pig good year

7/28/2019 Pig Good Year

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EDG has introduced a revolu-tionary new pig launcher/trap deviceclaimed to save time and increase reli-ability of scheduled maintenance. Theyintegrate and automate three essential

requirements - swabbing, batching andsmart pigging functions and reduce dra-matically the number of times the launch-er has to be opened. Both worker andenvironmental safety are improvedbecause the accidental release of hydro-gen sulfide is lessened. A further benefitof the new equipment is that it can beoperated from shore. Now successfullyused offshore, EDG is looking to installsimilar systems for other pipelines. TD

Williamson continues to enhance itsextremely comprehensive pigging andgeneral pipeline services range and isoffering a video specifically covering itscleaning services.

Knapp Polly Pig has further enhancedits Ultra-Pig, Ultra-Seal, K-Disc and BDG-K ranges for deepwater pipelines as hasGirard Industries whose extensive portfo-lio includes the latest Hi-T Pigalert sig-nalers. Kidd Pipeline & Specialties latestpatented products include both mechani-cal and electrical pressure-balanced pigpassage indicators which are available

with extensions for below-grade installa-tion and recent versions of its reinforcedscaper pig cups and flow switches.

Mahoney Technical Products, too, hasnewer models of both sphere and detec-tors available. And Enduro Pipeline

Services claims to have devel-oped a range of exceptionally

reliable pig signalers calledthe Pig Popper which aresimple to install and use.From Inpipe Products comes

its latest MarkIII signaler withspecial featuresthey haveomni-directional triggers, arenot directionally sensitive during

installation, all wettable movingparts are in stainless steel and they are notpressure-sensitive. Said to remain stableunder almost any conditions, they aremuch lighter than previous models andcan be used at temperatures up to 160C.They also have a new balanced-pressuresphere to largely eliminate the time wast-ed in dissipating ingressed gas collectedduring servicewithout the need for seal-ing apparatus such as sealing valves.

CDIs latest CD42 pipeline pig locationand tracking systems are said to allowpipeline operators the advantage ofmicroprocessor control. The technologyincludes a special but simple graphical

menu system created specifically for pig-ging. Features also permit much fasterand accurate locationing of stationarypigs. Pipeline Inspection Company alsohas refined models of its Spy electronicpig trackers that can pick up signals from20 to 100 feet of free air space, withstandhigh pressures and temperatures andtransmit up to 500 hours with just stan-dard alkaline batteries.

GD Engineering introduced itsVersatile pig range in sizes from 4 inchesto 60 inches. They can be fitted with cups,discs or a combination of both and allparts are interchangeable. Bodies are

Pipeline & Gas Journal/August 2001/pipelineandgasjournalonline.com

verybody believed in 2000 thathigh oil prices would lead to aboom in our industry, but noth-ing of the sort happened. During

the year, oil companies continued to con-solidate and introduce further efficienciesand cost reductions. Contractors weresqueezed relentlessly. The high price of oil($25-$35 per barrel) enabled oil companiesto rebuild their balance sheets and fund

their merger and acquisition activities.Although significant earnings and cash sur-pluses are being reported and expenditureis expected to build up in the coming year,operators will not want to be caught againand thus will remain prudent. Their longer-term investments will be based at around$13-$15 per barrel, not at the current levelsof around $25 per barrel.

However, it is an inescapable fact thatwhile demand exceeds supply, explo-ration and development activity mustincrease over the coming years to bringsupply and demand into balance and oilprices down to a non-inflationary price. In

view of this, we are seeing a major recov-

ery as many new projects are movingfrom the drawing board to EPC contrac-tors. So there is a higher level of ordersfor pig traps, signalers and closures asnew pipelines projects are started. Pigs

will follow once the lines are built andready for commissioning. Although com-petition will remain fierce, a much higherlevel of activity is now forecast for theimmediate future.

A significant number of pigging develop-ments have recently maturedto the bene-fit of pipeline operators worldwide. Here,

we touch on some of those that are influ-encing cost-effectiveness and efficiency.

Pipeline & Gas JournalStaff Report

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PIGGINGA

Good Year For

Developments

& Operational

Success


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available in either mild or stainless steeland pulling bars are fitted front and rear.Up to 5% removable by-pass is fitted asstandard and they are capable of travers-ing bends down to 1.5D. GDs Bandlock2 quick opening closures are now avail-able in sizes from 6-120-inch, in carbon

and stainless steel and specialty alloys,from ANSI 150# to 2500# for all pipelineand related applications.

