MTMMagnetic Tomography Method inspection

A non-intrusive, non-contact method for inspecting ferrous pipelines. MTM covers 100% of the pipeline and has been proven in industry use since 2001.

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Cutaway of a buried pipeline with MTM anomaly readings above it
100%
Pipeline coverage
Up to 5 km/h
Scanning speed
90–97%
Agreement with conventional methods
2001
In industry use since

Overview

Magnetic Tomography Method (MTM) is an innovative non-intrusive, non-contact method of inspecting pipelines constructed from ferrous materials. It provides 100% inspection of pipelines, and it has been proven in the industry since 2001.

The MTM integrity concept rests on one fact: defects on their own are not what makes metal dangerous. The danger comes from defects combined with high local stress. MTM detects stress concentration spots in pipe metal remotely by analysing its magnetic field, then determines how dangerous each area is.

MTM identifies and analyses magnetic field anomalies in areas with stress concentration, which can result from defects or changes in structural condition, excessive mechanical stress, or both. Beyond finding these anomalies, MTM analysis predicts their causes and advises on follow-up actions.

MTM identifies a wide group of anomalies, including metal loss, cracks, geometry changes, mechanical damage, discontinuity, weld defects and stress-strain condition.

How MTM inspection works

Advantages of MTM inspection

  • Pipeline stays in operation

    No interruption of pipeline operation and no change to its operating mode.

  • No preparation or cleaning

    No special pipeline preparation, no cleaning, and no preparation of the internal surface.

  • No pigging

    No contact with the pipe surface, no launch and trap areas for pigs, and no searching for a stuck pig.

  • No blind spots

    Covers the full pipeline length without interruption at bends and turns.

  • Fast scanning

    Scans at up to 5 km/h.

  • Works on every pipeline type

    Applicable to all types of ferrous pipelines, and efficient for finding micro cracks in welds at high-load areas of new pipelines.

  • Finds anomalies inside and outside

    Detects all types of anomalies on both the internal and external pipe wall.

  • Flags small but high-risk defects

    Indicates stress concentration at “insignificantly small” defects that other NDT methods cannot detect, and that prove to be high-risk anomalies (experimentally proven).

  • Proven accuracy

    MTM evaluations show 90–97% agreement with conventional methods (SNiP, DNV, ASME, API, FEM) wherever those standards apply.

Case study

Trial test with Petroleum Pipes Company (PPC)

March 2019

El-Eman carried out a trial inspection on a long segment of PPC’s “Mustorod – El Tebbein 16” pipeline to show the accuracy of MTM results. PPC’s inspection department checked our findings against their existing reports, and the results matched.

PPC letter confirming the trial results (PDF)

Technical documents

Get a quote for MTM

Tell us about the asset and its location. We will reply with scope and pricing.

Email info@elemancs.comCall +20 13 341 4420

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