Académique Documents
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3 | 2015
NORTH AMERICAN
PIPELINE
C O N G R E S S
CHICAGO
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V O L . V I I , N O. 3
2015
14
D E PA R T M E N T S
2 | EXECUTIVE OUTLOOK
Preparing for Greater
Profitability
4 | GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
Industry Commentary from
Around the World
6 | TECHNOLOGY FOCUS
8 | SAFETY MATTERS
10 | FUTURE THINKING
10
22
12 | MARKET REPORT
20 | TOUCHPOINTS
28 | BY THE NUMBERS
BY THE
NUMBERS
22 | Containing Catastrophe
MULTIPLE DATASET
(MDS) PLATFORMS can
LFM
XYZ MAPPING
DEFORMATION
DEF
MFL
HIGH RESOLUTION
MAGNETIC FLUX LEAKAGE
Recognizes volumetric
metal loss within the dent.
REPORT When critically assessed by specialized software and data analysts, the
overlapping MDS data helps determine the exact characteristics and severity of the entire
series of interacting threats a re-rounded dent with gouging and crack-like features.
28
Metal loss, re-rounding, cycling, dent length and depth, strain and severity ranking.
Prioritize maintenance/repair
based on severity
Registered trademark of T.D. Williamson, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Trademark of T.D. Williamson, Inc. in the United States and other countries.
Copyright 2015. All rights reserved by T.D. Williamson, Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Printed in the United States of America.
2015
T.D. Williamson
North and South America +1 918 447 5000
Europe/Africa/Middle East +32 67 28 3611
Asia Pacific +65 6364 8520
Offshore Services +47 5144 3240
www.tdwilliamson.com
M A N AG I N G E D I T O R
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
SpirALL MAGNETIC
FLUX LEAKAGE
Identifies re-rounding
(or rebounding) of the dent.
XYZ
I N N OVAT I O N S
EXECUTIVE OUTLOOK
Preparing for
Greater Profitability
CHAD FLETCHER
I N N OVAT I O N S
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
2015
I N N OVAT I O N S
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
2015
GlobalPerspective
TRENDS IN OFFSHORE TECHNOLOGY
JAMES DRUMMOND
I N N OVAT I O N S
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
2015
Reserves are being explored in ever-deeper waters and remote locations where
development requires the oil and gas industry to push the boundaries of existing
technologies.
Last year, Lloyds Register Energy published a comprehensive industry report Oil
And Gas Technology Radar 2014 which examined the state of technology innovation
within the industry, including the motivators and barriers to implementation. Cost, not
technological capabilities, was identified as the greatest barrier.
The [international oil companies] have great difficulty replacing their hydrocarbon
reserves, which drives them to go into the most challenging and expensive
environments, says Duco De Haan, CEO of Lloyds Register Drilling Integrity Services. As a result, costs have
exploded in the last four to five years.
Nonetheless, technical innovation continues to be a central focus for subsea pipeline owners as they explore
operations at unprecedented new ocean depths.
To support asset integrity management programs, the industry is exploring the use of autonomous underwater
vehicles (AUVs) which are docked and recharged subsurface to perform routine visual inspections, free span pipe
monitoring, and cathodic protection surveys that detect corrosion.
In some cases, AUVs could replace current remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and their support vessels,
potentially reducing cost and improving integrity management practices and maintenance activities.
Advancements in data analytics are also playing an increasingly important role in the integrity management
of pipelines. They are giving operators better visibility of the operating health of subsea pumps and the fluids
produced in subsea processing facilities, as well as helping to monitor the condition of the pipeline including the
use of leak detection systems.
Pipelines, too, are undergoing a technological evolution with the emergence and application of thermoplastic
composite pipes. Both the polymers and fibre materials are composed of typical industry materials. The fibre,
which provides the strength within the composite, is comprised of materials such as glass or graphite fibres
and KEVLAR.
Another exciting emerging technology is additive manufacturing for fabrication of subsea equipment. Since
deepwater processing facilities require thick-walled vessels to contain pressure, equipment such as gravity-based
separators have become large and difficult to transport when fabricated using solid steel plate.
But just as additive manufacturing offers an opportunity to customize materials, these variations from solid
materials can compromise the structural integrity of an asset in ways that would be new to the industry. Clearly, a
deeper understanding of the benefits and barriers to adoption is required.
Innovative new technologies continue to be developed as the easily accessible fields are depleted. These new
technologies bring improvements, but many also bring new limitations,
which require engineers to revisit accepted risk management
Lloyds Register Energys Oil and Gas Technology Radar"
techniques, develop appropriate standards, procedures and
report is available at: www.lr.org/technologyradar
methodologies, and apply their experience in new ways.
