Pigs cost energy companies $59 billion dollars every year

A thread

Ok so this title was somewhat click bait...but here's the issue:

Pipelines all across the world transport water, fuel, natural gas, and crude oil to end consumers

But transporting these commodities through pipelines causes dirt, residue, and sludge to build up inside the pipe

Every few months, all 2.4 million miles of pipeline across the U.S. need to be cleared of this residue

And in order to clear the internal residue, energy companies have developed a special tool called a Pipeline Inspection Gauge....known across the industry as a PIG

A PIG is a rubber squeegee, inserted into the pipeline miles upstream at a PIG launcher

The PIG travels through the pipeline, clearing the residue along the way

Companies have even developed "smart PIGs" that can detect internal corrosion as they move through the pipeline

But pigging pipelines is not cheap:

The cost to smart pig a pipeline is roughly $35,000 per mile

Because of the hazards of opening a high pressure pipeline, pigging is labor intensive and can be dangerous

Each PIG can only travel a few miles before getting stuck

And each time a PIG is launched, it can take 2-3 hours of preparation to safely depressurize the PIG launcher

PIGs are one of the biggest pain points in oil&gas and utility maintenance.

They cost energy companies over $59B every year as these companies work to safely operate and maintain U.S. energy and water infrastructure.

So the next time you think of "smart pigs" I hope you think of energy infrastructure, and not @elonmusk's @neuralink experiment :)

Thread complete!