A leak the size of a pinhead was found on a sleeve-wrapped pipeline while electrical surface measurements were being conducted to look for coating defects. The pipeline supplies gas to the town of Cognac and a glass plant. Due to an industrial customer with an unlinked connection and high gas consumption rates, it was impossible for the operator to remove the pipeline from service. A cordon was set up, the pipeline was monitored 24 hours a day, and nearby traffic was halted. The operator of the glass plant switched to fuel oil for its three furnaces in case the gas supply was cut.

The next day, the operator temporarily repaired the pipeline by placing two bolted half-shells (repair clamp) over the leaking section. This repair clamp has a service life of 18 months, which gives the operator time to find the right period and the right technique to replace the leaking section.

As the leak may have been caused by external corrosion, a metallurgical analysis was conducted. With this possibility in mind, the authorities asked the operator if it also planned to inspect the pipe’s cathodic protection and if problems had been flagged in previous inspection reports.