A new leak detection method for subsea pipelines

Subsea pipelines are being installed in the Arctic or deeper water. There is an increased interest in improving leak detection system capabilities throughout the pipeline industry. In this paper, a leak detection system with leak detection module and leak location module is developed. Sequential probability ratio test, negative pressure wave method and pressure gradient method are used in this software. Also, a pattern recognition system is embedded in this software to minimise false alarms. The simulation results are well compared with OLGA and PIPESIM results. Based on the test results and the comparisons, it can be demonstrated that the leak detection system proposed in this paper has been proved with a good sensitivity and accuracy. This study can provide a reference for further studies of leak detection.