KEVLAR is a registered trademark of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company and/or its affiliates.
Map & globe art by freevectormaps.com
I N N OVAT I O N S
In the face of falling oil prices, it is no surprise that confidence in the outlook
for the global oil and gas industry has taken a hit. More surprising though was how
quickly sentiment changed in a short space of time; the confidence of over 360
senior industry professionals and executives dropped from 65 percent in October
2014 to just 28 percent in January 2015. The findings come from DNV GLs report, A
Balancing Act: The Outlook For The Oil And Gas Industry In 2015.
The pessimistic outlook was also reflected in capital expenditure (CAPEX)
intentions, with those planning to increase CAPEX in the same time period dropping
from 40 percent to 12 percent.
While investment in technology and innovation will remain a priority for many oil
and gas firms in 2015, a significant proportion will struggle to maintain last years spending levels. Almost half (45
percent) expect investment in R&D to stay the same during 2015, while the number of those planning to cut R&D
investment has more than tripled since last year (up from 11 percent to 37 percent).
To adjust to this lower-margin environment, industry players need to develop a long-term sustainable cost
base. This can be done by taking a broader view, reducing complexity and standardising processes, materials and
documentation. We need to work together, and industry standards and guidelines must adapt to industry needs and
the advance of new technologies.
As an independent technical partner and adviser, DNV GL - Oil & Gas works with the industry to address these
issues. The company has 5,500 oil and gas specialists and 22 laboratories and R&D centres around the world and
this year we have initiated over 60 new joint industry projects (JIPs). Several of these address challenges the pipeline
industry faces around the world.
One such example is a JIP run from DNV GLs laboratories in Singapore and Columbus, Ohio. Eight participants
have so far joined forces with us to develop a method to evaluate fractures and cracks using a Single Edge Notched
Tensile (SENT) test designed for sour service environments. Sour gas puts significant demand on pipeline material,
particularly in deeper water. It is evident in various oil and gas producing regions of the world, in particular, the
Middle East and the Commonwealth of Independent States. The JIP will enable the development of a guideline which
is likely to develop into a Recommended Practice to
Download a complimentary copy of A Balancing Act: The Outlook For
help provide significant technical, logistical and financial
The Oil And Gas Industry In 2015: www.dnvgl.com/balancingact
savings to the industry.
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
2015
TECHNOLOGY FOCUS
Turning Impossible
into Piggable
New 6-inch, low drag
inspection tool changes
how operators think about
assessing low flow, low
pressure lines
I N N OVAT I O N S
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
2015
Avoiding Turbulence
59%
61%
68%
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
55%
I N N OVAT I O N S
DRAG TESTING
2015
S A F E T Y M AT T E R S
Everyone has heard some variation of the classic safety hero narrative:
Someone a technician or an engineer, or an especially observant
passerby notices something suspicious. A warning light. An odd
sound or strange smell. Data that doesnt add up. Acting on instinct, a
feeling that something just doesnt feel right, they report what theyve
noticed and in doing so, they prevent a catastrophic accident.
Theres a reason stories like this are so popular. Everyone loves to
cheer when a hero saves the day and prevents a massive and costly
disaster. But according to Dr. Jan Hayes, associate professor at the
School of Property, Construction & Project Management at RMIT
University in Melbourne, Australia, these stories arent the only ones
worth telling.
Not every blinking light means a system failure, after all. And
not every strange sound or unusual smell means a disaster is on the
horizon.
But what about the people who report those non-disasters? They
still deserve recognition. Theyre still heroes.
In her recent book, titled Nightmare Pipeline Failures: Fantasy
Planning, Black Swans and Integrity Management, co-authored
with Professor Andrew Hopkins, Hayes examines several well-known
pipeline disasters. While the specifics vary from incident to incident,
theres one common thread running through each case:
Somebody noticed something. And in every case,
that something was explained away as minor
and unworthy of immediate attention.
This tendency to look for alternate and
less dire explanations isnt an indication
of laziness or inexperience. And its not
unusual, either. Hayes says its a psychological
S A F E T Y IM AG IN AT IO N:
I N N OVAT I O N S
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
2015
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
2015
Some of the research on which this article draws was funded by the Energy Pipelines Cooperative Research Centre, supported through the Australian
Governments Cooperative Research Centres Program. The cash and in-kind support from the Australian Pipeline Industry Association Research and
Standards Committee is gratefully acknowledged.
I N N OVAT I O N S
FUTURE THINKING
MORE STRINGENT
SAFETY REGULATIONS
I N N OVAT I O N S
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
2015
Safe, cost-effective
compliance is
within reach
10
COST-SAVING OPTIONS
Whether operators wait to see if the NTSBs
recommendations become regulation or they opt to
take a more proactive approach, they should know
that modifying transmission lines is achievable and
its far less complicated and costly than many believe.
