Petroleum Development Oman L.L.C.

Excavation and Working Around live Pipelines

Document ID GU-501

Document Type Guideline

Security Restricted

Discipline Pipeline Engineering

Owner Pipelines Corporate Functional Discipline Head

Issue Date Sep-2020

Version 5.0

Keywords: This document is the property of Petroleum Development Oman, LLC. Neither the whole nor any
part of this document may be disclosed to others or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form by any means (electronic, mechanical, reprographic recording or otherwise) without prior written
consent of the owner.
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i Document Authorisation
Authorised For Issue
Document Authorisation

Document Owner Document Custodian Document Author

(CFDH)
Habsi, Badar UEMP Habsi, Badar UEMP Khalfay, Rayees UEMP1
Date : 05-10-2020 12:00 Date : 05-10-2020 11:00 AM Date : 03-10-2020 3:26 PM
AM

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ii Revision History
The following is a brief summary of the 4 most recent revisions to this document. Details of all
revisions prior to these are held on file by the issuing department.

Version No. Date Author Scope / Remarks

5 Sep-20 UEMP/UEMP1 Minor changes
4 Jan UIPT2/ UIPT2C Minor changes
2019
3 Aug UEL Minor changes – references to SP-1187
2015 changed to GU-629; PDO Road cross
software references deleted.

2 Sept UEL1 Reviewed, updated and revised. Major

2011 updates includes the followings:
1) Update of all applicable references
and standards throughout the
document.

iii Related Business Processes

Code Business Process (EPBM 4.0)

iv Related Corporate Management System (CMS) Documents

The related CMS Documents can be retrieved from the Corporate Management Portal (CMS).

SP-1208 Pipeline Construction specification

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
i Document Authorisation ......................................................................................................... 3
ii Revision History ...................................................................................................................... 4
iii Related Business Processes .................................................................................................. 4
iv Related Corporate Management System (CMS) Documents ................................................ 4
1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 7
1.1 Background ..................................................................................................... 7
1.2 Purpose ........................................................................................................... 7
1.3 Distribution / Target Audience ......................................................................... 7
1.4 Structure of This Document ............................................................................ 7
1.5 Definitions........................................................................................................ 7
1.6 Changes to the Document .............................................................................. 9
1.7 Step-out Approval ............................................................................................ 9
2 General Information .............................................................................................................. 10
2.1 Information To Be Obtained Prior To Commencement Of Work ................... 10
2.2 Information To Be Supplied By The Contractor ............................................. 10
2.3 Safety Information ......................................................................................... 11
2.4 Workmanship ................................................................................................ 11
3 Preparatory Works ................................................................................................................ 12
3.1 Site Responsibility ......................................................................................... 12
3.2 Definition Of Excavation Site ......................................................................... 14
4 Trench Excavation................................................................................................................. 14
4.1 General .......................................................................................................... 14
4.2 Spoil Areas .................................................................................................... 16
4.3 Trench Dimensions........................................................................................ 16
4.4 Pipe Supports ................................................................................................ 17
4.5 Supported Spans........................................................................................... 17
4.6 Hand And Vacuum Excavation ..................................................................... 18
4.7 Mechanical Excavation ................................................................................. 19
4.8 Excavations Crossing Existing Services ....................................................... 19
5 TRENCH BACKFILL ................................................................................................................. 20
5.1 GENERAL ..................................................................................................... 20
5.2 Backfill Materials ........................................................................................... 21
5.3 Compaction and Backfill ................................................................................ 21
5.4 Pipe Coatings ................................................................................................ 22
5.5 Reinstatement ............................................................................................... 22
6 Permanent Marking Of Pipeline Repairs .............................................................................. 22
7 Documentation ...................................................................................................................... 23

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8 References ............................................................................................................................ 24
Appendix 1 – User Feedback Page .............................................................................................. 25

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1 Introduction

1.1 Background

This guideline provides for the safe execution of work within the Right of Way of live
pipelines and is intended to be used for work on or around lines which are in operation,
operating at reduced pressure, or shut in but not evacuated. Limitations and minimum
requirements are defined for site preparation, excavation methods, trench dimensions, pipe
support, and backfill and area reinstatement.

Repairs, modifications or other work conducted directly on the live pipeline are outside the
scope of this Guideline and are covered under separate Company or Project
Specifications.

Typical activities involving work on or around operating pipelines are listed below. The list
should not be considered exhaustive.

- Coating rehabilitation

- Sleeving installation, hot tapping and stoppling operations

- Repair and replacement of line pipe crossing of existing pipelines in the

course of new construction

- Road and track maintenance, pipeline protection at wadis

- Third party projects involving crossings.

