Offshore Pipeline Operations
An acoustic system transmits a train of pulses to the surface upon passage of the magnetic pig or on command. The pulses are received by instrumentation housed on a permanently positioned buoy. The digitzed data is transmitted through the ORBCOMM system to a central operating control station on land or at the offshore platform.

Benefits

• Allows clients to operate their pipeline systems safely and efficiently
• Reports cathodic data, including rectifier current and voltage in order to protect against corrosion and potential line failure
• Provides station identification, accurate time by atomic clock and speed of magnetic pig at master stations
• Monitors flow conditions and calculates slippage factor 
• Aids automatic pig and sphere launching facilities
• Monitors compressor and pumping equipment
• Reports pipe-to-soil potential at master station and sub-station.

Technical Overview
Permanent monitoring stations are positioned along the route of the pipeline at intervals typically
five miles apart. Between these stations, there are usually cathodic test stations at road and river
crossings where access is available. Pipe-to-soil measurements may be monitored through sub-stations linked to the master station by radio communication, electromagnetic communication utilizing the pipe as a conductor, hard wiring or a direct link to Pipeline Control (PLC) through the
ORBCOMM satellite communications network. The data is passed through a terrestrial link to the StarTrak monitoring and control facility and then immediately sent to the client via Internet or file transfer.