Awesome 1968 pipeline welding video...and a question.

Today large diameter pipe often is done with wire feed automatically. The example shows flux core wire on the first pass only. They have little tractors that walk around the pipe automatically welding. You have welding operators who are certified for the machine process.
After welding inspections now can be done with xray or ultrasound with the record kept digitally rather than on film. The units I have seen are a tractor unit that walks around the pipe taking pictures.
Each time they do a pipeline they come up with something to make it faster and better. It all depends on the contractor and engineers. If you google alaska pipeline inspection-YouTube.

also Pipeline welding Manning Alberta 3 fill pass - YouTube This was a line that ran through Manning Park to the Westcoast a few years back.