BJ Pipeline Cleaners has new modelsof its successful HZ heavy scraping pigs

with a leaf-spring design for added forceagainst pipe walls and the renownedPitmaster brush pigs so useful for cleaningthe pits caused by microbiologically influ-enced corrosion. Insitu Pipeline Systemshas further improved its Insitu pipelinecleaning and coating systems. These firstmechanically and chemically clean theline which is then given a corrosion-resist-ant epoxy coating using Uraflex pigs.

Pipeline Engineerings (PE) new twin-

module welding pigs have apparentlyproved successful for subsea tie-ins andalso for emergency use both on- and off-shore. They have a welding and a sealingmodulewhich are required to effect atie-in weld. The welding module has aunique Omnithane patented welding seal.

When inflated, this pushes a flexible heat-resistant backing material against the

underside of the joint being welded. Thisreduces to near zero the volume of thegas and removes the possibility of blow-back, a regular problem caused when the

welding habitat fluctuates due to wavemotion. The backing strips help toincrease the speed of hyberbaric welding.

Modular design for PEs Chameleonrange of pigs has helped reduce prices andimprove delivery times. The functionalityof its Unisig pig signalers has beenimproved with cost savings, too. The com-pany has also just launched a range ofrapid opening closures said to reduce rad-ically the time it takes to safely gain accessinto pig traps and other pressure retaining

vesselsdown to as little as 30 seconds. Itis unlocked by simply removing the ventsafety plug and turning a handle through22.5. They can be used on pig traps, filtersand metering systems in sizes from 6-to-60inches in diameter. Said to meet all themain international design codes and stan-

dards, they are already gaining acceptanceby operators worldwide.

PluggingIn Oman, PE recently isolated the

feeder and export lines to an oil pumpingstation. This was to allow the installationof larger pumping facilities. In all, two 12-inch, two 18-inch and one 20-inch high-

pressure plugs were used. Due to thehigh number of lines, many of the fieldactivities had to be completed in parallel.

Although hot tapping was considered, amajor saving was made by using theseplugs, the shutdown work being complet-ed four days ahead of schedule. Also, off-

shore Thailand, PE provided double blockand bleed isolation in a straight section ofa 32-inch forged equal tee. The doubleblock and bleed plug was less than 12inches in length, with an overall diameterto suit a 32-inch pipe. The plug enabledgas export to continue via the tee, while

valve refurbishment took place immedi-ately behind the plug.

Inpipe Products has a new Hydroplugwhich is designed to block and retain haz-ardous vapors in a line. This has two inflat-able tires to seal against the pipe wall andhold it in position. The cavity in betweenis then filled with water or nitrogen to 3Barto provide the gas-free barrier. The

pipeline or vessel into which it is fitted canbe vented through the plugs body.Currently available from 2-to-24 inches, theplugs can be used on pipes with wallthicknesses between schedules 10 and XSand are claimed to withstand a differentialpressure of 5Bar on the downstream side.

And who can forget Inpipes epic 50+hourclosing of New Zealands North Island


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main offshore gas supply line to changethe emergency shutdown valve?

Gel PiggingAlthough it is an established technolo-

gy, gel pigging has moved on significant-ly. Enhancement of flow assurance in

deep subsea pipelines and flow lines, byregularly controlling hydrate and waxremoval, looks set to be improved evenfurther with the use of competitivelypriced new liquid gel concentrates andfluids. Development work continues intooptimum mixes of longer-life gels andadditives in the pig chain and furthereconomies in gel usage. Special attentionis going into making a commercial skid-mounted modular unit that could lead togreater confidence in on-line continuousblending. Molded solid-gel pigs are nowavailable that offer adequate strength andelastic properties for even quite long runsincluding tight bends and constrictingobjects such as valves. Gel pigging couldsoon be transformed from pre-commis-sioning and remedial activity into a main-line pigging tool.

BJ Process and Pipeline Services is inthe forefront of this methodology. It isoffering a speedy, economical method ofcleaning and drying long pipelines. Its BJGel Pig can suspend and then removelarge quantities of pipeline debris, often in

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just one pass. It can enhance pipelinesweeping and the displacement of prod-ucts and also remove stuck conventionalpigsand its an effective way to applyinhibitors and biocides. BJ also sees a sig-nificant and growing market for its servic-es in the conversion of lines such as

redundant crude oil pipelines for use withnatural gas or finished products. They sayits quicker and very cost-effective.

