Leak detection and localization techniques in oil and gas pipeline: A bibliometric and systematic review

Oil and gas pipelines are very important for fuel transportation, however leakages in them may lead to life and property losses due to the release of the energy they contain. Reliable leak detection and localization techniques that effectively monitor help reduce the probability of pipeline failure during the lifetime of its use. Yet, a bibliometric and systematic review of leak detection and localization techniques is currently lacking. Therefore, in this study, a scientometric analysis of the bibliographic data on this field is conducted to identify current popular techniques and challenges, including statistics and analysis of the number of publications, institutions, and research interests. Also, a systematic and comprehensive classification method for these techniques is proposed, relevant standards for oil and gas pipeline leak detection are summarized, and a flowchart is provided for selecting detection methods. Furthermore, this paper conducts an overview of the different methods and discusses the merits, limitations, and performance of the methods in detail. Finally, the paper concludes with potential directions for further improvements based on the findings and limitations of the published literature, which would be helpful for researchers and engineers in the field.