Pipeline assessment

This chapter presents two systems of units so that you can follow the examples ahead. These two systems of units are the metric SI and what is termed by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) as the U.S. Customary system of units, namely in the ASME Section II Part D [I], This system is also termed the American Engineering System (AES) by the U.S. government. I mentioned the latter term in my book Piping and Pipelines Assessment Guide [2], in how to use the two systems of units. In this book, we will discuss briefly the other variants of the metric SI system, but it is the prevailing metric system of units. Likewise, we will concentrate on the U.S. Customary system versus the British Imperial system. Even though the latter two are similar, there are some differences. 

Regarding the U.S. Customary system, the same discussion is presented in my book Piping and Pipelines Assessment Guide, pp. 498-500 [2], as follows ... 

Escoe, A. Keith, Piping and Pipelines Assessment Guide, Gulf Professional Publishing (Elsevier), March 2006. 

Cost estimates can usually be broken into firm items, and items which are more difficult to assess because of associated uncertainties or novelty factor. For example, the construction of a pipeline might be a firm item but its installation may be weather dependent, so an allowance could be included to cover extra lay-barge charges if poor sea conditions are likely. 

Arzhaev A T, Bougaenko S E., Denisov I N., Aladinsky V V, Makhanev V.O. Technical basis and software development for flaw assessments in NPP pipeline welds. In Ageing of Materials andMethods for the Assessment of Lifetimes of Engineering Plant, R.K. Penny (Ed ), 1997, pp. 63-68. 

Local Site Condition Evaluation. In addition to visiting the site, drawing up a contour map and geology reports, acquiring sod-bearing information, and a knowledge of boundaries, setbacks, local requirements, utdity tie-in locations, sewer connections, access to roadways, pipelines, radroads, etc, may be needed to make a fliU assessment. 

For assessing a close proximity situation with oblique sections, a map drawn to scale is necessary that shows the tracks of the interfering high-voltage power line or the stretch of electric railway line and the pipeline that is interfered with. 

This study investigated risks to the public from serious accidents which could occur at the industrial facilities in this part of Essex, U.K. Results are expressed as risk to an individual and societal risk from both existing and proposed installations. Risk indices were also determined for modified versions of the facilities to quantify the risk reduction from recommendations in the report. Nine industrial plants were analyzed along with hazardous material transport by water, road, rail and pipeline. The potential toxic, fire and explosion hazards were assessed for flammable liquids, ammonia, LPG, LNG, and hydrogen fluoride (HE). The 24 appendices to the report cover various aspects of the risk analysis. These include causes and effects of unconfined... 

This report is by Battelle Columbus Division to the Line Pipe Research Supervisory Committee of the American Gas Association. It presents an analysis of statistical data obtained from reports of lea)c or rupture (service) incidents and test failures in natural gas transmission and gathering lines over the 14.5 year period from 1970 through June, 1984. All gas transmission companies were required to notify the Office of Pipeline Safety Operations in the event of a "reportable" incident, as defined by the Code of Federal Regulations. The purpose of the study is to organize the reportable incident data into a meaningful format from which the safety record of the industry can be assessed. 

The development of soil corrosivity assessment techniques has largely been due to the pipeline industry s requirements for better corrosion risk assessment and the reduction of pipeline failures. Corrosion in soil is a complex process and over the years several parameters have been identified as having a significant effect on the corrosion rate in a given soil. 

Perhaps the most widely known measurement technique is that adopted by the West German Gas Industry and developed by Steinrath for buried pipework. This assigns a value (See Table 2.20) to each parameter measured the summation of these values determines the corrosivity of the soil. The parameters measured are shown in Table 2.20. Although this technique was developed for the pipeline industry it can be used with some success for general soil corrosivity assessment. 

An ER probe specifically designed for assessing the effectiveness of cathodic protection is shown in Fig. 19.55. The elements for this probe can be machined from the actual pipeline. 

The structures used (platforms) require monitoring in addition to sub-sea pipelines, satellite wells and other equipment (e.g. manifolds) on the sea floor. Corrosion inhibitors are widely used in internal-streams (from the reservoir and many of the downstream operations). Corrosion monitoring can provide valuable data for assessing the effectiveness of the inhibitors used and for optimising dosage rates. 

In this review the status of the relevant technology will be assessed with particular reference to formulation of problems and methods of solution. We shall, for the most part, be concerned with the technical literature of the last ten years. Since that period corresponds to the total eclipse of analog simulation which had been previously used, to some extent, in modeling pipeline networks (R3), we shall focus exclusively on digital computation methods. However, we shall not be content with a mere catalog of the different... 

EDM Services Inc., Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Risk Assessment. California State Fire Marshal, Sacramento, CA, 1993. 

Hydrostatic test pressure (TP) shall be limited to the pressure calculated per para. IP-10.7.2. The maximum testing interval shall be 10 years. Inline examination is normally applied to pipelines or buried piping specifically designed for this type of assessment and should be a requirement for piping systems only when the piping is specifically designed for inline examination. 

However, (b) below need not be applied if the facility is used so infrequently that the probability that the pipeline fails while it is occupied is acceptably low. This can be determined by a risk assessment carried out per para. PL-3.5. 

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