1.2 Purpose

The purpose of the guideline is to assist PDO and contract personnel when carrying out work
on or around live pipelines. The guideline shall be used in conjunction with SP-1208 and
any Job HSE Plans developed for the work.

1.3 Distribution / Target Audience

This guideline is intended for use by PDO pipeline, third parties and Contractor staff as a
source of reference.

1.4 Structure of This Document

This guideline is structured to provide a clear reference to key requirements for safe
excavation around live pipelines. Illustrations are used where appropriate to add clarity
to description.

1.5 Definitions

1.5.1 General

For the purposes of this Guideline the following definitions shall be used:

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Shall The word ‘shall’ is to be understood as mandatory

Should The word ‘should’ is to be understood as strongly
recommended.
May The word ‘may’ is to be understood as indicating a possible
course of action.
Accountability State of being liable for certain actions to be taken and
results achieved
Responsibility The state of being required to undertake specific actions.
The execution of a delegated task, activity or process.

The Company Is Petroleum Development Oman LLC

The User Is the Company, Consultant or Contractor designate who
uses this document
The Corporate Functional Is the person responsible for the discipline the standard
Discipline Head belongs to (CFDH)

1.5.2 Specific

The Right of Way (refer to The existing oil and gas pipeline and that will be constructed
Royal Decree 8/2011) in the future shall have a Right of Way of 25 meters on each
side from the centre of the pipeline, and the Ministry in
coordination with the competent authorities determine the
Right of Way in urban areas with a distance that shall not be
less than that.
(This Royal decree cancels the first issued - 2/1999)
Verification Point Defines a completed activity, at which the Contractor shall stop
and seek Company approval before continuing on to a
subsequent activity.
Topsoil Is that material, whatever the composition, which is present from
the natural ground surface to 10 cm below the ground surface. A
windrow shall not be considered natural ground surface
Windrow Is the pile of undifferentiated material placed along the
longitudinal axis of the pipeline. It is approximately triangular in
section and has a nominal height of 1.0 metres and a minimum
base width of 1.5 metres

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1.5.3 Abbreviations

The following abbreviations are used in this Guideline.

CIPS Close Interval Potential Survey
CP Cathodic Protection
DCVG Direct Current Voltage Gradient
FOC Fibre Optic Cable
FCP Flexible composite pipe
GRP Glass reinforced plastic
HSE Health, Safety and Environment
PTW Permit to Work
PVC Polyvinyl Chloride
ROW Right of Way
RTR Reinforced Thermoplastic Resin

1.6 Changes to the Document

Responsibility for the upkeep of the Document shall be with the CFDH Pipeline Support,
the Owner. Changes to this document shall only be authorised and approved by the
Owner.
Users of the Document who identify inaccuracy or ambiguity can notify the Custodian
or his/her delegate and request changes be initiated. The Requests shall be forwarded
to the Custodian using the “User Feedback Page” provided in this Document.
The Document Owner and the Document Custodian should ensure review and re-
verification of this guideline every 3 years.

1.7 Step-out Approval

Not applicable to this guideline.

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2 General Information

2.1 Information To Be Obtained Prior To Commencement Of Work

Prior to commencement of any site activity the Contractor shall obtain all
essential design and operating data on the live pipeline and specific information on
the sections of the line impacted by the activity. This information should include as a
minimum:

• Pipeline identification, (name and code number)

• Pipe material, diameter and wall thickness

• Pipeline design data and operating conditions during the construction period

• Pipeline contents during the construction period

• Relevant Pipeline Alignment Sheets

• Pipeline coating details

• Details of wadi crossings, including concrete coating areas and

gabion locations

• CP stations and test posts

• Environmental data (temperatures, humidity etc.)

• Latest pipeline integrity status report, location of existing sleeving

or other repairs

• Other pertinent reports / data required to execute the work, (i.e.

intelligent pigging reports, coating surveys etc.).

2.2 Information To Be Supplied By The Contractor

Prior to the commencement of any site activity, the Contractor shall submit to the
Company for approval, all technical documentation regarding the way the activity /
project will be performed. This documentation shall include as a minimum:

• Complete details of the project scope of work, to be executed by 3rd parties.

• Work procedures (method statements)

• Engineering calculations, (where applicable)

• Management and control procedures specific to the work

• HSE procedures specific to the work

• Emergency response procedure (in the event of pipeline damage)

Submit to PDO Authorities a fully detailed list of all Equipments, Instruments, Sign
Boards, Warning /Caution measures to be adopted during the site works, and also

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indicate whether any temporary or permanent Detours are required to carry out all
site works in a safe and effective way.

