PIPELINE "PIG"
Pump Station No. 4, about 145 miles south of Prudhoe Bay, is a launching and receiving station for devices known as pigs. These "dumb" and "smart" monitors, matching the shape of the interior pipe wall, are pushed through the pipeline by the oil, cleaning accumulated deposits and enhancing pipeline flow as they travel (dumb pigs), and measuring pipeline curvature and inspecting for corrosion, changes in pipe diameter and other problems requiring maintenance or repair (smart pigs).
PIPELINE "PIG"
Pump Station No. 4, about 145 miles south of Prudhoe Bay, is a launching and receiving station for devices known as pigs. These "dumb" and "smart" monitors, matching the shape of the interior pipe wall, are pushed through the pipeline by the oil, cleaning accumulated deposits and enhancing pipeline flow as they travel (dumb pigs), and measuring pipeline curvature and inspecting for corrosion, changes in pipe diameter and other problems requiring maintenance or repair (smart pigs).