Abstract:Pipeline external detection is an important part of pipeline integrity management and it requires the collection of location information of featured points on the pipeline during detection. The routing of a natural gas pipeline is detected with portable GPS, single base station RTK and CORS. Some of the points are subject to deviation verification with total station. It shows the unsatisfactory positioning accuracy and coordinate repeatability of common portable GPS. Single base station RTK can achieve relatively accurate positioning, but with low efficiency. High-precision positioning can be obtained by using CORS positioning technology with its high efficiency and wide coverage. With the development of surveying technology and the requirements of relevant specifications, it is an inevitable trend to use CORS technology to achieve large coverage and high-precision positioning of pipelines.