December 4, 2025
Last week, we explored how Cokebusters is helping operators eliminate integrity blind spots in tubes and pipelines once considered “unpiggable”. Building on that foundation, we’re pleased to share the next step in that journey: the development of a new odometer-integrated intelligent pig that delivers precise axial positioning within an ultra-compact single-bodied design.
This advancement gives operators an even clearer view of what’s happening inside their most challenging assets – not only detecting changes in wall thickness or geometry, but pinpointing the exact physical location of those findings with exceptional accuracy.
Our patented single-bodied Smart Pig was originally developed to navigate piping systems that traditional multi-carriage tools struggle to navigate. By housing all transducers, control electronics and power supply within one manoeuvrable assembly, the tool can pass through tight-radius bends, schedule changes, unbarred tees and configurations that would render conventional pigs unusable.
The latest enhancement adds a significant new capability: high-precision axial distance measuring device, enabling precise axial positions to be recorded during in-line inspection activities.
To retain the compact assembly of the Smart Pig, our engineering team developed a modular concept that allows the rear brush section to be replaced with a lightweight aluminium odometer assembly. This assembly incorporates:
As the Smart Pig travels through the pipeline, each rotation reflects a certain axial distance, which is calibrated These measurements are logged continuously, giving us a reliable and traceable distance profile that correlates directly with every ultrasonic thickness (UT) reading.
This capability transforms inspection data into actionable integrity insight – enabling operators to locate anomalies quickly, plan targeted interventions and maintain a permanent positional record for future comparisons.
This year we were invited to apply this technology to a 2km subterranean multiphase pipeline in Europe, constructed from 6” carbon steel and featuring:
Our odometer-equipped Smart Pig successfully traversed the full system, providing a continuous axial log and a complete through-wall ultrasonic dataset. The Smart pig also benefitted from using our latest iteration of simultaneous firing electronics, this resulting in a sampling rate of over 60,000 measurements per linear meter, this giving excellent sampling density.
One of the standout advantages of our compact single-bodied tools is their compatibility with in-line pig valves commonly installed for cleaning or batching operations.
This capability allows us to:
For many operators, this immediately expands the number of pipelines that can be brought into a structured integrity programme.
Accurate axial localisation is critical for effective integrity management. With the odometer system, every UT measurement is tied to an exact position within the pipeline, enabling:
This transforms a dataset into a map – and a map into a confident decision-making tool.
This development represents a significant advancement in our mission to bring previously unpiggable assets into full integrity programmes. By combining compact geometry navigation with high-precision axial location, we’re giving operators the clarity they need to manage risk, extend asset life and plan interventions with confidence.
If you have pipelines or process systems that have been historically challenging to inspect, we’d be pleased to assess their suitability for this new technology.
