Eliminating Integrity Blind Spots in Previously Unpiggable Tubes and Pipelines

Across the energy sector, many process tubes, heater coils and pipelines are still described as “unpiggable.” In most cases, this label reflects the limitations of conventional cleaning and inspection tools rather than the true potential for obtaining meaningful internal data. When critical assets cannot be inspected, operators are left with gaps in their integrity programmes, making it difficult to quantify risk or verify long-term condition.

At Cokebusters, we specialise in eliminating these blind spots. Using our patented single-bodied intelligent pigging systems, we provide accurate, through-wall inspection data from tubing and pipelines that were once considered impossible to assess. This capability allows operators to replace assumption with evidence and gain clarity over the condition of their most challenging assets.

Why Some Systems Have Been Considered “Unpiggable”

Many refinery and petrochemical systems were never designed with pigging in mind. Their layouts often include features that traditional tethered or multi-body pigs cannot navigate, such as:

• Small internal diameters

• Frequent diameter transitions

• Tight bend radii

• Serpentine heater coils

• Box-header and mule-ear configurations

• Short pipeline lengths with limited access

• Complex angles and restrictive geometry

• Systems where modification would be cost-prohibitive

For decades, these features meant certain assets remained uninspected – not because the need for data wasn’t there, but because the tools to obtain it were not.

The Hidden Risks of Uninspectable Assets

When internal inspection is not possible, operators must rely on indirect indications of condition such as process performance, external corrosion surveys or assumed degradation rates. This creates unavoidable uncertainty, including:

• Undetected internal or external corrosion

• Localised wall loss hidden within heater coils or tight geometry

• CUI and CUPS that cannot be externally observed

• Lack of traceable integrity data

• Difficulty supporting regulatory or insurance requirements

• Higher probability of unplanned shutdowns

In an era where accountability, safety and asset longevity are critical, these blind spots represent significant operational and commercial risk.

Our Solution: Inspecting What Others Can’t Reach

To overcome these challenges, Cokebusters developed and patented a single-module, bi-directional, battery-powered intelligent pig. Now in its fourth generation, this technology has evolved over 20 years to become one of the most flexible and capable inspection tools available.

Key Capabilities

• Navigates diameters from 1.5” to 12” ID

• Ultrasonic through-wall measurement for internal and external corrosion

• Scans through coatings, insulation and pipe supports

• Operates effectively in tight, multi-plane geometry

• Liquid-propelled for use in short or isolated systems

• Bi-directional operation without launcher/receiver infrastructure

• Generates high-resolution data suitable for repeatability and trend analysis

This design makes the Cokebusters intelligent pig ideally suited to the most challenging environments – including serpentine heater coils, vertical and horizontal passes, box-header arrangements and complex refinery process networks.

Accurate, Actionable Integrity Insight

Our intelligent pigs capture detailed information on:

• Internal and external metal loss

• General and localised corrosion

• Ovality, swelling and creep

• Diametric anomalies

• Residual scale and fouling

• CUI (Corrosion Under Insulation)

• CUPS (Corrosion Under Pipe Supports)

Data is processed using our proprietary Roxtail™ software, producing numerical outputs, graphical representations and full 3D visualisations.

Crucially, results from successive inspections are directly comparable, enabling operators to monitor deterioration trends, plan interventions and support long-term integrity assessments with confidence.

Removing the Burden of CUI Investigation

CUI remains one of the most persistent threats to asset integrity – often progressing unseen beneath insulation. Conventional methods require extensive de-lagging, access works and reinstatement.

Our intelligent pigs inspect through insulation, removing the need for invasive preparation while delivering reliable external corrosion data. This approach significantly reduces time, cost and disruption while improving safety during inspection.

Collaborating to Expand What’s Inspectable

Every facility has unique challenges and we work closely with operators to assess which parts of their portfolio can now be inspected using modern technology. Our business model supports innovation and we continue to invest in advancing capability – including the integration of machine learning to enhance defect identification and streamline data analysis.

Turning Uncertainty Into Insight

With Cokebusters’ intelligent pigging technology, assets once considered uninspectable can now be brought into full integrity programmes. Operators gain the data required to manage risk, support compliance and extend asset life – without system modification or unnecessary downtime.

If you have tubes or pipelines historically labelled “unpiggable,” our team would be pleased to assess their inspectability.

Contact us to discuss your requirements.