Project
of Ukrainian Federation of Informatics

International investment project "Equipment for diagnostic engineering of main product pipelines and oil tanks"

Year - 2001

Purpose: Solving economic and ecological problems relating to environment protection from oil-product contamination resulting from accidents and catastrophes, developing the market of technical means and diagnostic services, maintenance and repair of trunk pipelines and tank batteries of oil-and-gas branches of Ukraine and other CIS countries.

Goals and objectives:

1. 1. autonomous internal-pipe, ultrasonic, diagnostic complex "Kraplia-U" ("Drop-U") for control of trunk gas pipelines under operating conditions;
   2. automated complex "Kraplia-D" ("Drop-D") of distant detection of gas leakage in linear trunk pipeline portion;
   3. complex "Storozh" ("Guard") of acoustic-emission control of pipelines under operating conditions;
   4. robotized diagnostic complex "Ulytka" ("Snail") for control of oil trunk walls;
   5. magnetometric complex "Vektor" ("Vector") for precise localization of trunk pipelines and control over condition of their cathodic protection with no excavating performed;
   6. radar meter "Ekho" ("Echo") for determining the level of oil products in tanks;
   7. geological radar stations "Georadar" for localization and determining the depth of trunk pipelines, finding and mapping of structural soil inhomogeneity, localization of subsoil waters in sand-gravel deposits.
2. Performing diagnostic and repair works (cold welding) at trunk pipelines and tank batteries of Ukraine with no breaches in their functioning.
3. Coordination of scientific, research and development activities performed by the leading centers of Ukraine for creation of high-performance methods and techniques for diagnostics and repair of pipelines and tanks.
4. Creation of state satellite system for monitoring of oil-and-gas units of Ukraine for prevention of accidents and catastrophes.

Customers:

• Derzhkomnaftogazprom (State Committee of Oil and Gas Industry) of Ukraine;
• National Space Agency of Ukraine.

Performers:

1. The UFI (Kyiv);
2. Ukrainian Scientific and Research Institute of Natural Gases (Kharkiv);
3. OJSC "Scientific and Production Enterprise Saturn" (Kyiv);
4. Scientific and Production Association "Slavutych" (Kyiv);
5. Scientific and Research Institute "Elvit" (Lviv).

Project Manager: Candidate of Engineering Vasyl Senchenko.

Background: For a variety of reasons (as of 2000, 21.1% [7,500 km] of operating trunk gas pipelines [total length 35,301 km] have worked off the amortization term or were covered with short-lasting antirust coating of cold-applied polymer film; a lot of accidents and catastrophes; enormous economic and ecologic losses, planning of Ukraine's entry to the EU), the above-mentioned diagnostics is strictly obligatory, with no exception, for all organizations, which run units of oil-and-gas branches. Up to now, internal pipe diagnostics of trunk pipelines has been carried out by German and American firms with use of their own equipment and specialists. Moreover, less than 20% of Ukrainian needs are met since the prices are rather high (1,875 to 3,125 US$ for 1 km) and internal pipe dimensions do not correspond to outline dimensions of overseas defectoscopes.

Present world technologies for control of gas leaking are applicable only in case of considerable leakages. At the same time, minor gas leakages (that are undeterminable on the ground and can last for years) result in immense economic losses. According to some estimates, 10 actually found minor gas leakages in linear portion of Ukrainian trunk pipelines could entail economic losses in the amount of 1.074 mln US$ per year (the price is 80 US$ per 1,000 m3).

Under the Instruction of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine #5181/53, dated October 30, 1999, a task group was formed to carry out a complex examination of technical condition of trunk oil-product pipelines. Condition and measures on ensuring reliable and safe exploitation of units of Ukrainian gas complex have been repeatedly discussed at the governmental level with participation of specialists from ministries and departments concerned, boards of Derzhnaftogazprom, and were found insufficient (Decision of the State Commission on Technogenic and Ecologic Safety and Emergency Situations, dated September 09, 2000).

Primary results: Within the first stage of project implementation (pilot project), the interaction of project performers was established, technical and economic substantiations for the above complexes were formulated (see Appendix), their state and issues from their development were investigated, interested organizations in Ukraine and the USA were determined. The results of pilot project "Kraplia" ("Drop") implementation were considered and positively appraised by the leading organizations of Ukraine listed below:

1. Derzhkomnaftogazprom of Ukraine;
2. JSC "NAFTOPRODUKTSERVIS" ;
3. Ukrainian association "UKRNAFTOPRODUKT" ;
4. National Space Agency of Ukraine;
5. JSC "The Institute of Transportation of Oil" (Kyiv);
6. SJSC "Prydniprovsk Trunk Oil Pipelines" (Kremenchuk).