndl.gov.in
6	Contents and Copyright Issues	Queries related to content curation and copyright issues	content@ndl.gov.in
7	National Digital Library of India Club (NDLI Club)	Queries related to NDLI Club formation, support, user awareness program, seminar/symposium, collaboration, social media, promotion, and outreach	clubsupport@ndl.gov.in
8	Digital Preservation Centre (DPC)	Assistance with digitizing and archiving copyright-free printed books	dpc@ndl.gov.in
9	IDR Setup or Support	Queries related to establishment and support of Institutional Digital Repository (IDR) and IDR workshops	idr@ndl.gov.in

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