No work shall commence until the documentation is signed as approved by the

Company.

2.3 Safety Information

The Contractor shall at all times comply with the requirements of the Company’s
Safety Regulations, (HSE Manual).

All work sites which would otherwise constitute a safety hazard to the general public
or to other workers shall be suitably roped or barricaded and warning signs installed.
During the hours of darkness flashing warning lights shall be strategically placed
around open excavations.

Where work is required in wadi areas, it shall be performed only after due
consideration of flash floods and the risk to personnel safety and pipeline integrity.

2.4 Workmanship

2.4.1 Qualification of Operators

The operators of all mechanical equipment shall be required to undertake a short

trial witnessed by the Company or its representative to demonstrate their competence
in the use of that equipment. The Contractor shall maintain a register of operators
accepted by the Company, which will be periodically checked by the Company. Under
no circumstances shall an unregistered person operate equipment within the pipeline
Right of Way. Failure to comply shall be treated as a serious breach of conduct.

2.4.2 Quality Control

The Contractor shall submit work procedures to the Company. Work shall not
commence until documents have been approved. Any deviation from the approved
procedures shall be treated as a non-conformance.

The Contractor shall submit a Quality Plan to the Company for approval. The Quality
Plan shall conform to SP-1171. The quality plan shall make reference to each
individual activity / Verification Point, the relevant Specification and clause,
acceptance criteria (where applicable), method of recording each activity and
responsible Party.

Activities shall not proceed beyond a nominated Verification Point until the work
carried out to that point has been reported, inspected and approved by the Company’s
authorised representative. Verification Points include, but are not limited to, the
following:

• Approval of documentation

• Confirmation of excavation location / boundaries

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• Location of pipe by hand excavation

• Removal of surface soil / site preparation

• Approval of trench dimensions, access and stability / shoring

• Pipe ready for backfill

• Trench backfilled and compacted to support pipe

• Trench backfill and compaction complete

• Markers installed, windrow replaced and area reinstated

Compliance with procedures and specifications will be audited periodically by the

Company. The Contractor shall at all times allow the Company or its representative’s
full access to information generated at site for the purposes of audits.

3 Preparatory Works

3.1 Site Responsibility

3.1.1 Access Roads and Rights of Way

Access to and from the pipeline Right of Way shall be along designated and existing
access roads. The Company will normally approve access rights to the Right of Way
only at points where the pipeline Right of Way intersects existing roads or tracks.
Access at points other than those approved by the Company is not permitted. Where
work involves crossing pipeline routes with heavy vehicles/ equipment other than at
existing road crossings, engineering checks should be requested. (refer to 3.1.3).

Indiscriminate driving across open country is prohibited.

The Contractor shall ensure that any private access roads, bridges, culverts, wadi,
bund or retaining earth mounds or similar structures to be traversed are first put in a
fit condition to carry the Contractor’s vehicles and that they are maintained at all times
in a state of repair which will allow the owner, tenant, farmer or person entitled to use
such structures full and unrestricted use for his stock, vehicles and equipment.

The Contractor shall maintain the pipeline Right of Way and access roads affected by
the performance of the work. As a result of excavation and local conditions, it may
become necessary to create diversions or change the boundaries of existing access
roads or the pipeline Right of Way. Appropriate signs, night warning lights, reflectors
etc. shall be installed in accordance with the Company HSE requirements, to advise
traffic of the diversion and/or revised boundaries and to maintain a safe working
environment for the performance of the work.

3.1.2 Company and Third Party Property

Prior to any work on site the Contractor shall examine the site and identify any existing
structures, pipelines, cables etc., particularly buried facilities, by using metal detectors
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or alternative techniques approved by the Company. The location of all buried

facilities and services shall be suitably marked and recorded.

Fences, gates and animal crossings used by the Contractor shall be maintained by
the Contractor in a condition at least equal to that ‘as found’.

Damage to items such as fences, gates, animal crossings, falajs etc. caused by the
Contractor, his employees or vehicles shall immediately be restored to a condition at
least equal to the original condition.

The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that closed or locked gates through
which he passes will at all times be kept in the same status as found or as required
by the owner, tenant or farmer etc.

3.1.3 Vehicle Crossing Points

Where it is necessary for the Contractor’s vehicles or equipment to cross over any
existing pipelines, (including the pipeline being worked on), this shall be done only at
designated Crossing Points approved by the Company.

