Managing pipeline geohazards in a changing climate: Insights from South America

By ROSEN Group

Climate change is intensifying geohazard risks to pipeline infrastructure, especially in mountainous regions like the Andes in South America. Increasingly frequent and severe weather events – such as floods, landslides, and erosion – can trigger sudden ground movements that threaten pipeline integrity. Operators must act quickly to assess and confirm the safety of their networks following such events. In the U.S., regulations like PHMSA’s 49 CFR §192.613 and §195.414 require inspections within 72 hours of a disaster, setting a global benchmark for proactive geohazard management. While similar timeframes are not yet mandated in other regions, operators worldwide should adopt comparable practices to avoid catastrophic failures.

Geohazard Monitoring Approaches

To manage these risks, pipeline operators rely on a combination of field verification, remote sensing, and in-line inspection. Reports from landowners, aerial patrols, and geohazard audits help identify threats, but remote sensing technologies – such as satellite imagery and LiDAR – are increasingly used for wide-area monitoring. These methods offer valuable terrain data and change detection, but cannot directly assess pipeline integrity or confirm whether loading has occurred.

Inertial Measurement Unit Inspection Technology

Inertial measurement unit (IMU) tools provide direct insight into pipeline strain and displacement, making them essential for confirming structural safety. Recent advancements allow IMUs to be mounted on cleaning pigs, enabling rapid, cost-effective deployment without surface access or odometer wheels. These tools collect time-stamped inertial data and operate at higher velocities, minimizing operational disruption. A baseline run using a conventional high-resolution IMU is required to correlate subsequent inspections, especially when pipeline modifications have occurred.

Key Benefits of IMU-Based Inspection

The benefits of IMU inspection include, among others:

• Direct detection of bending strain and displacement
• Identification of unknown or emerging threats
• Support for structural integrity calculations
• Early warning for intervention planning
• Reduced inspection costs and faster response times
• No need for surface access in remote or rugged areas

IMU data can be interpreted to understand the nature of loading, especially when combined with other inspection technologies like magnetic flux leakage and caliper tools. These combinations help identify metal loss, deformation, and geometric anomalies that may impair structural capacity and thus allow for a comprehensive understanding of pipeline conditions. Accurate 3D geometry and strain data also support predictive modeling and intervention planning, including slope stabilization or section replacement.

Case Study: Andean Region of South America

A case study from the Andes illustrates the value of this approach, where a pipeline descends into a valley between steep mountain spurs and crosses a 130-meter-wide mudslide zone. IMU data collected in February 2023 and again in January 2024 revealed horizontal movement of 0.55 m and vertical displacement of 0.27 m. A strain change of 0.18% was recorded at the downstream boundary, indicating significant bending due to axial compression. These insights enabled targeted stress relief and stabilization efforts, effectively helping the operator manage the threat.

The progression of strain at the landslide boundaries was clear, while consistent strain through the slide body indicated movement of a largely coherent mass. Frequent IMU inspections provided critical data for scheduling interventions and managing girth weld locations. The operator’s long-term strategy included monitoring, stress relief, stabilization, and section replacements – supported by high-resolution inertial data.

Proactive Management in Remote Regions

In regions like South America, where terrain and access challenges are common, the flexibility of IMU tools is invaluable. Their ability to operate without surface access makes them ideal for post-event inspections in rugged or remote areas. Rapid deployment enables early detection of loading problems, helping operators prioritize resources and demonstrate responsible management to regulators and stakeholders.

Conclusion

Climate change is reshaping pipeline integrity management. Adopting advanced IMU technologies, especially those deployable via cleaning pigs, equips operators with the tools needed to respond quickly and confidently to geohazard threats. Evaluation of IMU data alongside data from other in-line inspection technologies, such as high-resolution caliper tools and the latest axial stress measurement tools, can further enhance the understanding of the prevailing threat. By integrating frequent monitoring, rapid response, and robust data analysis, pipeline operators in South America and beyond can safeguard their networks against the growing risks posed by geohazards.