SEE – ASSESS – ACT: How Visual Inline Inspection Is Accelerating CCUS Pipeline Readiness In Canada

Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) will play a central role in Canada’s energy transition. Achieving net-zero targets will require the development of extensive CO₂ transport networks, many of which are expected to repurpose existing pipelines. when converted to dense-phase CO₂, pipelines designed for hydrocarbons service face new operational challenges.

Traditional inline inspection tools can confirm geometry and metal loss but offer limited insight into internal pipeline cleanliness, a critical factor for safe CCUS operations.

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EV’s PigCAM® visual inspection technology, combined with the AIVA™ analytics platform, addresses this gap by providing continuous, high-definition video of the internal pipeline surface. This enables operators to verify cleanliness, assess integrity, and make confident, data-driven decisions ahead of CCUS commissioning, ensuring pipelines are prepared for safe and reliable CO₂ service.

Canada’s New Integrity Challenge

To achieve net-zero emissions targets by 2050, Canada is investing heavily in CCUS infrastructure. Developing CO₂ networks will enable safe storage and utilisation of captured emissions from industrial and energy sectors.

Existing Canadian CO₂ networks including the Alberta Carbon Trunk Line, Quest, and Boundary Dam–Weyburn pipelines, collectively move 7 Mt of CO₂ per year. Looking ahead, initiatives such as the Pathways Alliance and Alberta Carbon Grid aim to expand capacity to 10–12 Mt annually by 2030, combining new and repurposed oil and gas pipelines. Many of these pipelines are structurally sound but require comprehensive internal assessment before conversion to dense-phase CO₂ service.

While CSA Group standards already mandate stringent integrity management, CCUS introduces new challenges involving moisture control, impurity management, and start-up transients that demand enhanced inspection visibility. Internal pipeline cleanliness becomes critical: residual hydrocarbons and debris can combine with moisture and impurities to form corrosive compounds, accelerating degradation and jeopardizing long-term integrity.

Conventional cleaning and inline inspection (ILI) programs verify geometry and metal loss but provide limited or no direct evidence of the internal surface condition following cleaning and drying operations, and none can deliver continuous visual confirmation over the entire pipeline length. As a result, operators and regulators have relied on indirect methods such as fluid sampling, pressure testing, or repeated pigging—none of which answer whether a pipeline is chemically ready for CO₂ service.

Introducing Visual Inline Assessment

To address the verification gap in pipeline readiness for dense-phase CO₂ service, EV, a leader in high-definition downhole and pipeline Visual Analytics, developed PigCAM®, a free-swimming, high-definition camera system delivering continuous 360° visual coverage of pipeline internals. The system integrates HDvideo with internal measurement, caliper, and geometry data, producing spatially referenced records that can be evaluated against established surface preparation standards including International Organization for Standardization 8501-1 SA 2.5.

By converting subjective cleanliness verification into quantifiable, auditable evidence, PigCAM® delivers a level of cleanliness verification unavailable with current conventional inspection methods. Configurable for pipelines from 10 to 36 inches in diameter, PigCAM® maintains image clarity at speeds up to 4.77 m/s using active Speed Control and can record up to 96 hours or 176 km. The combination of high-resolution video and integrated sensor data provides operators with a comprehensive, auditable view of pipeline internals. This capability is particularly critical when repurposing hydrocarbon pipelines for CO₂ service, offering both operational assurance and regulatory compliance.

Through objective assessment, PigCAM® enables operators to:

• Confirm the effectiveness of mechanical and chemical cleaning campaigns.

• Verify drying and dewatering prior to before CO₂ commissioning.

• Support pre-ILI readiness and first run inspection success.

• Generate defensible digital records for regulatory compliance or asset transfers.

From Data to Decision

At the core of EV’s workflow is AIVA™, a cloud-based analytics platform that turns PigCAM® data into actionable intelligence. By synchronizing HD video with inertial, caliper, geometry, and cleaning metrics, AIVA™ creates a fully integrated, spatially referenced visual record of pipeline conditions.

This unified dataset enables operators to SEE, ASSESS, and ACT. Contamination zones and areas of residual debris can be identified quickly, and remediation decisions can be made with confidence, supported by auditable evidence. AIVA™ also streamlines collaboration, allowing remote teams to analyze pipeline data and generate comprehensive reports.

By combining the continuous visual coverage of PigCAM® with AIVA™’s advanced analytics, operators gain a quantifiable, traceable view of pipeline readiness, turning what was previously a subjective assessment into a defensible, data-driven decision-making process.

Initial Deployment and Validation

Initially deployed for Eni’s HyNet CCUS project, PigCAM® was built to assess legacy 1960s‑era carbon steel pipelines for CO₂ readiness. The system traversed the full pipeline under nitrogen propulsion, capturing HD video and quantifying surface cleanliness.

The inspection revealed residual debris and surface deposits, confirming that the pipeline was not yet suitable for dense-phase CO₂ transport. These insights enabled targeted cleaning and established clear acceptance criteria prior to commissioning.

Such early CCUS deployments, including the assessment of legacy carbon steel pipelines for the HyNet CO₂ network in the UK, demonstrate that visual inspection provides unmatched visibility, improving cleaning strategies, verifying dryness, and ensuring chemical readiness before CO₂ introduction.

Beyond CCUS Cleanliness Inspections

PigCAM®’s 360° HDvisual capability supports a wide range of applications, including corrosion evaluation, coating inspection, crack and leak identification, and blockage detection. It delivers high‑resolution imagery in both gaseous and liquid environments, revealing complex internal conditions with clarity.

PigCAM® modular architecture adapts to varying pipeline sizes and integrates seamlessly with smart pigging technologies such as Caliper, MFL, UT, and EMAT. This integration produces a complete, auditable inspection record that combines visual and quantitative data for a more comprehensive assessment. Its flexibility and minimal operational requirements allow deployment across Canada’s diverse energy and industrial pipeline systems, providing operators with a reliable, high-resolution tool for internal evaluation and risk management.

A New Baseline for Visual Assurance

As Canada’s CCUS sector expands, visual inline inspection will likely become an integral part of pre-commissioning workflows. By delivering clear, quantitative cleanliness verification, PigCAM® and AIVA provide the confidence operators need to repurpose pipelines safely, efficiently, and in compliance with regulatory standards.

Repurposing pipelines is not just about extending infrastructure life, it’s about reimagining them for the energy systems of tomorrow. With technologies like PigCAM®, operators can transform uncertainty into clarity and act decisively toward Canada’s net‑zero future.

About EV

EV, an Enersol Company, is a trusted service provider delivering cutting-edge video-led solutions to operators across the global energy industry. With a reputation for excellence, our experienced team ensures the delivery of the highest quality visual answer products available. EV is the Visual Analytics market leader, both in terms of technology and market presence, and has performed over 13,000 successful video operations.