The Contractor shall propose to the Company the location of crossing points and,
where required, the method of bridging to be constructed to protect the pipeline.
Crossings shall satisfy the requirements of SP-1208 App C, D and E for A/G pipeline
& U/G pipeline. The Company may require stress analyses to be performed to confirm
the acceptability of the proposals. For carbon steel pipelines calculations shall be
performed as per SP-2284. No crossing point, whether bridged or otherwise, shall be
used prior to approval by the Company.

The Contractor shall remove any temporary crossings when no longer required by the
Contractor, or as instructed by the Company.
3.1.4 Permits

Before any work commences, the Contractor shall ensure that necessary permits
have been obtained and approved by Company and approval to start the work
has been given by Company Site Representative, as per PTW system document
PR-1172.

The Contractor shall be responsible for obtaining all necessary permits to work at
every location. In addition to the Work Permit issued by the Company, all
excavation work within Company operational areas requires an Excavation
certificate, in accordance with PR-1002. Work within the pipeline Right of Way
may also require permits from National, Municipal or other Authorities.

The Contractor shall communicate with the relevant PDO geomatics and obtain
their guidance and consent to carry out excavation works at the site.

Route survey works and pegging shall be carried out under the guidance of
geomatics PDO Authorities only after obtaining the appropriate Permit to Work
(PTW) and ,if applicable, Local Authorities. Post pegging Review and Approval

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from the concerned PDO Geomatics must be obtained in the approved PDO format
prior to any exploratory digging/ excavation works.

3.2 Definition Of Excavation Site

3.2.1 Site Location

The Contractor shall verify the specified location of each excavation site
independently of any existing marker peg.

Locations specified by the Company shall be verified by measurement of

chainage from the selected reference point with an accuracy of ± 0.5 metres.
Other techniques should be considered to aid accurate positioning where
appropriate to the activity, (such as DCVG / CIPS for locating coating defects).
The proposed techniques shall be included in the Method Statements to be
submitted to the Company for approval under Section 2.2 of this guideline.

3.2.2 Site Marking

The centre and ends of each proposed excavated length shall be pegged directly
above the pipeline axis.

Lateral alignment pegs shall be positioned to maintain the centre location after
excavation has commenced and the centre peg has been removed. The alignment
pegs shall be sited such that a line between them intersects the pipe axis at
approximately 90° and such that they do not inconvenience the excavation
working space, the spoil areas or Right of Way/access road.

The maintenance of survey pegs for the duration of the Scope of Work shall be
the responsibility of the Contractor. Removed, damaged or incorrectly placed pegs
shall be reinstated by the Contractor.

The excavation site shall be planned with respect to the anticipated length of
excavation, the topsoil storage area, spoil storage areas, and equipment access.
The excavation site shall be barricaded or roped off and appropriate warning
signs/devices installed in accordance with the requirements of Specification and
the Company HSE Manual.

4 Trench Excavation

4.1 General

Mechanical excavation is not allowed around live pipelines unless expressly

permitted by the Company. Prior to commencement of excavation activities at each
work site, the pipeline orientation and depth shall first be established by excavating
a minimum of two pilot holes using either hand tools or vacuum methods.

The Contractor should be aware that in wadi areas wider than 100 metres, the
windrow may be present in sections of only 25 metres separated by 75 metre gaps.
The Contractor shall notify the Company if this is the case prior to any excavation,

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as the windrow should only be replaced in those 25 metre sections. The pipeline
may also be protected with rock gabions.

If the excavation area covers any CP cables, posts or other facilities, the Contractor
shall excavate around the facilities using hand or vacuum methods, taking care to
avoid damage.

Excavated material (spoil) shall be deposited to one side of the trench. Top soil shall
be separated from general spoil and shall not be removed from the site under any
circumstances.

Natural drainage channels shall not be obstructed. Excavations shall be kept free
from water during excavation operations and as far as is practicable at other times.

The Contractor shall maintain excavations in good condition and adequately

barricaded and shored wherever necessary to prevent sidewall collapse. Shoring
shall remain in position until all work has finished and the excavation is ready for
backfilling. The shoring arrangements and all timber, jacks or other necessary
materials shall be verified by a qualified engineer as fit for purpose and maintained
in good condition by the Contractor.

Where a series of excavations is required along a pipeline, the work should be

planned so as to minimise the time that the excavations remain open commensurate
with maintaining the scheduled rate of construction. At no time shall the ground be
opened in excess of that previously agreed and approved by the Company.

