Modelling of geomagnetic induction in pipelines

International audienceGeomagnetic field variations induce telluric currents in pipelines, which modify the electrochemical conditions at the pipe/soil interface, possibly contributing to corrosion of the pipeline steel. Modelling of geomagnetic induction in pipelines can be accomplished by combining several techniques. Starting with geomagnetic field data, the geoelectric fields in the absence of the pipeline were calculated using the surface impedance derived from a layered-Earth conductivity model. The influence of the pipeline on the electric fields was then examined using an infinitely long cylinder (ILC) model. Pipe-to-soil potentials produced by the electric field induced in the pipeline were calculated using a distributed source transmission line (DSTL) model. The geomagnetic induction process is frequency dependent; therefore, the calculations are best performed in the frequency domain, using a Fourier transform to go from the original time domain magnetic data, and an inverse Fourier transform at the end of the process, to obtain the pipe-to-soil potential variation in the time domain. Examples of the model calculations are presented and compared to observations made on a long pipeline in the auroral zone

Discussion and reply: comments on "electromagnetic geophysics: notes from the past and the road ahead"

pre-printThe direct current and electromagnetic methods have been around for almost 180 years and have been applied successfully in mining, petroleum, geotechnical, engineering, environmental, groundwater, and tectonic studies. Over such a long period of time, it is possible to lose track of who the pioneers were that developed the various techniques in current use and who wrote the seminal papers on these techniques. As such, a historical review paper is most welcome and, in the past, there were only few attempts to undertake this task (e.g., Rust, 1938; Ward, 1980; Fountain, 1998)

Efficient two-dimensional magnetotellurics modelling using implicitly restarted Lanczos method

This paper presents an efficient algorithm, FDA2DMT (Free Decay Analysis for 2D Magnetotellurics (MT)), based on eigenmode approach to solve the relevant partial differential equation, for forward computation of two-dimensional (2D) responses. The main advantage of this approach lies in the fact that only a small subset of eigenvalues and corresponding eigenvectors are required for satisfactory results. This small subset (pre-specified number) of eigenmodes are obtained using shift and invert implementation of Implicitly Restarted Lanczos Method (IRLM). It has been established by experimentation that only 15-20% smallest eigenvalue and corresponding eigenvectors are sufficient to secure the acceptable accuracy. Once the single frequency response is computed using eigenmode approach, the responses for subsequent frequencies can be obtained in negligible time. Experiment design results for validation of FDA2DMT are presented by considering two synthetic models from COMMEMI report, Brewitt-Taylor and Weaver (1976) model and a field data based model from Garhwal Himalaya