COMPARISON OF 124 MHZ AND 250 MHZ FREQUENCY GROUND PENETRATING RADAR FOR THE DETECTION OF BURIED PIPES

Abstract

The petroleum industry plays a crucial role in the global economy, but the construction and operation of underground pipelines in petroleum fields are associated with significant economic and environmental challenges. This thesis aims to evaluate the efficiency of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and compare the effectiveness of Cobra Plug-In GPR (124 MHz) and LMX200 GPR (250 MHz) for detecting buried pipes. The study also addresses the problems of identifying buried pipes, including their depth, type, and location. A comprehensive literature review was conducted, and an experimental methodology was proposed. Measurements were taken in three different areas using both GPR systems in the summer and winter, and appropriate data processing and interpretation were presented. Area 1, located at coordinates 51°5’25.58"N, 71°23’14.64"E, contains objects that are buried between depths of 1.8 to 4 meters. In Area 2, situated at coordinates 51°5’20.98"N, 71°23’25.20"E, an empty pipe is buried at a depth of 3 meters in the trench. Area 3, located at coordinates 51° 5'28.11"N, 71°23'33.23"E, has underground utilities that are buried at a depth of 2.2 meters. The study demonstrated the effectiveness of GPR in detecting buried objects and highlighted the importance of the direction of the field survey and the use of different GPR systems. Comparing results obtained using different GPRs showed that 124 MHz and 250 MHz GPRs effectively detect underground pipelines, even in challenging conditions such as frozen soil. The results show that GPR systems are influenced by the geometry of the field survey direction and the impact of surface objects on the GPR image. The present study can inform future research and practices in the field of petroleum engineering, with potential applications for improving pipeline safety, reducing costs, and minimising environmental impact.