Note that any PDO ISSUED DRAWING indicating any below ground existing
Pipelines, Cables, Tunnels, Utility Lines, Falaj, or any other potential obstacles
are to be considered as un-confirmed information and Data only to be
verified and confirmed by the Contractor.

It is the Contractor’s Responsibility and Duty to utilize appropriate Below Ground

Detectors to locate any and all types of obstacles using Metal Detectors, Sensors
and other means of locating non metallic obstacles such as PVC, FRP, RTR, GRP,
FOC, FCP.

Only non metallic hand tools and Vacuuming units will be used for pilot holes
excavation at established points for digging. Mechanical Excavators, Diggers.
Scrapers, Pneumatic Jack Hammers will NOT be permitted to carry out any
exploratory Digging/Pilot Hole works.

When the complete excavation works are concluded, the peripheries will be
cordoned off, Prominent Signs erected around the excavation, all shoring and
means of ingress for personnel and for equipment will be inspected and the
designated PDO Authority / Safety Officer will permit Personnel access to the
exposed item to carry out any required work on the item, Pipe Line etc.

The exposed item to be worked on, and the point of physical contact, must be clearly
identified ,verified and confirmed in consultation with all concerned PDO and other

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relevant Authorities before any work related physical contact with the item, (such as
‘removal of wrapping’, ‘blast cleaning’ etc) takes place. This shall be treated as a
Verification Point.
When all doubts regarding the working point has been resolved to the satisfaction of PDO,
the Site Supervisor must ensure that the Envisaged work on the exposed item can be
carried out in Absolute Safety and adequate work clearance is prevalent at the point of
work for the personnel and equipment designated to carry out the work, and all

Safety Measures are in place to safely execute the works as per the PDO approved
Method Statement prepared by the Construction Contractor.

Earthmoving operations shall comply with the provisions of PDO Environmental

Conservation Guidelines for Earthmoving Operations.

4.2 Spoil Areas

The topsoil shall be removed before trenching commences for a depth of 10 cm over
the whole of each work area and for a distance of one metre beyond. Topsoil shall be
stockpiled adjacent to the excavation in a discrete pile.

Topsoil shall at all times be kept separate from other excavated materials.

Topsoil shall not be replaced until the excavated trench has been backfilled and
compacted in accordance with this Guideline, (refer to 5.3 for details).

All excavated material will be removed from the proposed worksite and deposited in
a tidy manner ( Windrow Material and Top soil separated ) at a PDO designated
point, pending the decision whether to use the same material as Backfill.

Other excavated materials shall be piled at a safe distance from the excavation.

4.3 Trench Dimensions

Unless otherwise specified by the Company, the Contractor shall excavate along the
pipeline axis a distance of 1 metre beyond the ends of the area demarcated for the
subsequent work to be performed, i.e. ends of defects, location of repairs, etc. No
excavation shall extend beyond the established Scope of Work limits, unless authorised
by the Company.

The cross section of the excavation shall be made so as to provide sufficient access
around the pipe for performance of the subsequent work. Actual dimensions will depend
on the nature of the work, excavation depth and local soil and site conditions.

A detailed assessment shall be made by the Contractor to determine requirements for

trench stability and pipe support and to confirm that significant movement of the
exposed pipeline due to thermal expansion, lateral bending stresses etc. will not occur.
The assessment shall be submitted to the Company as part of the method statements
required for review and approval prior to commencement of work.

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Where a series of closely spaced excavations is required along a pipeline, there

shall be sufficient separation between each excavation to ensure that the
stability of the pipeline bedding material and the trench wall is maintained.
Otherwise supports shall be provided to the standard specified in 4.4.

The Contractor shall ensure that the trench walls will not collapse irrespective
of the type of soil encountered. This may necessitate shallow angle trench sides,
benching or shoring. Such precautions are mandatory under Company HSE
requirements for excavations exceeding 1.2 metres in depth; Shoring shall be to
a design and quality acceptable to the Company.

Shoring (if required) will be carried out using Approved for Specific Use Materials.

Once the location of below ground Obstacle to be excavated and exposed has
been identified, only non metallic hand tools will be used to excavate / dig and
expose the obstacle for whatever purpose.

The Contractor shall take account of the additional excavation necessary at

points where the contour of the natural surface has required the pipeline to be
buried at extra depth, such as approaches to highways, roads and wadis, or where
the pipeline crosses below other buried lines or services.
The Contractor shall make ready access into the excavated areas at regular
intervals so that the work area on either side of the pipe has quick and convenient
entry and exit points. Access ways shall be stepped and / or sloped. Excavations
shall have a minimum of two access points, one at each end of the excavation on
opposite sides of the pipeline. Long continuous excavations shall be provided
with additional access points at intervals of no more than 20 metres.

