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Abstract

Pipelines are constructed to transport all kinds of fluids, some toxic, some highly flammable and others fairly unreactive. In every case, it is important for the transported fluid to be contained within the pipeline, and under ideal situations, have no interaction with the surrounding environment. However, every pipe, depending on the material from which it is fabricated, deteriorates progressively with time, and the pipe becomes prone to cracks and heavy corrosion. Many accidents have occurred from fluid leaks owing to the cracks and corrosion of pipelines [1]. These accidents wreak havoc on plants, animals and humans [2-8]. It is therefore vital to prevent the occurrence of such fluid leaks and save ourselves the disaster. One very effective way of doing this is to perform regular inspection of pipelines. The information gotten from the inspection is analyzed and used to evaluate the condition of the pipeline. The condition of the pipeline analyzed is used to forecast the areas/points of possible fluid leaks and prescribe maintenance operations for the pipeline. This way the pipe condition is monitored and accidental leaks are reduced