CASE STUDY
New technology adds another layer to pipeline leak detection
Monitoring technology to be piloted on Keystone Pipeline
Soon there will also be a set of very sharp ears added to our comprehensive pipeline monitoring and leak detection program, thanks to innovative new technology that will be added to the Keystone Pipeline System. After extensive testing in the lab, TransCanada is teaming up with Enbridge and the Government of Alberta for a pilot project that will see both companies install a new fiber optic-based monitoring system on short sections of their oil transmission networks to see how the product, developed by a small hi-tech company in Alberta, performs in the field. The project is part of our industry-leading R&D program, in which new ideas and technology undergo rigorous evaluation to determine whether they are suitable for deploying on large-scale commercial pipelines.
“Pipelines are already safest way of moving oil and gas, but our goal is to have zero safety incidents and this is another step towards achieving that goal,” said Douglas Robertson, team lead of leak detection technology initiatives. “We have spent several years assessing a number of cable-based monitoring systems, and this one has reached the point where we would like to see how it performs in real operating conditions.”