4.4 Pipe Supports

Adequate support of the exposed pipeline shall be maintained throughout all stages
of the work.

4.4.1 Permissible Unsupported Spans

Permissible lengths of unsupported pipelines shall not exceed the maximum values
given in GU-629. For pipelines greater than 24" diameter and for all pipelines with
significant wall loss defects, detailed stress analysis shall be undertaken by the
Contractor to establish permissible unsupported lengths. Results of the stress
analysis shall be submitted to the Company.

4.5 Supported Spans

When planned excavations will exceed or are to be extended close to or beyond

limits established in 4.4.1, pipe support requirements shall be assessed and
agreed with the Company. Any proposal to exceed the maximum unsupported
span lengths shall be justified by stress calculations sufficiently detailed to
demonstrate that at no stage of the work will stresses exceed the levels permitted
in the applicable Pipeline Design Code. Risk of pipe movement on long
excavations shall be analysed and measures taken to adequately brace / support
the pipe to prevent such movement.

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Installation of supports shall be carried out progressively. Excavation shall not be

permitted to extend beyond the specified maximum length until a support is
satisfactorily installed.

The pipe supports shall maintain the pipe in its original (pre-excavation) position,
both vertically and horizontally. There shall be no pipe displacement whatsoever
during excavation and backfill. This shall be monitored by elevation measurements
on the pipe at the ends and centre of the excavation and at each support location
as excavation is progressed and on a daily basis prior to backfill. Care should be
taken to ensure that benchmarks are preserved during excavation operations or
adverse weather conditions, flooding etc.

If a support must be moved for any reason, e.g. to enable access to the pipe at
the support location, its removal shall not increase the unsupported pipe span
length beyond the limit specified.

The Contractor shall propose a design of pipe supports for approval by the
Company. The design shall include engineering calculations to verify the suitability
of the supports for the anticipated loads. The following minimum design criteria
shall be included:

• a base of sufficient area to prevent the supports sinking into the ground

• a construction that prevents the supports from compacting under load

• a material that is capable of withstanding the imposed load

• suitable padding to provide a reasonable surface area of support and to

prevent damage to the pipe or to the external coating

• a design factor of 2.

If wooden supports are to be used, the wood shall be of a suitable type and grade,
and shall be of good quality, free from knots or other discontinuities. Acceptable
types of wood for skids and supports are oak, ash and redwood. Supports shall
be maintained in good condition throughout their use, requirements being
included in the Contractor’s QA/QC procedures.

Air bags shall not be used for other than short-term auxiliary support to aid in the
installation or removal of other supports. To ensure redundancy in the event of
failure of an air bag and to ensure failure of one will not cause catastrophic failure
of all the others, at least two air bags shall be deployed at each support point and
the air bags shall have a design safety factor of at least four times the anticipated
load.

4.6 Hand And Vacuum Excavation

The pipeline shall always be exposed initially using hand or vacuum methods.
When sufficient trial holes have been dug to establish the depth and orientation
of the pipe and the location of both sides of the pipe are clearly defined, the

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required minimum offset distance from the top centre of the pipe shall be marked
out on each side of the length to be excavated.

Where mechanical methods are permitted, mechanical excavation may then

commence at each side of the pipe up to the marked areas. Hand or vacuum
methods shall be used to excavate the pipeline within the marked area and shall
be used exclusively in exposing CP related facilities.

If vacuum excavation is used, ear defenders, dust masks and safety goggles must
be worn by the operator and all personnel working in the vicinity. These are in
addition to other mandatory Personal Protection Equipment specified by the
Company HSE Manual.

4.7 Mechanical Excavation

Mechanical excavation (where approved by the Company) may not commence

until pilot holes have been manually excavated and the working areas marked as
described in Section 4.1, so that excavation limits are clearly visible to the excavator
operator.

For the mechanical removal of the windrow and the topsoil layer immediately above
the pipe, only flat mouth (non-toothed) buckets shall be employed.

PDO Approval must be obtained for Excavation using Machinery at whatever

location, even after Hand Excavation / Vacuuming establishes that there are no
Below Ground Obstacles to be encountered at the point of excavation.

Mechanical excavation shall be performed parallel to the pipe axis and shall
maintain a minimum lateral separation of 1m between the bucket / shovel and the
pipe. All operators shall be made fully aware of the implications of making
contact with the pipeline and shall use machine tools with the greatest of care.
The excavating machine shall not be used in a transverse direction to the pipeline
under any circumstances.

