In an application spotlight, Flir Systems shed light on the role its Optical Gas Imaging (OGI) cameras are playing in detecting gas leaks from oil and gas pipelines. When the pipes fail, liquid leaks or fugitive emissions of gas can be released into the environment. These leaks can be caught early but this is challenging when there are many miles of pipelines in a system, and they are often in remote locations. To solve this issue, thermal imaging technology can be of help to quickly inspect pipelines for leaks, onsite or offsite.
A handheld thermal imager is the easiest way to inspect pipelines in locations contained with a large facility
For instance, the Flir GF620 thermal camera helps maintenance teams complete onsite inspections for temperature problems and hydrocarbon gas emissions. For remote inspections of pipelines, an unmanned aerial vehicle - or drone allows operators to easily inspect both above ground and buried pipelines. Moreover, the drone-mounted Flir solution enables the user to quickly assess the information and relay issues to a control room for corrective action. Real-time streaming can also transmit visual and thermal data immediately to control room operators for fast corrective actions.
