Cleaning Pig Designs and Applications

PIPELINE PIGS
A cleaning pig is any free traveling cleaning device that is sent through a
pipeline by product flow to scrape and brush foreign deposits, rust and
dirt and fluids from the inside surface of the pipe.
500 + types of mechanical pigs.
Pig length (inches) = 1 and pipeline diameters.
Pipeline pigs may be designed for: purpose, accommodation, economics,

endurance, cleaning, flow efficiency improvement, flexibility, heat-
resistance, chemical resistance, chemical batching, gauging, mapping,
measurements, inspection, and other needs.
GENERAL CLEANING RULES
Use the correct type of pig and frequently schedule piggings to maintain
pipeline integrity and flow efficiency.
Select the right pig design to clean the specific hold-up in the pipeline.
A pipeline that can be pigged, should be pigged at least annually to
prevent corrosive liquid & solids hold-up.
Cleaning or utility pigs, when run on-stream, will have the speed of the pig
dictated by the product flow rate.
Most gas transmission pipelines flow at ranges between 10 and 17 feet
per second.
PIG BY-PASS DESIGN
All pigs, regardless of style, are 1% to 5% oversize, and thus are larger than
the pipeline internal diameter.
Most standard pigs are designed to bypass a small portion of the
propelling medium during a pig run.
By-pass averages between 2% to 15%, depending on the type of pig.
Often, pigs may by-pass and leave as much 25% of the product in the pipe
after a displacement run.
PIG LIFE
Depends on:
- Quality of pipeline construction
- Pig velocity & design
- Interior line conditions (rough, semi-rough, smooth)
- Media in which pig runs
Rules of Thumb:
100 miles (160 km) - for newly constructed onstream gas
pipelines
150 miles (240 km) for newly constructed product lines
200 miles (320 km) for newly constructed crude oil lines
PIG SPEED
Suggested speed for effective utility pigging:
- Pipeline Pre-commissioning/commissioning = 1-5 MPH (1.5

-7.5 FPS)
- Routine Gas Pigging = 2-8 MPH (3-12 FPS)
- Routine Liquid Pigging = 1-8 MPH (1.5-12 FPS)
- ILI Tool Runs = 2-7 MPH (3-10 FPS)

REASONS TO PIG
CLEANING, BATCHING, DISPLACEMENT & INSPECTION
1994 Legislation
- Requires new hydrocarbon pipelines to be piggable.
- Requires certain existing pipelines to be modified to facilitate
pigging.
- Requires pipelines to be pigged periodically, if piggable
Cleaning
- Corrosion control - maintain pipeline integrity
- Flow efficiency
- To dewater lines after hydrostatic testing
Monitoring & Inspection
- Identify design, manufacturing and construction defects
- To gauge or survey the I.D. of the pipe
- Provide information of developing problems
PIG APPLICATIONS
During Construction For Inspection
- Removing construction - Check for physical damage
debris (geometry)
- Acceptance testing - To detect, corrosion,
fill/dewater laminations or cracking
- Commissioning - Leak detection
During Operation - Sampling
- Pipe wall cleaning - Line cover and subsea
- Condensate removal spanning
- Product separation
(batching)
- Applying inhibitors
PIG DESIGNS
Utility Pigs for cleaning and sealing
- Mandrel Pigs
- Poly Pigs and Foam Swabs
- Cast Urethane Pigs
- Spherical Pigs
In-Line Inspection Tools (high or low resolution - for wall loss)
- Magnaflux Leakage (MFL) Inspection
- Ultrasonic Inspection & Geometry
Gel Pigs
- Batching or Separator Gels
- Debris Pickup Gels
- Hydrocarbon & Dehydration Gels
MANDREL PIGS
Mandrel Pigs are made up of component parts that mount on a steel body
allowing multiple configurations and the replacement of individual parts.
Individual parts may consist of: cups, magnets, and discs scraping
elements, including brushes, or blades for cleaning.
Most pig bodies are either aluminum or steel usually with 2 seals, front
and rear, made of urethane, nitrile or neoprene.
Pigs may be uni- or bi-directional during flowing conditions.
These pigs are most suited for pipeline cleaning and chemical batching.
MANDREL PIG BRUSHES
There are four main types of accessory brushes for cleaning
pigs:
- Block Brushes
- Wrap Brushes
- Ring Brushes
- Pencil Brushes
FOAM PIGS
Foam or polly pigs are versatile, flexible and usually the least expensive.
They are made of open-cell polyurethane foam.
They may be uni- or bi-directional in flowing pipelines.
The foam may be bare (swab or squeege) or can be coated with urethane
for more durability and may contain wire bristle brushes or metal studs for
more abrasive cleaning.
The density of the foam ranges from 1 lb/cuft to 10 lbs/cuft.
SINGLE CAST URETHANE PIGS
These single cast urethane pigs are available in sizes from 2 to 48.
They are made of one piece urethane and offer flexibility in performance
and capabilities.
Pedal (expandable) pigs are used in telescoping (multi-diameter) pipelines.
The pigs are used mainly as sealing pigs and for chemical batch treating,
but can be equipped with cleaning elements.
Some models allow cups, brushes and discs to be changed out when
damaged or worn.
Most carry pingers, magnets, or other devices.
SPHERICAL PIGS
Spheres or ball pigs are the oldest and most recognized sealing pigs.
Used to push liquids out of pipelines.
Three types of spheres: Inflatable, solid, and foam.
Suitable for onshore and offshore gathering systems where pigging may be
frequent and the system needs to be automated.
Suitable for pigging laterals and can drop into downstream mainlines and
be swept in by larger pigs.
PIG SELECTION AND APPLICATION
Cleaning Applications
Sand/Sludge Scale Water Paraffin Bacteria
Swabs Fair Poor Fair Poor Poor
Pollys Good Fair Good Poor Good
Spheres Poor Poor Fair Poor Poor
Cast Urethane Good Fair Good Poor Fair
Mandrel Urethane Excellent Fair Excellent Fair Fair
Bi-Directional Excellent Good Excellent Fair Good
Brush Pigs Poor Good Poor Poor Excellent
Plow Blades Poor Poor Poor Excellent Fair
Gel Trains Good Poor Good Poor Fair

