Method and apparatus for the servicing and inspection of pipes

Claim 2

In a method of treating elongate tubular members such as the production pipe sections used for oil or gas wells the improvement comprising the progressive zonal treatment along the length of at least one surface of the tubular member such that the entire treatment is carried out in one cycle of operation, said cycle including a forward and a return pass along the member and said treatment comprising cleaning the member and at least one of the following further treatments: inspection, coating with a corrosion preventative material and forced-air drying.

Claim 3

A method according to Claim 1 wherein said treatment is carried out simultanteously on the internal and external wall surfaces of the member within the same zone.

Claim 4

A method according to Claim 1 wherein the step of cleaning the pipe comprises blasting with abrasive particles followed by the removal of dust and loose particles by means of forced-air jets.

Claim 5

A method according to Claim 1 wherein the step of forced-air drying includes the step of heating the air before it impinges on the tubular member.

Claim 6

A method according to Claim 1 wherein the step of inspecting the tubular member includes at least one of the following processes: circumferential video profile inspection, circumferential video profile measurement, circumferential ultrasonic scanning, circumference atomic radiation emission scanning.

Claim 7

Apparatus for treating elongate tubular members such as the production pipe sections used for oil or gas wells according to the method of Claim 1, said apparatus comprising a bed for supporting the member along its length and means comprising cleaning means and at least one other means from a group comprising inspection protective coating and forced-air drying means, which means is arranged so as to pass along the length of the member and back again whilst continuously treating the latter over 360° of at least one of its surfaces.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to Claim 6 including a probe member for passage along the inside of the tubular member and an external processing member having a tunnel for receiving the tubular member and the probe member, said external processing member being supported on said bed and being movable along it, being guided thereby, and said probe member and said external processing member being maintained in fixed spatial relationship, each thereof containing means for cleaning the respective surfaces of the tubular member, and at least one other means from the group comprising means for inspecting the said respective surface, means for applying a protective coating to said respective surface and means for forced-air drying, said members being connected to service means and supply means through respective couplings.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to Claim 7 wherein said probe has a plurality of extendable arms at each end for supporting it centrally within tubular members of various internal diameters and an expandable and retractable telescopic support at one end for supporting the probe in a fixed spatial relationship with the external processing member, and wherein the probe is connected to its respective service and supply means through an umbilical cable which passes through said telescopic support.

Claim 10

Apparatus for treating elongate tubular members such as the production pipe sections used for oil or gas wells comprising an elongate bed, an external processing member for processing the external surface of the tubular member and a probe member for providing internal surface processing of the tubular member, said external processing member having a processing tunnel for receiving a tubular member, being supported on said bed and having driving means for driving the said processing member forwards and backwards along the bed, and said member providing in circumferential zones along the tunnel hot air means for supply drying air under pressure, inhibitor application means for spraying a corrosion prevention coating on the tubular member, abrasive particle blasting means, air cleaning means for removing dust and abrasive particles from the external surface of the tubular member, optical video scanning means for profile scanning of the said external surface and providing remote visual inspection thereof, and, in a final zone, ultrasonic receptor means, said zones providing 360° processing testing and inspection around the tubular member, and said processing zones being separated from one another and from said testing and inspection zones by means of sealing members comprising perforated flexible diaphragms, wherein said probe member is supported centrally within the tubular member by means of retractable arms at each end and is supported at one end from the bed by means of a telescopic slidable support means including drive means for expanding and retracting the telescopic slidable support so that the probe maintains a fixed spatial relationship with the said external processing member, said probe member defining treatment zones along the length comprising in succession abrasive particle blasting means, inhibitor applicator means for spraying a corrosion prevention coating on the tubular member, compressed air cleaning means, optical/video scanning means for profile scanning of said internal surface and providing remote visual inspection thereof and, in a final zone, ultrasonic transmitting means, said probe member being located relative to the external processing member such that the optical/video scanning means and the ultrasonic means of each member are maintained in registration and said treatment zone providing 360° processing, testing and inspection of the interior surface of the tubular member, said probe member being connected to remote services and supplies by means of an umbilical cable passing through said telescopic slidable support, and wherein said tubular member is supported by means of a plurality of retractable supports which are selectively retracted into the bed to permit the passage of the external processing member along the bed whilst a tubular member is in position on the bed.

