Pig Tracking 101: Knowing Where Your Pig Is—and Knowing It Got There

Launching a pig is only the beginning of the run.

Where is it now? Did it pass the road crossing? Has it made it through the section that caused problems before? Did it reach the receiver? And if it didn't—where was the last place you know it passed?

Those are the questions that matter in the field.

Pipeline pig tracking gives operators a way to monitor pig movement, confirm passage at important locations, and gather information that can be extremely valuable when a run doesn't go exactly as planned.

But one of the first things we tell customers is this:

There isn't one piece of pig tracking equipment that's right for every job.

A transmitter, geophone, Pig Popper®, and non-intrusive sensor don't all do the same thing. Before choosing equipment, we need to understand what you're trying to accomplish.

At Enduro, that's where the conversation starts.

First Question: What Do You Need to Know?

When someone calls Enduro asking about pig tracking equipment, the first question shouldn't be, "Which product do you want?"

It should be:

What do you need to know during the run?

Do you need to know:

• Whether the pig left the launcher?
• Whether it passed a specific location?
• Where it is along the right-of-way?
• Whether it made it through a difficult section?
• Whether it reached the receiver?
• Where to start looking if it doesn't arrive?

Those are different problems, and they may require different equipment.

That's why we separate pig tracking into two basic objectives: locating the pig and confirming pig passage.

Locating a Pig vs. Confirming Pig Passage

This distinction matters.

If you need to locate a pig, an electronic transmitter and compatible receiver may be the right approach. The transmitter travels with the pig and provides a signal that field personnel can detect from above ground.

If you need to confirm that a pig passed a particular location, a Pig Popper, Non-Intrusive Pig Sensor, or geophone may make more sense.

Sometimes you need both.

For an important cleaning, gauging, commissioning, or inline inspection run, operators may establish multiple confirmation points rather than relying on one piece of information at the end of the line.

The goal isn't to use more tracking equipment. The goal is to have the information your team needs to manage the run.

How Do Pipeline Pig Transmitters Work?

A pig transmitter travels through the pipeline with the pig and emits a signal that can be detected above ground using compatible receiving equipment.

That sounds simple enough.

The application is where things become more important.

A transmitter has to work with the pig you're running, the receiving equipment being used, and the pipeline conditions.

Depending on the pig design, transmitters may be installed in a transmitter cavity or incorporated into the pig configuration. Enduro cleaning pigs can be configured for transmitters when the design and application allow.

Transmitters can be useful when crews need to monitor pig movement at selected locations or when they need a way to narrow down the location of a pig that doesn't arrive when expected.

What Transmitter Frequency Should I Use?

We get this question regularly, and frequency alone isn't enough information to select the right transmitter.

We would rather ask a few more questions than recommend equipment based on one number.

Things we may want to know include:

• What size is the pipeline?
• What is the pipe wall thickness?
• How deep is the line?
• What type of pig are you running?
• How will the transmitter be mounted?
• What receiver will your crew be using?
• Where will the crew be tracking the pig?
• What are the conditions along the right-of-way?

Those details matter.

If you're unsure which transmitter you need, call us with the application. Our team can help you work through the options instead of asking you to guess from a product list.

What Is a Pipeline Geophone?

Sometimes the pig tells you where it is simply by making noise.

A geophone detects and amplifies the normal sounds and vibrations created as a pig moves through the pipeline. Field personnel can position the equipment at a monitoring location and listen for the pig to pass.

This makes a geophone particularly useful when the objective is passage confirmation rather than electronic location tracking.

Of course, pipelines aren't quiet environments.

Ground conditions, surrounding equipment, traffic, background vibration, pig design, pipeline characteristics, and where the geophone is positioned can all affect what the operator hears.

That's why geophones are tools—not magic boxes. Field conditions still matter.

Why Did Enduro Build a Wireless Geophone?

Anyone who spends time on a pipeline right-of-way knows that less equipment to fight with can be a good thing.

The Enduro Wireless Geophone (EWG-1) was designed to make acoustic pig detection simpler in the field.

The system amplifies the normal noise created by pig passage while wireless headset and speaker capability allows the operator to move around the monitoring area without being tied to a traditional wired setup.

The EWG-1 was built around a straightforward idea:

Give the person standing on the right-of-way a practical way to hear the pig coming.

It's compact, rugged, and designed for actual pipeline field conditions.

What Is an Enduro Pig Popper®?

If you have worked around Enduro for very long, you've probably seen a Pig Popper.

There's a reason operators have been using them for years.

The Enduro Pig Popper is an intrusive pig passage indicator installed at a fixed location on the pipeline. When the pig passes, the device provides a physical indication of passage.

It's simple information, but it's important information:

The pig made it past this point.

Pig Poppers can be installed at strategic locations where crews repeatedly need passage confirmation.

If you're planning a new pipeline, launcher/receiver installation, facility upgrade, or future pigging program, that's a good time to think about where permanent pig passage indication would make life easier for the crews who will operate that line for years to come.

What Is a Non-Intrusive Pig Sensor?

Not every operator wants an intrusive passage indicator.

That's where a Non-Intrusive Pig Sensor, or NIPS, can come into the conversation.

A non-intrusive sensor provides pig passage detection without requiring a detection component to extend into the pipeline bore.