CHEMICAL BATCH PIGGING
In a dry gas pipeline, batch pigging involves running a batch of oil soluble
inhibitor or biocide ahead of a single pig; or between two pigs so that the
whole internal pipe surface is wetted.
In a liquids pipeline, batch pigging can be used to separate products by
reducing the interface between products.
A cleaning pig should be run before batching to clean the pipe surface of
contaminants and to prevent dilution of chemicals.
Protective inhibitor film (1 mil thick) applied at an optimum pig speed of
5 to 7 feet per second (3 to 5 mph) is shown below using a dual pig train.
CHEMICAL BATCH TREATING WITH PIGS
Treating Applications
Start-Up Inhibitor Biocide Paraffin Solvent
Swabs Good Fair Poor Poor
Pollys Good Fair Fair Poor
Spheres Poor Poor Poor Poor
Cast Urethane Good Excellent (a) Excellent (a) Good (b)
Mandrel Urethane Good Excellent Excellent Good (b)
Bi-Directional Excellent Good Excellent Good (b)
Brush Pigs Poor Poor Good (c) Poor
Plow Blades Poor Poor Poor Fair
Gel Trains Good Good (d) Good (d) Fair
Notes: (a) Holes can be drilled in the center casting to apply chemical
(b) Check solvent/disc or cup material for compatibility
(c) Use swab behind brush pig to aid in launch
(d) Specialty gels incorporate inhibitors or biocides
INTELLIGENT PIGS
GEOMETRY PIGS
A geometry/caliper pig is a configuration pig that uses mechanical arms or

electro-mechanical means to measure the bore of the pipe.
It is designed to record conditions in gas and liquid pipelines, such as
dents (deformation anamolies), buckles, wrinkles, ovality, bend radius and
angle, pipeline constrictions, and occasionally indications of significant
internal corrosion by making measurements of the inside surface of the
pipe.
It can sense changes in girth welds and wall thickness at designated
locations and is usually run in pipelines before intelligent pigs are run.
IN-LINE INSPECTION PIGS
A sophisticated in-line inspection tool (pig) run through a segment of
pipeline to determine areas of defects of both internal and external pipe
walls.
Provides recordings which indicate the severity and location of the defect.
Magna-flux Leakage (MFL): Flux-leakage technology will saturate sections
of pipe with a strong magnetic field and the flux path is recorded.
Leakage or variations in the flux path, as it travels through the steel pipe
are detected by magnetic sensors situated between the magnetic poles,
and can be directly related to areas of metal loss.
MFL HISTORY
IN-LINE INSPECTION (SMART) PIGS
Ultrasonic Technology (UT) uses a transducer to emit a pulse of ultrasonic
sound through the pipe which travels at a known speed.
On entering the internal pipe wall, there is an echo, and another echo as
the pulse reflects off of the external wall.
The time taken for these echos to return provides a virtual direct reading
of the wall thickness.
Unlike the MFL tools (pigs) which have a maximum allowable wall
thickness, the UT tools (pigs) have a minimum.
MFL tools used most effectively in gas pipelines, UT tools operate best in
liquid pipelines.
SMART PIG SCHEDULING
May 12, 1994 PHMSA promulgated regulations requiring new
transmission pipelines and pipeline replacements to be designed to allow
the passage of internal inspection tools (Pigs).
SCHEDULES
Gas Pipeline Segment Run Intervals Every 7 years
Liquid Pipeline Segment Run Intervals Every 5 years
External Corrosion, Internal Corrosion, and Stress Corrosion Cracking are

time dependant threats which must be assessed if present.
END

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PIPELINE PIGS

500 + types of mechanical pigs.

Pig length (inches) = 1 and pipeline diameters.

Pipeline pigs may be designed for: purpose, accommodation, economics,

Suggested speed for effective utility pigging:

- Pipeline Pre-commissioning/commissioning = 1-5 MPH (1.5

- Routine Gas Pigging = 2-8 MPH (3-12 FPS)

- Routine Liquid Pigging = 1-8 MPH (1.5-12 FPS)

- ILI Tool Runs = 2-7 MPH (3-10 FPS)

Sand/Sludge Scale Water Paraffin Bacteria

Swabs Fair Poor Fair Poor Poor

Pollys Good Fair Good Poor Good

Spheres Poor Poor Fair Poor Poor

Cast Urethane Good Fair Good Poor Fair

Mandrel Urethane Excellent Fair Excellent Fair Fair

Bi-Directional Excellent Good Excellent Fair Good

Brush Pigs Poor Good Poor Poor Excellent

Plow Blades Poor Poor Poor Excellent Fair

Gel Trains Good Poor Good Poor Fair

Start-Up Inhibitor Biocide Paraffin Solvent

Swabs Good Fair Poor Poor

Pollys Good Fair Fair Poor

Spheres Poor Poor Poor Poor

Cast Urethane Good Excellent (a) Excellent (a) Good (b)

Mandrel Urethane Good Excellent Excellent Good (b)

Bi-Directional Excellent Good Excellent Good (b)

Brush Pigs Poor Poor Good (c) Poor

Plow Blades Poor Poor Poor Fair

Gel Trains Good Good (d) Good (d) Fair

A geometry/caliper pig is a configuration pig that uses mechanical arms or

External Corrosion, Internal Corrosion, and Stress Corrosion Cracking are

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