An Intelligent Pigging Project: Start To Finish: by William R Gwartney, JR, and Ed Schaefer

An intelligent pigging project: start to finish
by William R Gwartney, Jr, and Ed Schaefer

TDW Pipeline Surveys, USA
Contents of this Paper:
Introduction
The operator's decision
Considerations
Why do I want to inspect my pipeline?
What are my objectives?
What unique features do I have in my pipeline?
What historical data do I have on my pipeline?
What is the best inspection tool for my pipeline?
What are the contracting and establishing requirements?
Copyright 2001 Scientific Surveys Ltd. All rights reserved.
Pipeline Pigging and Integrity Monitoring Conference: Houston, 1992
Introduction
Pipeline operators today face the dilemma of increasing costs, aging pipelines, high demand for products, and
stringent safety regulations. The pressures from all of these factors seem to demand decisions which are polarized:
each solution seems to be in direct opposition to the other.
The pressures of return-on-investment demand that pipeline operators get full value for their investment of
company resources. Every expenditure must be made only after assessing the cost as compared to the need.
Management can no longer afford to "send an elephant to crush an ant". The solution to problems must meet
specifications which have been developed by people who are fully aware of all aspects of the problem to be
solved, and of the impact the solution will have on the company.
The demand for products to be transported to remote markets by pipeline has increased significantly in the past 20
years as the population of the world has virtually exploded. This population growth has changed the boundaries of
the cities to the extent that areas which were once farm land are now the center of dense housing developments.
This growth in population and expansion has created two basic problems for pipeline companies:
1. Increased demand for products has caused a demand for higher throughput which, in turn, demands
higher operating pressures.
2. Higher housing density demands that the pipeline operator prove that his pipeline meets the code
requirements for the changing environment.
In each case, the demand for more precise non-destructive testing methods becomes evident.
The operator's decision

When operating pipeline, companies decide to inspect their pipeline, they have several decisions to make and with
these decisions they lay the foundation for the outcome of the final results of the inspection survey. The following
is an outline of the considerations and suggestions of how the decision can make the job better for both the
pipeline operator and the supplier of the inspection service.
Considerations
1. Why do I want to inspect my pipeline?
2. What are my objectives?
3. What unique features do I have in my pipeline?
4. What historical data do I have on my pipeline?
5. What is the best inspection tool for my pipeline?
6. What are the contracting and establishing requirements?
Why do I want to inspect my pipeline?

The number-one reason for deciding to inspect the pipeline is safety, as well as to protect its largest investment,
the pipeline. In addition to protecting their pipeline, most operating companies are trying to obtain as much
baseline information as possible to support risk-management studies and to support suspected government
regulations and possible legislation. A partial listing of the reasons for the pipeline inspection are:
To extend the pipeline life

The pipeline infrastructure around the world has reached a level of maturity approaching the design life of the
system. Even though maintenance levels increase with the age of the pipeline, most lines can be operated safely
for many years into the future. One requirement for this safe operation is the ability to inspect the pipe and
monitor certain critical operations on-stream without interrupting the flow of the pipeline.
To locate known or suspected pipe-wall defects in the pipeline

Typical defects found in transmission pipelines are:
metal loss
corrosion
gouging
spalling
laminations
mill defects
product deposits
chemical build-up or encrusted deposits
stress corrosion cracking (SCC)
hydrogen stress cracking (HSC)
fatigue cracking
geometry defects
ovality
wrinkles
buckles
dents
To locate known or suspected leaks in the pipeline

Leak detection is an important need in the transmission pipeline industry. Many leaks come from isolated pitted
areas in the pipeline. When pits are truly isolated, they are very difficult to find, since the difference in spurious
signals received by an instrumented inspection tool and an isolated pit are nearly the same.
Some work has been done in the past to develop a sonic tool which will locate leaks by the sound made by
different shapes of holes in the pipeline. However, this method is still not totally perfected.
Government requirements
The pressures of government regulation on the pipeline industry have increased around the world. All
governments, to varying degrees, are requiring that pipeline operators prove that their pipelines are in safe
operating condition and are free from defects, which effectively lower their operating specifications.
For example, there is pending legislation today in the USA to require pipeline operators to inspect their entire
system every five years. This would require a program of inspection at the rate of 20% of the system every year.
The problem is not just the inspection tools and their cost, but it is also the ability to access the pipeline. Many
lines are not designed for pigging; they may have reduced-diameter valves or dual line sizes in the same run of
pipeline. They also may not have launchers and receivers to insert the tools on-stream. Obviously, modification of
lines to allow in-line inspection tools to be used can be an extremely expensive operation.
What are my objectives?

The following points need to be considered in establishing a set of standards to qualify the inspection tool and
method of inspection with the least amount of interruption to normal operating procedures:
detect, quantify, and accurately locate pipe defects
provide a high level of discrimination between spurious and true defects
make repair and replacement decisions from the data furnished by the pipeline inspection service
re-certify the pipeline to its original design specifications
complete all work with minimum interference to pipeline service and at the least possible total
cost to operator
These are just a few points that need to be reviewed and considered during the discussion process, and need to be
altered to meet unique conditions for your particular pipeline.
What unique features do I have in my pipeline?