The Contractor shall use a banksman, whose duty is to direct the excavator
operator and to notify the operator and the Company’s representative of any
infringements of the 1m exclusion zone each side of the pipe. The banksman
shall be present during all mechanical excavation operations. Hitting the pipeline
with an excavator is regarded by the Company as a serious incident and must be
reported to the Company immediately for closer investigation.

Plywood shields or padding, such as thick sheets of polyurethane foam, shall

be positioned around the pipe during mechanical excavation.

4.8 Excavations Crossing Existing Services

Crossing of live pipelines, cables and other underground or above ground services
may be required during new construction, excavation of an existing pipeline or
during excavation for the construction of roads or other facilities. The Contractor
shall identify existing services within the working area from the as-built drawings,
pipeline alignment sheets and from field surveys, using metal detectors and other
suitable equipment. PDO survey services can be asked to provide coordinates for
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use with GPS’ equipment. Before commencing any excavation, the Contractor shall
define and peg out the positions of all such buried features within the immediate
working area.

Excavation of marked lines and cables shall be confined to manual techniques,

particular care being exercised in the use of pickaxes and similar penetrating
implements. Once hand excavation has clearly defined the extremities and routing
of the services, mechanical excavation can proceed to a minimum distance of 1
metre from the services, provided operations are continually monitored by the
banksman, (refer to 4.7).

Where excavation of live pipelines needs to be extended below other lines and
services, the Contractor shall be responsible for their proper support and protection
throughout excavation and subsequent work within the trench. The Contractor shall
also reinstate backfill and protection of the services to the original standard during
compaction and backfilling of the trench.

5 TRENCH BACKFILL

5.1 GENERAL

The Contractor shall not commence backfilling until the work has been inspected
and approved by the Company. Backfilling operations shall meet the requirements
of SP- 1208 and this Guideline.

Bedding and backfill shall be placed in a manner that will ensure:

• the final position of the pipeline is identical to its position before

excavation

• damage does not occur to the pipe or its protective coating

Where excavation has been conducted beneath the pipeline, it is essential that all
the backfill beneath the pipe is fully compacted, to ensure that the pipeline is not
subsequently affected by subsidence. The procedures to be used will depend on
access beneath the pipeline, the length of excavation and local site conditions and
shall be detailed in the Method Statements agreed by the Company, (see below).
Compaction shall normally be done by manually ramming thin layers from each
side of the trench, compaction being continued until no further movement is
discernible. If a sufficiently high degree of compaction cannot be assured by this
means it may be necessary to backfill from the trench bottom up to and around the
pipeline, entirely with rammed sifted sand of maximum size 3 mm.

As backfilling progresses the Contractor shall remove all shoring and other
temporary materials and equipment from the excavation, with due regard to the
safety of personnel working within the trench. Any material disturbed during these
operations, which does not comply with the infill requirements of Table 1 of this
guideline, shall be removed.

No temporary pipe supports shall be left in the trench or covered over with backfill
material. Backfilling should progress towards existing support and support removal
shall be performed in such a manner that the pipeline span lengths never exceed

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the specified requirements. This may require the insertion of additional temporary
support,
e.g. compacted soil or sand bags, under the pipe to enable padding and compaction
to be carried out along the remaining span before removal of the main supports and
local completion at the temporary support points.

The Contractor shall include full details of the proposed backfill and support removal
procedures, (including provision for protection of pipe coatings from damage at
support points), in the Method Statements required for Company approval under
2.2 of this guideline.

Windrows shall be reinstated to a minimum height of 1 metre to mark the position

of and protect the pipeline.

5.2 Backfill Materials

The Contractor shall not use, disturb or interfere in any way with material previously
removed and stockpiled by others. All materials for backfill, other than those
removed from around the pipeline by the Contractor, shall be subject to approval
by the Company.

The Contractor shall ensure that the following deleterious materials are not included
in the trench or backfill:
• Rock larger than 100 mm in any dimension.
• Waste coating materials or metallic artefacts of any kind
• Pipeline supports, shoring, vegetation or other organic material.
• Any rubbish including camp waste, packaging etc.
• Gypsum or any material with chloride content greater than 100 ppm.

For trench details and backfill requirements refer to SP-1208

.

