No Contact, No Problem: Validating Contactless Magnetic Inspection for Corrosion Detection on Buried Gas Pipelines (C2026-00291)
Tuesday, March 17, 2026
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM Central
Location: 342 C
Earn .5 PDH
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Chukwuma Onuoha, DIVINE NNAMDI, Lloyd Oscar De Guzman, James Vafaei
The safe operation of buried, unpiggable pipelines remains a significant challenge due to the limitations of conventional inline inspection (ILI) methods. Contactless Magnetic Inspection Technology (CMIT) offers a non-intrusive, aboveground alternative capable of detecting magnetic field anomalies associated with metal loss, crack-like defects, weld discontinuities, geometric changes, and localized stress concentrations such as sags or ground movement. Operating continuously without physical contact, CMIT senses disruptions in the natural magnetic field of ferromagnetic pipelines, making it suitable for integrity assessments where traditional ILI tools are impractical. This paper presents a field validation of CMIT on a 20-inch buried gas pipeline with known external corrosion. Conducted as a blind test, the pilot aimed to verify CMIT’s ability to accurately detect and characterize localized external corrosion features previously identified by ILI. The results confirmed CMIT’s effectiveness and its potential as a complementary inspection solution for unpiggable assets. This case study highlights the operational advantages and integrity management value CMIT offers pipeline operators, supporting proactive risk mitigation and maintenance planning in otherwise inaccessible pipeline segments.
