Colonial Utilizes Advanced Smartball Technology To Look For Potential Leaks

Colonial is committed to maintaining the integrity of its pipeline and invests heavily in technologies to prevent product releases, identify likely problem areas and uncover leaks as quickly as possible.

One of the most advanced technologies that Colonial uses is the SmartBall®, a free-swimming sphere that travels through the pipeline with the flow of the product. Unlike smart pigs, which look for anomalies that may or may not be releasing product, the SmartBall is designed to find active leaks. The ball does this by listening and recording acoustic activity along the pipeline to identify sounds that indicate a problem.

This technology has been used successfully in other industries to identify leaks in water, wastewater, oil and gas pipelines.

According to pureHM, the company that offers the SmartBall technology and helps Colonial to coordinate each run, leaks produce a uniquely-identifiable acoustic signature that is different than other sounds inside the pipeline. This signature is created when product escapes the pressurized pipeline into the atmosphere outside, which has a lower pressure. 

As the SmartBall travels through the pipeline, it produces a continuous recording that is analyzed for signs of a problem. Sophisticated monitoring processes are able to tell Colonial exactly where the SmartBall was when it ​“heard” the leak. If one is discovered, Colonial can immediately dispatch a team to conduct a visual inspection. 

Colonial recently began running the SmartBall technology on its main line and expects to complete its first run by the end of July. A second run will begin later this year or in early 2018. So far, no active leaks have been found, but there is ongoing analysis of the acoustic data provided by the ball as it travels the pipeline. 

Using the latest technology to detect product releases is just one of the ways that Colonial is putting safety first.