BP has learned some hard lessons about the importance of using in-pipe testing tools called pigs to inspect its pipelines. Last Sunday, the oil giant was forced to close part of its Prudhoe Bay oil field on Alaska's North Slope after a "smart pig" showed extensive corrosion. According to a BP spokesman, the company had not sent pigs into the line since 1992, relying instead on ultrasound and other exernal inspection techniques. The federal government ordered BP to pig its pipes after a massive oil spill in March. Click here for the rest of the story.
Pipeline problems
