Smartball® Technology

A MULTI-SENSOR TOOL FOR LEAK AND ILLEGAL TAP DETECTION

Pipeline product theft is becoming an increasing global issue leading to significant safety, environmental
and financial concerns. Pipeline theft and tampering can cause ruptures and explosions leading to human
casualties and significant environmental damage. Pipeline operators impacted by illegal tapping are at risk
of losing millions in revenue through lost product. An increasing level of sophistication among organized
criminals is making illegal taps more difficult to identify and locate.

Our Solution
The SmartBall platform is a multi-sensor ILI tool that can
assess both piggable and unpiggable oil and gas pipelines 4
inches in diameter and larger for both leaks and illegal taps
using multiple methods simultaneously in one run.
The tool is deployed and retrieved from existing pig launch
and traps. Unlike most ILI tools, the SmartBall platform can
also be launched and retrieved using alternative methods.
When deployed, the tool travels with the product flow, and is
capable of navigating tees and bends as sharp as 1D.

Method 1: Leak Detection Method 2: Magnetometer Readings

To detect leaks, the SmartBall platform uses an acoustic
sensor that identifies the sound generated by the product
escaping the pipeline, which is easily distinguishable from
other sources of noise in the pipeline.
The SmartBall tool can identify pinhole leaks as small as
0.03 GPM (115 mL/min). This level of sensitivity is crucial as
criminals have the industry knowledge to draw product from
pipelines at rates low enough to avoid detection from flow-
based detection methods.
The SmartBall platform is able to identify running taps
through the associated acoustic signature.
The SmartBall platform utilizes an array of highly sensitive
sensors to accurately detect and identify welds along a
pipeline to generate a weld tally, which is correlated to the
tally provided by the operator.
Onboard magnetometers can easily detect changes in
magnetic field strength that can be associated with the
presence of increased ferrous metal, stress caused by drilling,
tapping or welding, and large metallic features like valves.
Through identifying locations with strong magnetic signals
that do not correlate to their known fitting list we can alert the
pipeline operator to these locations of potential illegal taps.

Location Accuracy
Given the significant risks associated with illegal taps, it is crucial to be able to report an accurate location as quickly as possible.
The SmartBall tool typically identifies anomalies to within 2-meter accuracy and is most effective when tracked by PureHM’s
proprietary Armadillo system, which is the safest and most reliable pipeline tool tracking system. The Armadillo system can be
used for both legacy and remote tracking and provides operators with real-time updates on the progress of a tool run through
PureHM’s LiveMap software.
SmartBall for Oil & Gas ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Advantages of using the SmartBall Platform

Xylem_PureHM_SmartBall_V1
The SmartBall™ tool provides multiple streams of data in a single run and has the ability to not only detect illegal pipeline taps,
but will also provide operators with complete confirmation of containment data for the pipeline

• Leak detection capabilities provide operators with not only the location of possible illegal taps, but also any other leaks that
may be present in the pipeline, whether they are attributed to

• Ability to inspect piggable or unpiggable lines as well as multi-diameter pipelines with a single tool

• Flexibility for clients to request a PureHM technician to deploy and retrieve the tool or to license the tool and deploy
themselves as needed

TOOL CHARACTERISTICS

Leak Sensitivity
Pipe Diameter Battery Life
• 0.03 GPM
• 4 inches and up • Up to 400 hours
(115mL/min)

OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS

Min/Max Temperature Pipeline Optimum

Pressure Range Product Flow Range
Crude oil, synthetic
1-138 Bar 23° to 302° F crude, refined 0.5 - 6.5 ft/s
(15-2,000 psi) (-5° to 150° C) products, natural gas, 0.15 - 2 m/s
NGL’s and DilBit

SAMPLE DATA

JOINT

TAP

JOINT

www.xylem.com
www.purehm.net

PureHM
1260 34 Avenue
Nisku, AB T9E 1K7
Tel +1.780.436.4400

© 2018 Xylem. All rights reserved. SmartBall is a trademark of Xylem or one of its subsidiaries.