Pipeline pigging

Pipeline pigs are devices that are placed inside the pipe and traverse the pipeline.

Contents

[hide]

1 Uses

o 1.1 Hydrostatic testing

o 1.2 Pipeline cleanup

o 1.3 Batch transportation

o 1.4 Prevention of solid accumulation and corrosion

o 1.5 Coating

o 1.6 Inspection

2 Intelligent pigs

3 Pig launchers and receivers

o 3.1 Hinge type closure

o 3.2 Elbows and bends

4 Pig selection

5 Slug catchers

6 Nomenclature

7 References

8 Noteworthy papers in OnePetro

9 External links

10 See also

Uses
Pigs may be used in hydrostatic testing and pipeline drying, internal cleaning, internal coating, liquid
management, batching, and inspection. Fig. 1shows several types of pipeline pigs.


Fig. 1Types of pigs (courtesy of AMEC Paragon).

Hydrostatic testing
Pigs are used during hydrostatic testing operations to allow the pipeline to be filled with water, or other test
medium, without entrapping air. The pig is inserted ahead of the fill point, and water is pumped behind the
pig to keep the pipe full of water and force air out ahead of the pig. Pigs are then used to remove the test
waters and to dry the pipeline.

Pipeline cleanup
Operations may conduct pigging on a regular basis to clean solids, scale, wax buildup (paraffin), and other
debris from the pipe wall to keep the pipeline flow efficiency high. In addition to general cleaning, natural-
gas pipelines use pigs to manage liquid accumulation and keep the pipe free of liquids. Water and natural-
gas liquids can condense out of the gas stream as it cools and contacts the pipe wall and pocket in low
places, which affects flow efficiency and can lead to enhanced corrosion.

Batch transportation
Pigs are used in product pipelines to physically separate, or batch, the variety of hydrocarbons that are
transported through the line. Product pipelines may simultaneously transport gasoline, diesel fuel, fuel oils,
and other products, which are kept separated by batching pigs.

Prevention of solid accumulation and corrosion

Crude-oil pipelines are sometimes pigged to keep water and solids from accumulating in low spots and
creating corrosion cells. This can be especially necessary when flow velocities are less than 3 ft/sec.
Multiphase pipelines may have to be pigged frequently to limit liquid holdup and minimize the slug volumes
of liquid which can be generated by the system.

Coating
Pigs may be used to apply internal pipe coatings, such as epoxy coating materials, in operating pipelines.
Pigs may also be used with corrosion inhibitors to distribute and coat the entire internal wetted perimeter.

Inspection
Pigs are being used more frequently as inspection tools. Gauging or sizing pigs are typically run following
the completion of new construction or line repair to determine if there are any internal obstructions, bends,
or buckles in the pipe. Pigs can also be equipped with cameras to allow viewing of the pipe internals.
Electronic intelligent, or smart, pigs that use magnetic and ultrasonic systems have been developed and
refined that locate and measure internal and external corrosion pitting, dents, buckles, and any other
anomalies in the pipe wall.
Intelligent pigs
The accuracy of location and measurement of anomalies by the intelligent pigs has continued to improve.
Initially, the electronics and power systems were so large that intelligent pigs could be used only in lines 30
in. and greater in size. The continued sophistication and miniaturization of the electronic systems used in
the intelligent pigs has allowed the development of smaller pigs that can be used in small-diameter
pipelines. Newly enacted DOT pipeline-integrity regulations and rules acknowledge the effectiveness of the
intelligent pigs and incorporate their use in the pipeline-integrity testing process.

