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I N N O V AT I O N S • V O L . V I I , N O. 4 • 2 0 1 5
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T E C H N O L O G Y F O C U S
Perhaps there’s a bit of Don Quixote in all of us.
Like the Spanish literary figure who jousted with windmills he’d
mistaken for giants, we all fight imaginary foes sometimes, even in
the very real world of pipeline integrity. For example, right now some
pipeline operators worry that their unpiggable legacy lines will prevent
them from complying with expanded regulatory requirements about
inline inspection.
But the idea of the unpiggable line may be nothing more than a
figment itself.
Yes, pipelines can be difficult to pig: Some lack launchers and
receivers, while others have design issues or damage that can affect
piggability. Still others might be bottlenecked with paraffin (think
Eagle Ford shale) or debris (more on that later). In the case of pipeline
acquisitions, absent records or assumptions about pigging practices can
convince an operator that the line simply can’t be pigged.
However, with some effort
– reconstruction, modification,
maybe a good cleaning –
there’s virtually no reason a
pipeline system can’t be made
piggable.
And making a system
piggable can make regulatory
compliance a reality.
Removing Buildup
Makes a Polish
Pipeline not Only Passable, but More Productive
For some operators, worry that a cleaning pig or inspection tool will
become stuck is enough to keep them from pigging their pipelines. After
all, extricating a trapped tool is a costly and time-consuming endeavor,
which may impact production and flow.
Last summer, however, the operator of Poland’s national gas
transmission system faced its fears, cleaning and inspecting a 28-inch
pipeline section so choked that an astonishing 3.5 TONS of assorted
debris was eventually cleared from its 11 km (6.8 mi) length.
In addition to the monumental clog – which had made product flow
To Pig the
Unpiggable
Line
With effort –
reconstruction,
modification, maybe a
good cleaning – there's
virtually no reason a
pipeline system can't be
made piggable.
A piggable system that can
accommodate inline inspection
tools enables the operator to
execute a complete integrity
management plan recognized by
most governmental regulators.