Intelligent PiggingTuboscope Pipeline Services now has

available the operators optimum multi-technology tool equipped to inspectpipelines by magnetic flux leakage (MFL)and to provide an inertial navigation andglobal positioning system. Now with justtwo pig runs, the data from four differenttechnologies can be collected and ana-lyzed. In one direction, a pig checks inter-nal wall geometry changes and gives a 3-Dmap of the lines position, and in the

reverse direction, another MFL pig detectscorrosion defects distinguishing those

which are internal from external. Recentenhancements include varying magneticlevels to better check metal loss and phys-ical damage, multi-axis sensors for betteranomaly length and width measurementmulti-magnetic orientation, including cir-cumference, to improve the detection and

identification of longitudinal anomalies.These developments are said to greatlyimprove accuracy and reliability of surveys.

PIIs latest Scale Wax Assessment Tooltakes a cleaning pig fitted with lift-off sen-sors. The sensors measure the degree of liftoff from the pipe wall at several locations

around its circumference. In this way, realdata can be provided on the status of thepipeline allowing action plans to be madefor removal of any persistent debris.

The companys pioneering work oninspecting dual-diameter lines continues topay off, especially in the U.S. and Russia

where many pipelines were constructedusing reduced bore valves for economic rea-sons. Recently in the North Sea, the multi-diameter tool developed in conjunction withStatoil, was launched in a 28-inch subseapipeline and, after several hundred meters,expanded to fit a 42-inch pipeline. Its task

was then to carry on and inspect the 702 km(439 miles) gas export line to the Norwegian

coast. As a result, the size of export riserbase needed for the Asgard field wasreduced, with significant cost savings. Thesame methodology can be used to reducecosts for other field developments, especial-ly in deepwater where maintenance can bedifficult and expensive.

PII has made great strides in highbypass speed control. Pipeline operators

constantly face the challenge of keepingthe product flowing. Revenue can be lostdue to hydrotest down time, or in reducinggas flows to suit pig runs. Cleaning andgauging pigs can normally be run at fullproduct speeds, but in some pipelines gasflow can exceed the maximum allowable

speed for inspection tools. Upper speedsfor inspection vary between 0.5 - 5 m/s,depending on pipe wall thickness, inspec-tion technology and supplier. Just increas-ing pigging speed from 2 m/s to 4 m/s canbring massive savings in gas revenues.

Another advantage of the controlledbypass facility is that it provides effectivespeed control of the pig, which helps tomaintain inspection performance. It alsopermits the tool to be used in pipelines

with variable velocity profile due to inletsor outlets which may not be closed offduring the inspection run. So recent con-trolled bypass allows increased gas veloc-ities, typically up to 12 m/s with increas-

ingly complex option kits, customizedvehicle building to suit particular operatorneeds, and variable bypass control valvesfor operation down to a minimum speedof 0.5 m/s. Speed control is obtained ifgas speed is less than bypass capability

with valve wide open.PIIs latest work on transverse field

inspection (TFI) and its TranScan range is


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tion system analysis process. Experience isshowing that LAPA users have to deal withlower populations of metal loss called outas significant. So, although new, the LAPAmethod is holding out considerable prom-ise for realistic prioritization of repairs whilestill maintaining a consistent and prudent

safety factor.One of the striking benefits of the high

resolution provided by PII inspectionvehicles is said to be the high qualityimages produced for visualization of thecondition of the pipe wall. The latest ver-sion of its PipeImage is a data processingapplication primarily intended for viewinghigh-resolution magnetic inspection sur-

veys. It provides a complete visual repre-sentation of the pipeline inspection fromtrap to trap. The data can also be scaled,magnified and enhanced using the toolsprovided by PipeImage and navigationand annotation facilities are available toallow easy access to and labeling of inter-

esting points throughout the inspection.The advent of stable inertial navigation

systems and accurate GPS equipment hasenabled accurate pipeline surveying to becombined with an in line inspection tool.PIIs latest combined ScoutScan MFL andpipeline mapping tool enables defects to beaccurately and conveniently located. This is

good news for pipeline operators withaxially oriented defects, a significant prob-lem often associated with features in andaround pipeline seam welds. PII is nownotching a string of successful experi-ences with TFI, which is an adaptation ofthe MFL principle to fine-tune the tool to

find these axially oriented defects.Although TranScan is already an activeand successful area of development forPII, its capabilities are being constantlyextended and the whole market for itsapplication remains to be discovered. Atpresent, the philosophy is to run TranScanand its long-serving MagneScan ranges asstand-alone inspection services, but theoption of combining these on one trainhas been examined.

