Methods and systems of leak detection in long range pipelines

No matter how carefully the pipeline is designed and built, there is always a probability of leaks. Pipeline leak detection systems play therefore a key role in minimization of the occurrence of leaks probability and their impacts. As the vast assortment of technologies is available today, the paper provides the background information to facilitate the choice of leak-detection system. The paper deals with external methods based on external measurements and with some internal methods based on flow and pressure measurements in the pipeline: pressure wave detection and volume balance method; then gradient and analytical methods were described. Additionally, the discussion of error sources and final conclusions are presented.