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Have written software for a pig tracking company for the past few years. I'm always surprised at the amalgamation of low and high tech. On the one hand, some pi
by jackconsidine 3y ago
Have written software for a pig tracking company for the past few years. I'm always surprised at the amalgamation of low and high tech. On the one hand, some pigs can detect leaks in the line and map the pipe's dimensions. On the other hand, the industry often takes speed measurements via listening for a pig to pass a weld joint (which you can hear from far away) with a stopwatch.
The pig does often get stuck, so much so that there's a "Pig Stopped" button which influences ETAs. Every blue moon a pig really gets stuck for days or breaks in the pipe. Techs might have to use estimated locations and dig in someone's back yard.
Years into our contract, my girl friend was reporting on something farming related and said "hey can I pick your brain on raising pigs, I know you've been working with those farmers". Different type of pig tracking
- Biganon 3y agoCouldn't the pigs have like a radio emitter to make it easier to locate them?
- skeeter2020 3y agosome use more advanced approaches like this, but the conditions in a pipe are pretty brutal, plus the low-tech solutions often work "good enough". The entire upstream O&G industry is this weird mix of some of the most advanced technology in the world (like space exploration level) and basic non-technological solutions like drilling speed / weight "by feel". It was really cool to experience.
- mschuster91 3y agoDepends on the material of the pipe... a solid metal pipe is going to act like a massive faraday cage.
- mometsi 3y agoAnd if so, can we refer to it as a squealer?
- skeeter2020 3y agoPigs do get stuck, and I STILL remember when I joined an O&G software company more than 20 years ago, and how hilarious it was to see the reportin output "Pig stuck in pipe."
- wayvey 3y agoFor a second there I thought O&G was a weird spelling of OG. Took a moment to realize it's Oil and Gas indurstry after I read another comment. Today I learned.
- piaste 3y agoWhat do you do when a pig is stuck? Do you have to stop the flow and open the pipe, or are there special pig-kicking pigs to try and get it unstuck?