Regarding data analysis and reporting,PII is building systems to provide moreaccurate assessment of pipeline defects.This includes a method for calculatingdefect failure pressure along parallel lines

to that used by RSTRENG (the standard forevaluating the remaining strength of exter-nally corroded pipe). While RSTRENG usesthe actual field measurements of the defect,PIIs LADA (Length Adaptive Pressure

Assessment) calculates effective area andtherefore defect failure pressure usingdefect sizes predicted by the in-line inspec-

particularly attractive in remote areas wheredefect coordinates from the mapping pigcan be combined with GPS data to allowrepair crews to move directly and preciselyto the correct excavation site.

RST Projects innovative SAAM piggingtechnology offers a cost-effective

approach to internally inspecting opera-tional pipelines and gauging those underconstruction. It can be used to identify,locate and monitor dents, local out-of-alignment features (mapping), status ofin-line components, internal anomaliesand zones of wax formation. Other appli-cations include logging of pipelineprocess data and diagnosis of piggingproblems and facilitating the optimizationof pigging programs. New developmentsinclude a battery range of up to 336 hours(14 days), enabling operators to inspect

very long pipelines, a miniature SAAMsystem capable of inspecting 6-inchpipelines, flow lines or loops. Now under-

going field trials is a SAAM 3-D mappingsystem which, in addition to standardcapabilities, provides data about the verti-cal and horizontal profiles, enabling RSTto give a local 3-D map of the pipeline.

All of the systems now offer a higher tem-perature capability.

New DDL digital data loggers from

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Enduro Pipeline Services enable operatorsto determine the size and location ofanomalies and many other features too -such as pipeline mapping, sub-meter GPScoordinates to line features and linedefect areas, bend analysis for directionand angle, river crossing profiles, pipeline

benchmarking, for improved excavationpoints with anomaly locations to oclockposition. Its new Squeal software packagealso allows users to link data collectedfrom other corrosion tool inspection sys-tems. Several formats and methods arepossible, allowing mechanical defect loca-tions to be checked with metal loss loca-tions. Reports are presented on CDs withjpg files on the analysis of pipeline bendsand anomaly locations. DDLs have a vari-able scale ranging from 1:1 to whateverthe operator needs, a booked anomaly lis-ing on two scales - first a 50:1 scale show-ing a weld log report, BenchMark loca-tions and anomaly sizing and a second

scale at an exploded view of 5:1.The GTI and the U.S Dept. of

Transportation, with the practical help ofTuboscope, are developing advanced toolsand technology for locating mechanicaldamage in pipes such as gouges, dents,scrapes and other anomalies that often causeserious disruption to operations. The new

research is focused on cold working, stress-es and plastic strains associated withmechanical damage through the use ofsmart pigs. Research thus far has succeededin decoupling MFL signals into its compo-nents, using magnetization, so that specificinformation on different types of damage

can be identified and recorded. In parallelwork, the SwRI is developing criteria to eval-uate the actual effects of mechanical damageon pipe strength and likely life.

Whats Next?Profile Technologies has developed and

successfully field-tested an innovative non-invasive electromagnetic wave (EMW)inspection technology to rapidly screenpipelines above and below ground forexternal corrosion. This seems a cost-effec-tive way of detecting and locating suchdefects, under insulation, with virtually noneed to prepare a site specially or to havefull access to the pipelines surface.

Apparently the tool can reliably isolate dam-aged lines in places where normal NDTmethods would be impossible - road cross-ings, sleeved pipes, penetrations ofpipelines through the walls of buildings orunder streets. The EMW tools can performglobal assessments of pipe segments from2-to-60 inches in diameter and up to 250

feet in length, with one setup. It is said tolocate external corrosion within 5 feet andcan be applied to straight pipe or pipe seg-ments with bends up to 45.

PE and Durham University in the UK aredeveloping a self-powered tractor pig forremoving wax from the inside of subsea oil

flow lines. The pig uses bristle-based tractortechnology, pioneered at the university, tocrawl through the pipelines. The device islaunched from an offshore platform and trav-els against the product flow to the wellhead.Once at the wellhead, the pig deploys areturn mechanism and pigs the line back tothe platform, dewaxing as it returns. Waxbuildup reduces flow rates and therefore theefficiency of flow lines. As such, there is alimit to the distance a wellhead can be fromthe platform or production facility. This newpig will not only reduce production costs but

will allow for longer and deeper flow lines.A laboratory version of the tractor devicewith its return mechanism is working suc-

cessfully and operators are being soughtwho are interested in testing the product intheir own flow line.

Some of the major contractors in theindustry are working to produce anIndustry Standard Pig Specification.However, with so many shifting variablesand interests, this may prove a dauntingtask! Watch this space. P&GJ

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