Lloyd Pirtle

Sales Manager,

Integrity Services

TDW Services, Inc.

Pigging for Corrosion Control

& Program Development

Bio - Lloyd Pirtle

Title: Sales Manager, Integrity Services Dept, PIPS

Division

Texas A & M Graduate, Bachelor of Science – 1982

Operations, Sale Management & Field Sales in the

Piping Systems industry since 1986. Experience in

Exploration & Production, Transmission, Gas

Distribution, Water/Wastewater, Nuclear & Fossil Power,

Chemical & Petrochemical & Industrial. 10 years - valve

manufacturer and 15 years - TD Williamson in various

capacities including product and service technical

support as well as operations. Six of the last eleven

years as part of TDW’s Pipeline Integrity Products &

Services Division.

Outline What is Pipeline Pigging ?

Why Pig ?

Basics

Systems

Pipeline Contents Analysis

Objectives

Pipeline Design

OutlinePig Types

Pig Enhancements

Cleaning Options

Benefits of Line Cleaning

Waste Disposal

System Parameters

References & Training

What is Pipeline Pigging ?

Methodology developed decades ago which

incorporates inserting a device of some type into

a pipeline segment with the intended objective

fitting into one of the following categories.

Pipeline Cleaning

Product Batching

Product Displacement

Pipeline Inspection

Why Pig ? Cleaning

Corrosion Control - removal of undesirable materials

Improve operating efficiency - savings in pump or compressor fuel

Batching

Product separation – Fuels, crudes, etc

Slugging Operations – Cleaning, Biocides, Inhibitors, etc

Displacement

Commissioning/Decommissioning

Conversions

Inspection Tools

Geometry, Metal Loss, Cracks, Mapping

Benefits of Maintenance Pigging

a) Increases & Maintains

Throughput/Efficiency

b) Prepares Pipeline for In-Line

Inspection

Prevents Tool Damage

Collection of Critical Data

Reduces Project Cost

c) Removes unwanted or

corrosive materials

H2O

CO2

O2

Salts & Acids

Rust & Scale

Hydrogen Sulfide

Black Powder

Miscellaneous* NORMS, PCB’s, other liquids,

sand, etc

Start at the Beginning

Is the line piggable in its current condition ?

What is my objective ?

How much system pressure should be available to pig ?

How much Differential should I use ?

How much Back Pressure do I Need ?

What is the line flow ?

What is the best pig velocity in this application ?

Does the media make a difference relative to processes ?

Will temperature affect pigging effectiveness ?

What pig or pigs should I use ?

Always Ask yourself the following Questions

TDW Pipeline Services

TDW Pipeline Cleaning Questionnaire

Request-A-Quote Form Form No: PC 2/02

To help us better serve you, please complete the form and return to TDW Services. Date: January 2007

Supersedes: 1/01

Company: Date:

City: State: Country:

Phone: Fax:

Required Information

Other:

Product in Service: Gas, Oil, etc. Chemical Analysis Available: No

New Pipeline: No Existing Pipeline: No Change of Service: No

How long has the pipeline been in service ?

Project Location: Onshore: Offshore:

Pipeline Size: Pipe Length: Wall Thickness(es):

Valve Type: Number of Valves: Side Connectors:

KaliperTM Inspection Required: No Minimum Bend Radius (indicate radius & degree of bend):

Operating Temp: Operating Press: Launcher/Receiver Installed: Yes No Pipeline Profile Avail.: Yes No

Launcher Receiver Dimensions:

Total Length (Feet/Inches): Drain Line Size:

Oversize Barrel Length: Work Area Footprint:

Nominal Pipe Size Length:

Kicker Line Size:

TDW Services, Inc.

Address:

Contact:

E-Mail:

Project Description:

Design Code: 31.4 31.8

Yes Yes

Yes

DOT.192 DOT.195

Max.Min.

Yes

Yes

Filling out data sheets is a critical step in the planning process and

must be thoroughly filled out if good results are expected

“The Perfect Pipeline” is

Perfectly Straight

Perfectly Round

A Constant Inside Diameter

Smooth on the Inside Surface

Void of Internal Coatings

Void of Weld Penetration

Void of Chill Rings

Void of Tees/Laterals

Void of Valves

Pumping a light grade oil at a speed of 3ft/second

Unfortunately, it doesn’t exist

Design Considerations

Pipeline Dimensions – Length, wt, pipe ID

Pipeline Materials – Coatings, 70’s ERW, Seamless

Bends – Miters, Short or Long Radius, Factory or Field

Reducers – Concentric/Eccentric

Tees – Sizes, Flows, Barred/Unbarred

Stopple Fittings/Tees – Piggable Plugs installed

Valves – Appropriate design

Launchers/Receivers – Manufactured per design specs

Pipeline Preparation

How Often Should You Pig ?

