LONDON,
July 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ViaLogy LLC announces an
agreement with
Texas-based ASTFS LLC, an oil and gas pipeline field services
and survey company, to offer its QSUB(TM) electromagnetic imagery fusion
platform to provide imaging of underground metallic pipelines using airborne
ground-penetrating sensors to determine precise GPS locations.
This information will be used by pipeline companies to enhance their
ability to repair and maintain their primary asset. After the successful
completion of a proof of concept study, the technology will be refined to
provide imaging of corrosion and leaks from an aerial platform. This will
provide critical information to the client concerning the health of their
system without affecting operations. This has the potential to greatly reduce
the cost of repair and maintenance for the pipeline owner.
Under the terms of this agreement, ViaLogy and ASTFS, which is part of
the Advanced Spatial Technologies Group of Oklahoma, will collaborate on a
pilot survey deploying helicopter-mounted light detection and ranging
(LIDAR), ground penetrating synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors and
advanced GIS analytics. The objective is to fly over and accurately detect
approximately 100km of underground pipeline in rugged mountain terrain.
ViaLogy's QSUB(TM) software will be deployed to process radar imagery and
extract pipe position data, which will be controlled by AST's Spatial Asset
Management System (AST SAMS(TM)). AST SAMS is a simplified table driven data
management software tool with complete compatibility to any database
management system the customer may be using. This technology provides the
capability to easily locate assets with pinpoint accuracy, mark the location
with sub-foot precision, record the condition or state of repair, estimate
projections for end-of-life and manage all of the critical asset data events
in a simple, ruggedized solution that can be operated by a non-technical
field worker. The pilot will be supported by a major pipeline company that
intends to purchase the service going forward.
Following success of the pilot survey, ASTFS has agreed to deliver
minimum revenues of US$26.5 million to ViaLogy for market exclusivity in
North America over a period of five years.
According to the U. S. Department of Transportation's Office of Pipeline
Safety - Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA),
(http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/comm/) there are over two million miles of
onshore underground oil and natural gas pipelines in the US alone, operated
by over 3000 companies. While metal pipelines are designed and constructed to
rigorous standards, over time ground movement, internal/external corrosion,
dents and gouges degrade the pipeline so that spills or releases occur. Also,
much of the older pipe was originally surveyed with older systems that were
incapable of providing accuracies of less than 30 feet and precise locations
are difficult to establish, but necessary for repairs and to contain leakage.
According to an April 2008 PHMSA report, human error and excavation were
responsible for over 40% of underground pipeline damage resulting from
inability to determine precise locations.
All aspects of pipeline construction, monitoring and remediation are
highly regulated by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and other
state/local agencies. In several US states, there are legal requirements for
pipeline operators to provide location information accurate to within 18
inches according to an ADM Inc report. The current process of locating
pipeline using handheld electronic location instruments and other intrusive
techniques is costly and inefficient; it employs often dated maps of where
the pipes were originally placed, and manual ground probes to find it. The
work is labour-intensive, and much of it has to be carried out in remote
locations or in areas where land ownership issues complicate easy access. The
cost to precisely locate the entire system is prohibitive and most companies
restrict these activities to "high consequence" areas such as major road
crossings and limited high concentration urban areas. The Vialogy-ASTFS
service will greatly simplify the process and be made widely available. It
will dramatically reduce costs and enable timely repairs. The companies see
an attractive addressable commercial market and anticipate pricing of this
service at approximately US$2500/km.
"The ASTFS team has a strong presence in the South West energy field
services market where it has operated for many years." Said Robert W. Dean,
ViaLogy CEO, "We're very pleased to have established a business partnership
with such a capable and experienced oil field and GIS services company. Their
domain knowledge and credibility in the pipeline business should result in
early market access and adoption for the new service. QSUB(TM) is yet another
derivative of ViaLogy's Quantum Resonance Interferometry for application in
the burgeoning energy market."
Jim Muller, President of ASTFS, said; "The problems and high operational
costs that beset the task of locating buried pipeline should be reduced
enormously by the simplified airborne survey approach enabled by the ViaLogy
technology. AST Field Services' operational experience and the power of the
Vialogy technology in this application should be a market-winning
combination. We will be looking to refine the technology to offer additional
value added services to our customers with ViaLogy such as leak detection,
unauthorized tapping and repair planning."
About ViaLogy: Network Centric Signal Processing.
ViaLogy is a leading innovator of network-centric, real-time signal
processing platforms for sensor applications. ViaLogy is currently deploying
and designing computational systems, powered by its patented technologies,
for applications in life sciences, public safety and security, surveillance,
defense and geoseismology. Vialogy focuses on market driven problems where
automation, timeliness, quality and reliability of information processing are
essential. ViaLogy's core competency incorporates rapidly and accurately
detecting weak signals buried in high noise background and clutter. This
technology can be employed to solve problems involving sensor integration and
information overload challenges involving video, telephony and control
sensors, as well as for enhancement of numerous signal processing
applications. For more information, visit our website at
http://www.vialogy.com.
About ASTFS:
Advanced Spatial Technologies Field Services (ASTFS) has a ground
breaking software solution teamed with industry leading hardware. ASTFS is
dedicated to developing innovative solutions for the accurate tracking and
inventory of above and below ground organizational assets. We have created
this by integrating rugged field grade Panasonic Toughbook hardware, advanced
Trimble Global Position System receivers (GPS), Radio Frequency ID (RFID)
tagging, Rugged Digital Cameras and Geographical Information System (GIS)
data mapping technologies into a shared software platform. ASTFS's primary
market segment is providing GIS based asset management software and services
to the oil and gas pipeline industry. For more information please visit our
website at http://www.astfs.com.
Except for statements of historical fact, the information presented
herein constitutes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking
statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors
which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the
company to be materially different from any future results, performance or
achievements expressed or implied.
For Further Information please contact
ViaLogy:
vialogy@redleafpr.com
Robert W Dean, President & CEO -
US +1-626-296-6337 (mobile: +1-703-589-3807);
Terry Bond, Chairman,
UK & Europe +44(0)1235-834734.
ASTFS:
Jim Muller, President,
US +1-281-492-2004 (mobile: +1-713-249-4108);
Nominated Advisor (Seymour Pierce),
Mark Percy +44(0)20-7107-8000.
PR Consultants - Redleaf Communications,
Emma Kane / Samantha Robbins +44(0)20-7822-0200.
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