Survey Carried Out on Vital Oil Pipeline

EA Technology (UK), a leading provider of asset management services to power network operators, has completed a significant high voltage earthing survey of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline in Turkey.

Partnering with the BTC Pipeline Company (BTC) on the project, EA Technology assessed the ability of individual assets to withstand the volatile weather conditions in the region, helping to ensure the pipeline continues to transport at its normal capacity of one million barrels of oil per day. The survey involved testing of Fifty Two Block Valve Stations, Four Pump Stations and one Marine Terminal in order to deliver this two stage contract over a twelve month period.

Stretching from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean, the 1,768km-long BTC pipeline traverses challenging environments including mountain ranges of up to 3,000mtrs and waterways up to 1,600mtrs wide. Constructed to transport oil from the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli oil field to the port city of Ceyhan, any asset failure could lead to downtime which would incur large cost implications and compromise the safety of the pipeline. 

EA Technology was chosen by BTC thanks to its proven capabilities in large-scale diagnostic projects. The project included testing of the electrical earthing and lightning protection systems in all Turkish sections of the pipeline, some exposed to extreme weather conditions. EA Technology also tested the high voltage switchgear for partial discharge activity.

“Maintaining the output of one of Europe’s most critical oil pipelines in very challenging conditions is an ongoing concern with the BTC pipeline project”, said Abdulla Abdullayev, BTC Turkey Area Operations Manager. “For this reason, we wanted to partner with an industry expert in assessing electrical asset performance and reducing the risk of system failures.”

Project Lead Manager at EA Technology, Ramiz Ahmed confirms, “It was certainly a challenging brief for the team - we had to work in highs of +30°C and lows of -20°C. Operating in such climatic extremes clearly had an impact on the equipment and the teams. In the summer, there was the challenge of working outdoors in cumbersome but necessary protective apparel, whilst in the winter the team had to battle high snow levels.

“The BTC project is one we’re especially proud of as it demonstrates just how EA Technology really goes the extra mile in making sure it completes the important work of critical asset management.”