Kim, Jeong Woo (University of Calgary)

Purpose

For the oil and gas industry, leaks in pipelines and other oil and gas infrastructure can be disruptive and expensive. More importantly, underground leaks pose a serious threat to the environment and those living within it as it can go unnoticed till it surfaces. To reduce the impact of oil spills, effective remote detection and rapid response are essential. Direct-C Ltd. (Direct-C), Calgary has expertise in proprietary nanotechnology based hydrocarbon sensors and has developed the Subsurface Direct Hydrocarbon Remote leak detection system to detect the underground leaks. However, subsurface environment presents various challenges due to various geotechnical activity (ground movement). As Direct-C trying to add new ground monitoring functionalities to its current capability, they need a better understanding of factors affecting the ground displacement. Through the close collaboration with the University of Calgary and Direct-C, we propose to build a ground displacement measurement capability by incorporating various sensors such as inclinometer, temperature, moisture, etc. to its current system along with GPS functionality to precisely track sensor system location. Based on the sensor data, an algorithm will be required to develop for monitoring the ground movement and estimate the stress and load on the pipeline structure. The applicant has expertise and experience in design and development of the integrated inclinometer system and associated monitoring algorithm for accurate measurement of both angular and translation ground displacement. The outcome of this collaborative project would enable Direct-C to add ground monitoring capability to its existing product lines and broaden its customer value. The upgraded subsurface monitoring and leak detection system would also provide a better monitoring tool to the industry and would able to predict and detect small leaks before any catastrophic leaks.