Field Validation and Implementation of Vibroacoustic Leak Detection Technology for Co2 Pipelines

Abstract Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) is a cornerstone among decarbonization solutions, providing an essential route for reducing industrial CO2 emissions. Pipelines represent the most efficient means of CO2 transportation at scale; therefore, ensuring their integrity, operational reliability, and safety is critical for the success of CCS projects. This work presents the validation and field deployment of Vibroacoustic Technology (VT) as a reliable and robust solution for leak detection in both new and repurposed CO2 transportation pipelines, applicable to offshore and onshore environments. Vibroacoustic Technology is an advanced monitoring technique extensively applied across the oil and gas industry to identify and locate leaks, mechanical impacts, and third-party interferences (TPI) in pipelines carrying fluids such as crude oil, refined products, and natural gas. The system operates through a distributed network of sensor blocks installed along the pipeline, which exploit the pipe’s waveguide properties to detect the vibroacoustic signatures generated by anomalous events. The acquired acoustic data are continuously transmitted to processing servers where dedicated software algorithms analyze the signals to detect, label, localize and identify events in real time. The leak detection function of the VT system is based on an Advanced Vibroacoustic Negative Pressure Wave approach, while the Time Difference of Arrival (TDoA) method is used for accurate leak localization. To extend the use of VT to CO2 transport systems, dedicated research and testing were carried out to adapt both the theoretical models and the field hardware to the thermodynamic and acoustic characteristics of CO2. VT was then implemented as its first industrial application in the Ravenna CCS project, located in central Italy. This installation represents the first deployment of Vibroacoustic Technology in a CO2 transportation pipeline, marking an important milestone in the adaptation of proven oil and gas integrity tools to the CCS sector. The VT-based system demonstrated the capability to detect small leaks down to 0.1-inch diameter under operational conditions, providing continuous monitoring and rapid event localization. Other installation in CO2 pipelines have been carried out afterwards. The study confirms that Vibroacoustic Technology can be effectively extended to CO2 transportation systems, maintaining its robustness and sensitivity in a new context. The outcomes highlight the potential of repurposing mature technologies from the petroleum sector to accelerate the development of safe and reliable infrastructure for the energy transition.