5.3 Compaction and Backfill

The trench shall be backfilled in discrete layers. Compaction shall be performed as

layers are placed in the trench.
The backfill shall be compacted to ensure that there will be no subsidence of the
trench. Hand ramming shall be used for intermediate layers. Mechanical
compaction methods may be employed for completion of backfilling.
Compaction shall be performed after deposition of each 300 mm depth of loose
material or at every interface between layers, whichever is the lesser.
The Contractor shall compact the layers of backfill, from the bottom of the trench to
150 mm below the pipe, in accordance with the procedure established by site
testing, (refer 5.1 of this guideline). The remaining layers shall be compacted to a
consistently high level.
Topsoil shall be replaced only after the trench has been backfilled and compacted
and the work approved by the Company. The topsoil shall be heaped without
compaction to allow for any subsequent subsidence.

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5.4 Pipe Coatings

Prior to backfilling, visual inspection and holiday detection testing of all exposed
coatings immediately prior to backfilling. Any coating defects shall be repaired in
accordance with SP-1246.

If the removal of shoring at the commencement of backfilling operations results in a

collapse of the trench wall, repeat holiday detection of any affected coating shall be
carried out and repairs completed as necessary.

The time span between approval to backfill and backfilling shall be minimised. If it
exceeds 24 hours the pipe coating shall be re-tested for holidays immediately prior to
backfill and repaired as necessary.

5.5 Reinstatement

The contractor shall reinstate any areas or objects damaged or altered during
construction such that their final condition is equal to or better than their
original condition. This shall apply regardless of whether the areas or objects
are inside or outside the pipeline right of way.

During the period of construction, the contractor shall be responsible for the
routine maintenance of the pipeline right of way and any access roads or
tracks used by contractor’s vehicles.

On completion of construction, roads, the pipeline Right of Way and other

working areas shall be left in a neat and clean condition to the satisfaction of the
local authority, the property owner or occupier as communicated to the Contractor
by the Company.

Any bridges must be restored to their original state of repair to the approval of
the Company.

Any additional protection to pipelines and coating systems specified under

crossings or elsewhere shall be reinstated by the Contractor in accordance with
the relevant specifications.

Sand hills etc. shall be reinstated to the condition existing at the commencement
of construction.

6 Permanent Marking Of Pipeline Repairs

Every pipeline repair location shall be indicated by placing a permanent marker

on the pipeline-offset line, immediately adjacent to the repair. The markers shall
always be positioned at the upstream end of the repaired section.

The Contractor shall supply and install the permanent markers during or
immediately following the completion of reinstatement at each location.

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The markers shall comprise a standard test post and sign of Company
approved design. Lettering shall be in English and Arabic and shall comprise:

• Pipeline identification and diameter

• Chainage (KP)

• Repair identification (e.g. pipeline repair, recoating, date repair

undertaken etc.) and length of repair.

The Contractor shall provide the Company with a list of the positions of all
permanent markers installed along the pipeline. The list shall repeat the
information given on the marker post and additionally quote the repaired length of
pipeline, the actual chainage and any other pertinent information.

Third party facilities/utilities across/within the pipeline ROW: an adequate marking

shall be agreed.

7 Documentation

On completion of the work the Contractor shall provide a suitably bound Close
Out Report comprising complete records of all activities including inspection
reports, photographs, non-conformances, site memos, faxes, permanent marker
lists and ‘as- builts’ of pipeline route maps.

The Close Out Report should be compiled on an ongoing basis throughout the
execution of the work. To assist this, prior to the work commencing, the Contractor
shall issue a Close Out Report Index to the Company for review and approval.

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8 References

Publications: Government Laws

Oil and Gas Royal Decree 08/2011

PDO Standards

Project Engineering CoP CP-117

Health, Safety and Environmental management system CP-122
Pipeline Emergency Repair Guidelines GU-379
Application & Selection of Standard Pipe Supports GU-629
Excavation Certificate PR-1002
Specification for Quality Management System Requirements SP-1171
Permit to Work Procedure PR-1172
Pipeline Construction Specification SP-1208
Onshore metallic Pipeline Repairs SP-1235
Specification for Painting and Coating of Oil and Gas Production Facilities SP-1246
Specification for welding of pipelines SP-2318

Shell Standards

Hot Tapping on Pipelines DEP 31.38.60.10-Gen.

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Appendix 1 – User Feedback Page

GU-501 – EXCAVATION AND WORKING AROUND LIVE

PIPELINES USER FEEDBACK PAGE

Any user who identifies an inaccuracy, error or ambiguity is requested to notify

the custodian so that appropriate action can be taken. The user is requested to
return this page fully completed, indicating precisely the amendment(s)
recommended.

Name:

Ref ID Date:

Page Ref: Brief Description of Change Required and Reasons

To: Pipeline CFDH

Custodian of Document Date:

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