Pipelines are present worldwide, both below and on the Earth's surface. And as this is an economical and relatively safe transportation method, pipelines are extensively used to transport any type of chemically stable substance, in either gas or liquid form, over land and sea. Some pipelines transport liquids or gases that are related to our living environment, such as drinking water or sewage. Others are used for transport of hazardous substances such as hydrocarbons or chemical wastes from production processes. Because of the toxic and hazardous nature of many of the transported substances, pipeline leaks result in both economic and environmental damage and may even cause human casualties.

Leaks are often difficult to detect when a pipeline is subterranean. When a leak is large or undiscovered ...