Ground Penetrating Radar GPR

The obvious use for Ground Penetrating Radar in the oil and gas industry is in the detection of buried pipes. The pipe infrastructure is a valuable asset that needs to be managed and protected, so, asset management is a primary application.

First, and this is an important point to note, ground penetrating radar is the only technology available that does not require a physical connection to the pipe, nor does it rely on radiating electromagnetic (EM) fields that may or may not be present or detectable. Therefore, ground penetrating radar surveys can be performed without interfering with the pipe itself, or any systems connected to it, such as cathodic protection systems for example.

Second, ground pentrating radar can detect both metallic and non-metallic materials and therefore non-metallic pipes. This is a major advantage over more traditional location technologies and can be a big plus in asset management, particularly when trying to find illegal connections, or even legitimate service connections that are generally non-metallic and hard to find.

Another use for ground penetrating radar within this industry is in environmental protection; contamination of ground, ground water, rivers or lakes from damaged and leaking pipes or tanks occurs frequently, particularly from poorly sealed illegal connections. ground penetrating radar can be used to identify the area of contamination.

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