The important question isn't whether intrusive or non-intrusive technology is "better."

It's:

Which approach makes sense for this location and this pipeline?

Pipeline configuration, installation requirements, accessibility, maintenance considerations, and the operator's preferences all play a role.

That's the kind of application discussion our team would rather have before equipment is selected.

Pig Popper or NIPS: Which Should I Use?

This is exactly the kind of question we don't believe in giving customers a canned answer for.

A Pig Popper provides intrusive passage indication.

A NIPS provides non-intrusive passage detection.

Both can provide valuable confirmation that a pig passed a fixed location, but the best choice depends on how and where the equipment will be used.

If you're trying to decide between the two, tell us about the installation.

We'd rather understand the pipeline and recommend the appropriate option than tell you one product is always better than the other

Pig Popper or Geophone?

These two products solve different field problems.

A Pig Popper stays at a defined location and provides passage indication when a pig moves past that point.

A geophone goes with the field crew and can be used at selected monitoring locations to listen for pig passage.

Think about the question you're trying to answer.

"Did the pig pass this permanent location?"

A fixed passage indicator may make sense.

"Can my crew confirm passage at different locations along the ROW?"

A portable geophone may be more useful.

And sometimes the answer is both.

How Do You Confirm Pig Passage?

There are several ways to do it.

Depending on the application, crews may use:

• Pig Poppers
• Non-Intrusive Pig Sensors
• Geophones
• Electronic transmitters and receivers
• Multiple confirmation methods during the same run

The bigger issue is where you need confirmation.

Before the pig launches, think through the pipeline.

Where would knowing that the pig passed be especially valuable?

A difficult section? A road crossing? A valve? An intermediate location? The receiver?

Planning those points before the run can give the field team much better information if something unexpected happens later..

How Accurate Is Pipeline Pig Tracking?

We'd be cautious of anyone who gives you one accuracy number without knowing anything about your pipeline.

There are too many variables.

Tracking and detection performance can be influenced by:

• Pipeline diameter
• Wall thickness
• Depth of cover
• Soil and ground conditions
• Pig configuration
• Transmitter and receiver compatibility
• Background noise and vibration
• Equipment placement
• Accessibility
• Field conditions

That's why Enduro approaches tracking equipment as an application question, not simply a product-selection question.

How Do You Locate a Pipeline Pig Underground?

If the objective is to locate the pig rather than simply confirm passage, an electronic transmitter and compatible receiver are commonly used.

The transmitter travels with the pig and emits a signal. Field personnel use receiving equipment above ground to detect that signal at locations along the pipeline.

A geophone can provide additional passage information by allowing crews to listen for the pig, but it serves a different purpose than an electronic transmitter.

Again, start with the question:

Do I need to locate the pig—or do I need to know that it passed here?

Once you know that, equipment selection becomes much easier.

What Happens When the Pig Doesn't Show Up?

This is when good tracking planning becomes especially valuable.

Suppose your crew confirmed the pig passed Point A.

It never passed Point B.

You now know something important that you wouldn't know if the only plan had been to wait at the receiver.

Your search can begin between those locations.

If the pig is carrying an electronic transmitter, field personnel may also use compatible receiving equipment to search for its signal and further narrow the location.

This is why we encourage operators to think about tracking before the run, not after there's a problem.

Tracking equipment doesn't prevent every stalled pig.

It gives your team information when they need to figure out what happened.

What Tracking Equipment Do I Need for My Pigging Operation?

Don't start with the equipment. Start with these questions.

Can You Use More Than One Pig Tracking Method?

Absolutely.

There is no rule saying a pigging operation has to rely on a single tracking technology.

An operator may use a transmitter to help locate the pig, a permanent passage indicator at a critical location, and a geophone for additional field confirmation.

Whether that's necessary depends on the pipeline and the importance of the run.

We aren't interested in recommending equipment simply because we sell it.

Use the equipment that gives your team the information it actually needs.

Tracking Cleaning Pigs, Gauging Pigs and ILI Tools

Tracking becomes especially important when one run affects what happens next.

During a progressive cleaning program, for example, crews may need confidence that each pig successfully completed the run before changing the next configuration.

During pre-ILI cleaning, the consequences of an unsuccessful run can extend into the inspection itself.

Gauging runs may be used to verify that the pipeline can safely accommodate subsequent equipment.

And during an inline inspection, knowing where the tool is and confirming passage at critical locations can help the field team manage the operation.

The technology may change.

The underlying question doesn't:

Where is the pig, and did it get where we expected it to go?

Quick Guide to Pipeline Pig Tracking Equipment

Not sure which column describes what you need? That's a good reason to call us before you order anything.

Pipeline Pig Tracking FAQs

Not Sure What You Need? That's Okay.

You don't need to know the model number before you call us.

Tell us:

What you're running.
What pipeline you're running it in.
What you need to know during the run.
And where you need to know it.

We'll work through the application with you.

That's how Enduro has approached pipeline pigging and tracking equipment for decades: understand the problem first, then recommend the solution.

Whether you're planning a routine cleaning run, preparing for inline inspection, commissioning a new pipeline, or trying to improve passage confirmation at an existing facility, our team is available to help.

Talk to an Enduro pipeline specialist about your pig tracking application.

800-752-1628

Email Matt, Chris, or McKenzee to assist you with your questions.