A smart pig (pipeline inspection gauge) is an instrumented device that travels through the interior of a pipeline to measure wall thickness, detect corrosion, identify cracks, map geometry, and clean the pipe interior.

A smart pig (pipeline inspection gauge) is an instrumented device that travels through the interior of a pipeline to measure wall thickness, detect corrosion, identify cracks, map geometry, and clean the pipe interior. Smart pigs are the primary tools for inline inspection (ILI) and provide the most detailed data about pipeline condition.

Smart pig categories include:
• MFL pigs — detect metal loss and corrosion using magnetic flux leakage.
• Ultrasonic pigs — measure wall thickness with high-frequency sound waves.
• Caliper pigs — measure geometry, dents, and ovality.
• Combined pigs — multiple technologies in one tool.

Smart pig deployment requires piggable pipelines with launching/receiving facilities, consistent geometry, and sufficient flow. Since 30-50% of global pipelines are unpiggable, alternative inspection solutions are essential.

EMPIT’s CMI technology inspects the pipelines that smart pigs cannot reach — providing aboveground corrosion detection, geometry mapping, and integrity assessment for unpiggable pipelines without internal tools, excavation, or shutdowns.