Glossary of Terms

Above Ground Marker

A device which is used to record a high-precision time of a pig’s passage at a location on a pipeline. AGMs are used to increase the precision of intelligent inspection tools’ data. CDI has two AGM products: the cellular and satellite-connected Qube, and the standalone CD47-C.

Asset

In GlobalTrack an asset refers to any device that is entered into its database and used on a pipeline. Assets often refer to AGMs.

CDI 

CDI is the author and maintainer of GlobalTrack and is a leading manufacturer of pipeline pig location and tracking equipment.

Editor

In GlobalTrack an editor is a stakeholder in a Run that has the ability to edit it in some capacity. Often by performing passage time entry.

Elevation

By default, elevation is the height of the ground above a point on the pipeline relative to sea-level.

However, when depth-of-cover is known by GlobalTrack, elevation indicates the actual top of the pipeline relative to sea-level.

EMAT

Electro-Magnetic Acoustic Transducer. A type of intelligent pipeline inspection tool.

ETA

Estimated Time of Arrival at a location

ETE

Estimated Time En-route to a location (the time remaining before a tool arrives at the location)

GIS 

Geographic Information System

GlobalTrack

GlobalTrack is a comprehensive online web service that provides real-time remote pipeline pig tracking, event notifications, job scheduling, inventory management, and highly automated, customizable, and attractive reporting written and maintaned by CDI.

GPS 

Global Positioning System

Inclination

Inclination in GlobalTrack is the average slope of the pipeline either positive (uphill) or negative (downhill) between any two tracking points. Elevation over distance.

KML/KMZ 

Keyhole Markup Language is a form of notation for expressing geographic annotation and visualization within two-dimensional maps and browsers. KML was developed for use with Google Earth, which was originally named Keyhole Earth Viewer. It was created by Keyhole, Inc, which was acquired by Google in 2004.

KMZ is a compressed (zipped) form of KML.

Launcher

The launch site of a pipeline pig.

MLF

Magnetic Flux Leakage. A type of intelligent pipeline inspection tool.

Observer

In GlobalTrack an Observer is a stakeholder with permission to view Runs within a Project but not edit them.

Pig

Pig is a generic term for one of many different types of tools that move through a pipeline. Pigs are often used for cleaning, batching of product or intelligent inspection.

Project

A Project in GlobalTrack consists of one or more Runs and its associated stakeholders and assets.

Receiver

The receive site of a pipeline pig.

Run

A Run in GlobalTrack is a pipeline route through which a pig moves.

Shapefile 

The shapefile format is a geospatial vector data format for geographic information system (GIS) software. It is developed and regulated by Esri as a mostly open specification for data interoperability among Esri and other GIS software products.

SMS

SMS stands for Short Message Service and is simply a celluar text message.

Stakeholder

In GlobalTrack a stakeholder is anyone that is involved in in a Project and has access to either view or edit.

Survey

The route of a pipeline across the ground on the 2D map.

Tracking Point

Tracking Point is a general-purpose term for a location on a pipeline that a pigging tool is expected to pass. Passage can be detected by many devices, but is often an AGM.

Tracking Sheet

In pig tracking, a tracking sheet is normally a spreadsheet containing a row for each location on the pipeline for which you wish to record a passage time (and often more data). Tracking sheets typically have the ability to perform simple calculations such as ETA to next location and average pig speed.

GlobalTrack’s tracking sheet is able to perform many more operations, and in fact drives a full simulation of the pig run which is presented on the map to a Run’s stakeholders.