Knowing all the features of most pipelines is almost an impossible task because of field repairs, changes in
pipeline direction, lost records, etc.
In order to avoid major field problems, the operating company should be aware of possible problems that may
delay the inspection process.
Any of the following items may present problems for various inspection tools in certain diameter ranges, and
should be included with the bid document.
back-to-back bends or in-line tees
dual-diameter pipeline
size and radius of bends
sections of heavy-wall pipe
seamless or ERW pipe
type of construction
internal coatings and type, and thickness
flow rate
is the pipeline designed for pigging?
possible dents or third-party damage
special or miter bends
operating pressures and product temperature
check valves
(Note: Bend radius of most elbows or tube turns can be the single most common cause for problems with
inspection tools...3R or 3D? Interpretation of this term can be 18in or 36in radius in a 12-in diameter pipeline,
depending on an individual's age or background. In order to avoid this problem, list radius in inches or millimeters
to avoid any misunderstanding.)
What historical data do I have on my pipeline?

Providing historical data to internal inspection companies will add to the quality of the information provided in
the final report. This valuable information will benefit both parties in locating problem areas, and speed-up the
reporting process.
Historical data can include any of the following items or things you feel will benefit the quality of the information
supplied by the inspection company. It should include a completed questionnaire with the following information:
pipeline size, length, wall thickness, etc.
location
maps
special needs or expectations
required timing of the survey
inspection specifications
geometry survey reports (if available)
as-built drawings (if available)
operating pressure and product
is a pigging program in place?
who will be responsible for pipeline cleaning or preparation?
special safety training or equipment required for the project
product samples if ultrasonic inspection is being considered
What is the best inspection tool for my pipeline?

During the selection process, several factors need to be considered and evaluated:
ease of understanding inspection results
what additional information is available from the inspection survey
benefits of one tools' technology versus another
cost of the inspection survey in comparison to the information obtained
is the running of a dummy tool provided with the survey
additional operating costs not covered in the inspection contract
is analysis software available
a good understanding of the technology being selected
All these items need to be factored into the selection of the best tool for a given pipeline. In some cases, the
lowest cost per mile (kilometer) is not the best selection or in the best interest of the company making the
selection.
6
What are the contracting and establishing requirements?

Determining or selecting the best technology for a given project or pipeline is a key element, but one should also
consider the impact of the actual job and the events that precede the inspection survey. Often, small points of
issue regarding pipeline design, pipeline cleaning, mis-communication between companies...all can cause major
delays in the inspection process.
On awarding a contract, the following key points need to be reviewed and discussed:
request a pre-job meeting
establish or review cleaning program prior to the pipeline inspection
review tool preparation and testing procedures
what does the typical final report contain
Pipeline cleaning
Pipeline preparation and cleaning is a critical element in any inspection program, be it flux-leakage or ultrasonic,
increasing the potential for better inspection results. Overlooking or de-emphasizing the cleaning process can, and
in most cases will, result in extra inspection charges and possible standing-rate charges.
Many inspection companies can provide cleaning services that can compliment the corrosion survey, or
recommend several independent contractors that would be able to assist in the cleaning process.
Benchmarker placement
Depending on the inspection service selected for a corrosion survey, this will dictate the method of benchmarking
the pipeline. For increasing the accuracy of locating possible problem areas, several types are being used:
above-ground receivers
magnets placed on the pipeline
above-ground transmitting coils
Regardless of the type of marking system is being used, be sure that all locations are accessible and accurately
located in advance of the actual survey.
Final report
Final reports provide specialized information in various forms, and should contain some of the items present in
the sample report provided in Addendum 2. Familiarity with the information and data provided by any inspection
company will normally ease many concerns or problems in interpretation of these results. Several inspection
services are offering additional software support to compliment the data provided in these reports, and should be
considered for additional information not being provided in most reports. Keep in mind that most of these
software programs are meant to compliment final reports rather than act as a replacement for wall-loss analysis
being provided by the inspection company.

An Intelligent Pigging Project: Start To Finish: by William R Gwartney, JR, and Ed Schaefer

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An Intelligent Pigging Project: Start To Finish: by William R Gwartney, JR, and Ed Schaefer

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An intelligent pigging project: start to finish

by William R Gwartney, Jr, and Ed Schaefer

Contents of this Paper:

The operator's decision

Why do I want to inspect my pipeline?

What are my objectives?

What unique features do I have in my pipeline?

What historical data do I have on my pipeline?

What is the best inspection tool for my pipeline?

What are the contracting and establishing requirements?

Copyright 2001 Scientific Surveys Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pipeline Pigging and Integrity Monitoring Conference: Houston, 1992

The operator's decision

Copyright 2001 Scientific Surveys Ltd. All rights reserved.