Pig launchers and receivers

Pigging facilities and considerations should be incorporated into the pipeline system design. Basic pigging
facilities require a device to launch the pig into the pipeline and a receiver system to retrieve the pig as
shown in Fig. 2. The launcher barrel is typically made from a short segment of pipe that is one to two sizes
larger than the main pipeline and is fitted with a transition fitting (eccentric reducer) and a special closure
fitting on the end. The barrel is isolated from the pipeline with full-port gate or ball valves. A kicker line, a
minimum of 25% capacity of the main line, is tied from the main pipeline to the barrel, approximately 1 1/2
to 2 pig lengths upstream of the transition reducer, to provide the fluid flow to launch the pig into the
pipeline. The barrel is fitted with blowdown valves, vent valves, and pressure gauges on the top and drain
valves on the bottom. The length of the barrel is determined by the length and number of pigs to be
launched at any one time. Receivers have many of the same features.

Fig. 2Typical sphere launcher and receiver traps (courtesy of AMEC Paragon).

Hinge type closure

A typical hinge-type closure for pig launching and receiving traps consists of a forged hub, a hinged
blanking head, split-yoke clamps, operating bolts, and a self-energizing O-ring gasket. Materials of
construction are in accordance with American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specifications and
manufacture complies with applicable rules of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) code for
pressure piping and with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) boiler and pressure vessel
code.

Most important is the pressure warning safety device with yoke positioning plate. This safety device
provides visual and mechanical assurance that the yokes are in the correct position over the head for
commencement of operations. Additionally, the devices serve the purpose of alerting the operator to any
residual pressure in the pig launcher or receiver trap should he inadvertently attempt to open the closure
before all pressure has been relieved. A pressure warning device is located at each of the yoke splits with
one of the positioning lugs attached to each yoke half. Tightening the holding screw on the nipple provides
a seal and locks the hinged positioning plate on the positioning lugs. Loosening the holding screw breaks
the seal and provides a means by which the operator can determine whether the pig launcher or receiver
trap has been completely relieved of internal pressure. Continued loosening of the hold screw will allow
disengagement of the positioning plate from the positioning lugs, permitting the yoke halves to be spread
and the closure to be opened. There are several manufacturers of end closures, but most often Tube Turns
or Modco closures are used worldwide.
Elbows and bends
Elbows and pipe bends installed in the pipeline should have a minimum radius of three times the main-line
pipe diameter3D bends. Intelligent pigs may require greater radius to diameter elbows and bends
because of the longer length of the pigs. Tees installed in the pipeline with an outlet size 75% of the main-
line inner diameter (ID) should be equipped with bars across the tee outlet to prevent the pigs from
attempting to turn into the tee and lodging in the line. Hot taps greater than 6-in. diameter added to the
pipeline should be barred. If possible, tees should not be installed adjacent to one another. Check valves
should be full open, and the pigs or spheres should be sized such that the pig or sphere is larger than the
bowl cavity of the check valve.

Pig selection
Pig runs of between 50 to 100 miles are normal, but pig runs exceeding 200 miles should be avoided as
the pig may wear and get stuck in the line. Cleaning pigs may be constructed of steel body with
polyurethane cups or discs and foam pigs with polyurethane wrapping, solid urethane disc, and steel body
with metallic brushes. Drying pigs are usually low-density foam or multicup urethane. The intelligent pigs
may be:

Magnetic flux leakage

Ultrasonic

Elastic/shear wave

Transponder/transducer

Or combinations thereof

Internal-coating pigs are generally multicup urethane type. Batching pigs are typically bidirectional,
multidisk rubber, which maintain efficiency up to 50 miles. Pigs used for obstruction inspection are typically
urethane, multicup type fitted with an aluminum gauge plate or a gel type.

Spheres are generally sized to be approximately 2% greater diameter than the pipe internal diameter. Cups
and discs are typically sized to be 1/16 to 1/8 in. larger in diameter than the pipe ID. Foam pigs have to be
significantly oversized. Foam pigs 1 to 6 in. in diameter should be oversized by 1/4 in.; foam pigs 8 to 16 in.
in diameter should be oversized 3/8 to 1/2 in.; foam pigs 18 to 24 in. in diameter should be oversized 1/2 to
1 in.; and foam pigs 28 to 48 in. in diameter should be oversized 1 to 2 in.

