Simulation of Deposition Detection inside Wellbore by Photon Backscatter Radiography

In the process of extracting oil and gas from hydrocarbon reservoirs, the formation of depositions inside pipes, fittings, and storage tanks, not only accelerates corrosion but also reduces a significant volume of operating capacities. The most critical step in solving the problem of deposition formation is their early and timely detection. In industries, internal surfaces of the pipeline are usually inspected by nondestructive testing (NDT) methods. The detection of depositions should operationally be difficult if there were special conditions for accessing the back of pipelines. Therefore, a suitable method is encouraged to detect deposition in the pipes and tubes when one side or a small part of them is accessible. In this paper, the Monte Carlo simulation tool was applied to use backscatter radiography (as an NDT inspection technique) for in-situ detection of depositions inside the metallic pipelines. In fact, the simulation process shows the correctness and efficiency of the backscatter radiography technique. It would determine some significant factors such as photon energy, angle of irradiation, or location of detectors which affect the design before experiment. The results showed that backscatter radiography as a viable technique could properly detect the location of depositions inside the pipes.

Keywords:

deposition , Backscatter Radiography , Simulation , in-situ , Nondestructive testing