ADMA OPCO Focuses on Identifying the Hidden Risks and Improved Technologies for Piping and Pipeline Inspection Using

Long Range Ultrasonic Technique

Authors:

Talal Al-Sayed, Brian Balmer, Tarek A. Hassan, Mohamed Al Ansari, Malik Raji, Gary Penney

Abstract Title: Understanding Hidden Risk of Ageing Pipelines ADMA-OPCO has been in operation for more than 50 years, with the majority of its facilities ageing and in most cases, exceeded their original design life. A major concern with aging facilities is maintaining the equipment fitness for service and avoiding any sudden failures, which can have significant HSE consequences. Difficult to access piping and pipelines in DAS were, one such challenge overcome by a strategic approach built around the application of advanced long range ultrasonic testing. Long-Range Ultrasonic Testing (LRUT) is an advanced Non- Destructive Testing using ultrasonic guided waves. LRUT employs low frequency guided waves, operating just above the audible range, propagated from a ring of transducers fixed around the pipe. Propagation of these guided waves is governed principally by frequency of the wave and thickness of the material. Wherever the wave encounters a change in pipe wall thickness (whether an increase or a decrease), a proportion of energy is reflected back to the transducers, thereby providing a mechanism for detection of discontinuities. LRUT has recently been independently validated to detect all defects greater than 3.5% Cross Sectional Loss in a CUI application. The LRUT technique was initially developed for detecting Corrosion under Insulation (CUI) for piping in petrochemical plant, utilizing this technique to inspect the piping and pipelines in DAS, including flare lines was a revolutionary idea which enabled ADMA-OPCO to understand the health of these lines and to ensure their integrity for future production requirements. The implementation of Advanced NDT Inspection techniques (LRUT, SRUT and 3D Tool) for the first time in ADMA-OPCO, to complement standard NDT Inspection, coupled with Risk Based Condition Assessment of the Das Island piping systems, incorporates an innovative, improved, efficient and effective approach of damage mechanism identification, defect and hidden risk detection and evaluation. This information is the utilised to enable appropriate and optimized mitigating actions to be put in place in a timely manner. Remaining life calculation based on LRUT survey was found reliable and accurate and is helpful for health assessment of difficult to access piping. Inspections can be carried out more frequently with LRUT because pipes do not have to be dug up completely, only a small section need to be exposed, no shut down required, on average 60m of pipe can be inspected from one location, internal and external corrosion are detected simultaneously on complete pipe circumference providing near 100% coverage of the pipe wall.