Slug catchers
The receiving end of the pipeline should have surge containment to accommodate the slugs of liquid
carried by the pigs. For liquid lines, additional storage capacity (tankage) will provide surge containment.
Gas and multiphase lines need specially designed "slug" catcher systems to handle the intermittent liquid
slugs generated by the pigging activities. When a normal gas flow is pushing the pig through a gas pipeline,
the velocity can be quite large and the flow rate of liquids being pushed ahead is given by

(Eq. 1)
where

QL = liquid-flow rate in front of the pig, B/D,

Qg = gas-flow rate behind the pig, MMscf/D,

T = temperature, R,
 P = line pressure, psia,

and

Z = compressibility factor, dimensionless.

In most systems, the instantaneous liquid-flow rate and "energy" surge ahead of the pig will exceed the
processing design capacity and capability of the receiving facility. The slug catcher provides excess storage
capacity within the receiving facility and helps dissipate the excess energy generated by the high-velocity
liquid slug. The basic slug catcher is essentially a liquid-separation system where the incoming liquid enters
a larger-diameter pipe or a vessel, which provides additional volume for the liquid surge and provides for
separation of the vapor from the liquid stream. The additional volume provided by the slug catcher reduces
the stream velocity and dissipates the excess energy produced by the liquid slug.

Another typical slug-catcher design employs an inline liquid header system attached to a series of
horizontal liquid accumulators which may be several hundred feet in length. The liquid-slug stream enters
the header and disperses into the accumulators, while the gas continues through the system and exits at
the vapor-outlet collection header. The slug catcher may incorporate vortex breakers or other impingement
devices to slow the liquid and mist extractors at the vapor outlet to capture entrained liquids. The liquid is
transferred from the accumulators to the facility processing or storage. Fig. 3 shows an example slug-
catcher design.

Fig. 3Typical slug catcher for two-phase flow-front elevation (courtesy of AMEC Paragon).

Fig. 3Typical slug catcher for two-phase flow-front elevation (courtesy of AMEC Paragon).
The volume of the slug catcher is expressed as

(Eq. 2)
where
(Vol)SC = volume of slug catcher, bbl,

Vol = volume of liquid holdup, bbl,

and

Qd = design liquid dump rate from the slug catcher, B/D.

(Eq. 3)
where TR = time during which slug is processed, in days. The volume of the slug catcher should be
designed with a minimum 25% safety factor.

Nomenclature
QL = liquid-flow rate in front of the pig, B/D,

Qg = gas-flow rate behind the pig, MMscf/D,

T = temperature, R,

P = line pressure, psia,

Z = compressibility factor, dimensionless.

(Vol)SC = volume of slug catcher, bbl

Vol = volume of liquid holdup, bbl

Qd = design liquid dump rate from the slug catcher, B/D.

TR = time during which slug is processed, in days

References
Use this section for citation of items referenced in the text to show your sources. [The sources should be
available to the reader, i.e., not an internal company document.]

Noteworthy papers in OnePetro

Chin, J., & Fakas, E. 2004. Evaluations of Surface And Subsea Pig Launching Systems. International
Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers. SOPE-2-04-177

Combe, D. G., & Hair, D. 2011. Problems with Operational Pigging In Low Flow Oil Pipelines. Society of
Petroleum Engineers. http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.2118/143748-MS

Fung, G., Backhaus, W. P., McDaniel, S., & Erdogmus, M. 2006. To Pig or Not to Pig: The Marlin
Experience With Stuck Pig. Offshore Technology Conference. http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.4043/18387-MS

Li, D., Ai, M., Zhang, P., Miao, Q., & Wang, Y. 2011. How to Determine the Gas Pipeline Pigging Cycle.
International Petroleum Technology Conference. http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.2523/15180-MS

Zainal Abidin, S., Norman, A., Khairil Hing, A., Juzaimi, N., Ismail, M., & Alias, M. 2014. Condition-Based
Pigging for Pipeline Network. Offshore Technology Conference. http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.4043/24927-MS