In Southeast Asia, many satellite pipelines are connected to an existing large trunkline via a subsea tee. Albeit a cost-effective design to develop marginal fields, the pipeline configuration poses a major challenge to Inline Inspection (ILI). Specifically, the pipeline does not have a pig receiver as it is connected to the trunkline via a subsea tee. Other challenges operators may face when it comes to ILI include back-to-back bends, multiple wall thicknesses, multi-diameter sections, and partially-closed subsea bore valves. The presence of these hurdles categorizes the pipelines as unpiggable and, therefore, extremely risky for an ILI operation.

An offshore operator in Malaysia inherited such a pipeline and wanted to reinstate it to support a marginal field campaign. However, the integrity of the 8-inch pipeline needed to be verified and approved before a permit could be issued to return the pipeline to operation. Failure to achieve reinstatement would jeopardize the development of the multimillion-dollar project, resulting in serious repercussions to the company’s future revenue.  

The Operator elected to explore existing and new inspection technology that could help them achieve their objective. Cost-benefit analyses were conducted on all options before selecting a solution that aligns with the business requirements—utilizing an advanced Ultrasonic Intelligent Tool designed for the unpiggable pipeline. Using this tool, the pipeline was successfully inspected without any significant modifications to the existing facility. This paper discusses the studies performed by the Operator and how Quest Integrity utilized Smart ILI Operation combined with advanced technology to help the Operator return the pipeline to operation.