How much Liquid (gals/bls) are you removing from a pipeline

segment ? e.g. (condensates, Glycol, water, comp oil)

How much particulate are you removing from filters on the pipeline

segment ? e.g. (sand, silt, ferrous materials, paraffin)

How corrosive is the specific pipeline segment environment ? e.g.

(bacteria, water, O2)

What is the dewpoint specification in the gas stream of the pipeline

segment in question ?

How much corrosion already exists in the pipeline segment ?

Always Ask yourself the following Questions

Progressive PiggingIs the most effective pigging process

The more unknowns that exist in a pipeline segment, the less

intrusive the initial pig run should be – start gently & graduate to

increasingly more aggressive pigs. Example

1) Light Foam Pigs (2# Foam)

2) Foam Pig (5 to 9# Foam)

3) Foam Pig with Bristles

4) All Urethane Bodied Pigs

5) Steel bodied Mandrel Pig W/ Blades

6) Steel bodied Mandrel Pig W/ Brushes

7) Train Pig W/ Cups, Discs, Blades, Brushes, Magnets, etc

8) Dummy Pig w/ Magnets

9) ILI Tools

10) Inhibitor Pigging

11) Biocide treatment

Some Geometry Tools Can Verify Line Condition!

– Bends - Dents

– Valves - Ovalities

– Wall thickness changes - Other

– Tees - Misalignments

– Taps - Mitre Bends

– Girth Welds - Wrinkles/Buckles

For Example:

Detectable

Pipeline Features

Pigging Products

Pig Tracking & Locating Systems

Launchers/Receivers/Pigging Systems

Closures – Threaded & Clamp Ring

Pigs – Cleaning, Dewatering, Drying

Mechanical/Non-Intrusive Pig Signals

Types of Pigs

• The best choice is a pig with discs, conical cups,

brushes and bypass ports

• Discs are effective at pushing out solids while also

providing good support for the pig.

• Conical cups provide excellent sealing characteristics,

good support and long wear.

• Spring mounted brushes provide continuous forceful

scraping for removal of rust, scale and other build-ups

on the pipe wall.

• Bypass ports allow some of the flow to bypass through

the pig and helps minimize solids build-up in front of the

pig. Also used for slowing the speed of the pig down.

Select A Pig For Cleaning Applications

Pipeline Cleaning Choices Dry Mechanical Pigging

* Caution – Debris can ignite on contact w/ O2 – Black Powder

Difficult to remove some debris (especially fine particles)

Various pigs, Tubs, Drums, Filters

Detergent Enhanced Pigging

More effective at removing solids

Water or Diesel as Base solution

Wet film left behind

OfflineVirtually complete control of pig velocity

Can make more pig runs

Cash Register off

OnlineConvenience of being On-stream

In Gas, requires separation

Cash Register Running

Pig Velocity Control ??

Line Cleanliness is Critical

MFL Tools are the best & most expensive cleaning pigs

available. Sensor “Lift Off” will reduce the intensity of

the magnetic signal and will affect data quality.

You don’t want MFL Tools to be a Cleaning Pig!

Typical results of using mechanical brush

cleaning pigs for removal of black powder

Effective results of using cleaning fluids and brush pigs with RealSeal Cups.

Magnetic Cleaning Pig for

Ferrous Materials

• The removal of this type of

debris is a must before

attempting to run Corrosion

Inspection Pigs.

• Debris such as welding rods,

bolts, tools, etc., is very difficult

to remove with conventional

pigs as the pigs typically push

these objects for some distance

and then ride over them.

Pipeline Cleaning

Ideal for Aggressive Cleaning

Pig Train

Ideal for pre-Inline Inspection or very

Aggressive Cleaning

Dummy / Magnet Tool(Gauging Plate incorporated)

Pigs can typically be configured

to accommodate back to back

laterals by lengthening the pig

to avoid modification of the

laterals

Unique Pig Enhancements

Bypass Ports can be

Very Effective

Inhibitor Spray Pig

Teamwork - Pipeline Operator working together

to achieve success from start to finish

Preparation (system preparation, cleaning,

geometry, pressures, flows, etc)

Selection and execution of appropriate tools

Implement appropriate action based on findings

Documented results

How are dependable cleaning

results achieved ?

Summary

Many pipelines can be made piggable with readily

available components

System information is critical when preparing for In-

Line Inspection or any other assessment method.

Pipeline Cleaning is a critical part of improving

efficiency & preventing corrosion

Tools Have Strengths & Limitations. We need to

apply the right tool for the right job.

Training Schools

SGA / Battelle

Clarion Pipeline Pigging Course

TDW Pigging School

NACE International

Oklahoma University Corrosion Course

Published References

Gulf Publishing Company

Pipeline Pigging Technology

Pipe Line Rules of Thumb Handbook

Pigging Products & Services Association

Guide to Pigging

Questions ?