Assessing the Feasibility of Asset Service Life Extension: the Benefits of MFL-A Ultra over Conventional MFL-A Technology

Since the initial introduction of magnetic flux leakage (MFL) inspection tools in the early 1970s, pipeline inline inspection (ILI) technology has played a significant role in the management of pipeline integrity. In light of the increasing amount of legislative requirements which have been placed upon the oil and gas industry in recent years, coupled with public pressure, there is growing expectation for operators to define and maintain an effective asset integrity management system, in which ILI will continue to play a key role. In the years since MFL was introduced there have been significant developments in the field of pipeline ILI, and several different ILI technologies are now available to an operator for the purpose of determining the condition of their pipeline. Among these are ultrasonic (UT) and electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) technologies. However, despite the introduction of these new technologies, the “original”, i.e. axially orientated MFL technology, still plays a significant role in the inspection industry. MFL technology has been under continuous development, leading to significant step changes in the resolution and quality of the data captured. The latest developments have led to a major improvement in axial field MFL technology (MFL-A), which can now provide ultra-high-resolution data (MFL-A Ultra).