Pipeline apparatus and method

A pipeline apparatus comprising:

• a flexible pipe body including an optical fibre extending at least partially along the length of the flexible pipe body, the optical fibre being encased in a metal tube;
• and
• a detection apparatus, the detection apparatus comprising:
• an optical sensor coupled to a first end of the optical fibre, the optical sensor being arranged to inject optical pulses into the optical fibre and to detect scattered or reflected light;
• and
• an electrical sensor coupled to a first end of the metal tube and to detect variation of an electrical impedance between the first end of the metal tube and a separate terminal;
• wherein variation of the scattered or reflected light, or impedance variation, is indicative of a potential pipe body defect;
• wherein the pipeline apparatus comprises two or more flexible pipe bodies, each having an optical fibre encased in a metal tube extending at least partially along its length;
• wherein the pipeline apparatus further comprises an optical multiplexer and the optical sensor is coupled to each optical fibre through the optical multiplexer such that the optical multiplexer is arranged to detect scattered or reflected light within a single optical fibre at a time;
• and
• wherein the electrical sensor is arranged to couple to a first end of each metal tube in turn to detect variation of an electrical impedance between a first end of the metal tube and a separate terminal, or the pipeline apparatus further comprises two or more electrical meters arranged to couple to a first end of a respective metal tube to detect variation of an electrical impedance between the first end of the respective metal tube and a separate terminal.

A method of detecting defects within a flexible pipe body, the method comprising:

• injecting optical pulses into a first end of an optical fibre extending at least partially along the length of a flexible pipe body, the optical fibre being encased in a metal tube, wherein the metal tube is positioned within an annulus of the flexible pipe body between an innermost barrier layer and an outermost barrier layer;
• detecting scattered or reflected light;
• detecting variation of an electrical impedance between the first end of the metal tube and a separate terminal;
• wherein variation of the scattered or reflected light, or impedance variation, is indicative of a potential pipe body defect.

A method of forming a pipeline apparatus, the method comprising:

• providing a flexible pipe body including an optical fibre extending at least partially along the length of the flexible pipe body, the optical fibre being encased in a metal tube, wherein the metal tube is positioned within an annulus of the flexible pipe body between an innermost barrier layer and an outermost barrier layer;
• and
• coupling an optical sensor to a first end of the optical fibre;
• and
• coupling an electrical sensor to a first end of the metal tube;
• wherein the optical sensor is arranged to inject optical pulses into the optical fibre and to detect scattered or reflected light and the electrical sensor is arranged to detect variation of an electrical impedance between the first end of the metal tube and a separate terminal;
• and
• wherein variation of the scattered or reflected light, or impedance variation, is indicative of a potential pipe body defect.