Claim 11

Apparatus for treating elongate tubular members such as the production pipe sections used for oil or gas wells comprising an elongate bed, an external processing member for processing the external surface of the tubular member and a probe member for providing internal surface processing of the tubular member, said external processing member having a processing tunnel for receiving a tubular member, being supported on said bed and having driving means for driving the said processing member forwards and backwards along the bed, and said member providing in circumferential zones along the tunnel hot air means for supply drying air under pressure, inhibitor application means for spraying a corrosion prevention coating on the tubular member, abrasive particle blasting means, air cleaning means for removing dust and abrasive particles from the external surface of the tubular member, optical video scanning means for profile scanning of the said external surface and providing remote visual inspection thereof, and, in a final zone, ultrasonic receptor means, said zones providing 360° processing testing and inspection around the tubular member, and said processing zones being separated from one another and from said testing and inspection zones by means of sealing members comprising perforated flexible diaphragms, wherein said probe member is supported centrally within the tubular member by means of retractable arms at each end and is supported at one end from the bed by means of a telescopic slidable support means including drive means for expanding and retracting the telescopic slidable support so that the probe maintains a fixed spatial relationship with the said external processing member, said probe member defining treatment zones along the length comprising in succession abrasive particle blasting means, inhibitor applicator means for spraying a corrosion prevention coating on the tubular member, compressed air cleaning means, optical/video scanning means for profile scanning of said internal surface and providing remote visual inspection thereof and, in a final zone, ultrasonic transmitting means, said probe member being located relative to the external processing member such that the optical/video scanning means and the ultrasonic means of each member are maintained in registration and said treatment zone providing 360° processing, testing and inspection of the interior surface of the tubular member, said probe member being connected to remote services and supplies by means of an umbilical cable passing through said telescopic slidable support, and wherein said tubular member is supported by means of a plurality of retractable supports which are selectively retracted into the bed to permit the passage of the external processing member along the bed whilst a tubular member is in position on the bed.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to Claim 9 wherein said bed is formed of a plurality of sections which may be added to or reduced in number so as to accommodate tubular members of varying lengths.

Claim 13

Apparatus for the remote treatment and inspection of the interior wall of a pipe line comprising a probe for insertion into the pipe line, said probe having centralising arms for maintaining it in a centralised attitude within the pipe line, pipe cleaning means, at least one other means from a group comprising inspection, protection coating and forced-air drying mec: s, and an umbilical connection to supply control and indicating means provided at the end of the pipe, said umbilical connection providing services and control signals to the probe and transmitting inspection signals to said indicating means.

Claim 14

Apparatus for the remote treatment and inspection of the interior wall of a pipe line comprising a probe for insertion into the pipe line, said probe having centralising arms for maintaining it in a centralised attitude within the pipe line, pipe cleaning means, at least one other means from a group comprising inspection, protection coating and forced-air drying mec: s, and an umbilical connection to supply control and indicating means provided at the end of the pipe, said umbilical connection providing services and control signals to the probe and transmitting inspection signals to said indicating means.

Claim 15

Apparatus according to Claim 11 wherein said cleaning means comprises means for blasting the internal wall of the pipe with abrasive particles and means for removing loose surface contaminants such as dust, rust, etc. from said pipe before or after blasting and said inspection means comprises optical/video profile scanning means for providing progressive three-dimensional line scans of the internal pipe surface, said cleaning means and said inspection means treating and inspecting the full 360 0 of the said surface.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to Claim 12 wherein said supply, control and inspection means includes a drum for storing those sections of the umbilical connection not payed out into the pipe line and further includes a visual display unit for displaying the scanning signals obtained from the optical/video profile scanning means.