Gamma transmission system for detection of scale in oil exploration pipelines

The goal of this study is to detect and quantify the thickness of the scale layer inside the service pipelines. For this purpose, a system composed of a ¹³⁷Cs source and a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector was developed. The source and the detector were positioned in geometry to make transmission measurements. A computational routine was developed to generate simulated data, which were later compared with the experimental ones, in order to calculate the thickness of scale layer. The results of the validation tests show similar values to the real ones. It was therefore possible to conclude that the procedure is efficient for the detection and quantification of materials inside pipelines, and that the system is advantageous for its application in the field, especially with respect to radioprotection. - Highlights: • Detection of scale in oil and gas pipelines. • Validation of a mathematical procedure to generate transmitted radiation profiles. • Quantification of the scale layer thickness by gamma-ray transmission