The most desirable modification method is one
that is safe and does not require line shutdown or
interruption to flow. This can be achieved with
proven hot tapping and plugging (HT&P)
processes, which allows operators to isolate and
bypass short lengths of pipe while modifications or
tie-ins are made.
Today, operators can employ HT&P methods
like a double block and bleed isolation with the
STOPPLE Train isolation system, developed by
T.D. Williamson (TDW). In conjunction with a
bypass, the system allows lines to be modified for
inspection safely and cost-effectively without the loss
of revenue associated with line shutdowns.
A recent case study calculates the difference
between an operators line-replacement costs for
a project that includes a pipeline shutdown and
completing the same project with a standard
HT&P process along with the costs of using the
STOPPLE Train isolation system. The results, which
show significant savings with the HT&P process
and even greater savings with the STOPPLE Train
system are shown below:
CONTINUED ON PAGE 27
I N N OVAT I O N S
SHUT DOWN
Internal Costs
51%
38%
38%
16%
16%
34%
32%
23%
18%
23%
2015
15%
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
OPERATOR'S LINE
REPLACEMENT COSTS
Operator Savings
over shutdown:
11
MARKET REPORT
Local Sourcing
in the Eagle Ford
Play-specific services
model supports
profitability in low
price environment
I N N OVAT I O N S
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
2015
12
When Doug Hurst, a veteran oil and gas manager, joined T.D.
Williamson (TDW) in the Eagle Ford in 2013, he spent several
months driving back and forth getting to know local operators. He
put 93,000 kilometers (58,000 miles) on his brand-new Jeep, but
the mileage was worth it. Hurst learned a lot about the issues facing
operators, and about why it was difficult for them to predict their
service and supply needs.
Some of what Hurst learned was surprising: It wasnt unusual
for a simple pipeline maintenance or repair issue to slow or even
temporarily shut down production. Operators would sometimes
wait days or weeks for help or product to arrive from a major service
or supply hub outside of the play, or even outside of the region.
Operators cant afford that kind of downtime, says Hurst. Your
throughput is your cash register. If oil isnt flowing because youre
waiting for a part or a technician, youre not getting paid.
Hurst, who has helped develop a newly opened San Antonio
service center for TDW, has spent the last 18 months working closely
with operators to determine which types of equipment and service
schedules best meet their needs, and creating service agreements that
guarantee availability. The result has been a collaborative partnership
that gives operators access to personalized supplies and services
when they need them.
Business as Usual
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
2015
Shale play operators share this common goal: to guarantee the health and safety of employees
and the communities they work in. To meet this goal, operators rely on the highest quality
products and services to assist them in reducing environmental impact and mitigating the risk of
leaks and ethane emissions. The local pipeline services supply model helps fulfill this goal.
I N N OVAT I O N S
13
14
I N N OVAT I O N S
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
2015
COVER STORY
US$2.2
TRILLION
I N N OVAT I O N S
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
2015
15
I N N OVAT I O N S
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
2015
16
2015
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
As A Best Practice,
Monitoring Beats Inspection
Corrosion, Chapter-By-Chapter,
Mile-By-Mile
I N N OVAT I O N S
Journalist Waldmans
journey into what the dust
jacket describes as a thrilling
In the United States, however, more people grasped
drama of man versus nature
those concerns after the TV news show 60 Minutes
takes him from corporate
aired a story, in November 2014, called Falling
hallways to hardware stores,
Apart: Americas Neglected Infrastructure. It
from a tropical Florida film set
highlighted the nations outdated roads, airports and
to
the subzero Arctic. Thats
rails, its 70,000 structurally-deficient bridges 15
where he starts to follow, nearly mile-by-mile, the
percent of them at risk of catastrophic, corrosiontrek of a smart pig (inline inspection tool) through
related failure, according to NACE International,
the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS). The 54the technical society for corrosion professionals
page
chapter called Pigging the Pipe recounts initial
and the lack of funding to take care of any of it.
failures, subsequent successes, and the retrieval of
But one part of the story was missing, NACE
data that uncovers nearly 1,000 anomalies, some
International said in a public response issued
three-quarters of them corrosion-related.
shortly after the broadcast. And that was a key
Waldmans prose is matched by his humor he
solution to infrastructure woes: corrosion control.
refers to a conventional pig as a red urethane
The organization argued that whats forgotten
pig of lesser intelligence and explains how wax
is that corrosion-control technology and effective
can render smart pigs senseless, leaving them
management practices can extend the life of
blind, dumb, and amnesiac. Hes also got a keen
bridges and other infrastructure well beyond
way of bringing the concept of pigging down to
original design life.
human scale and layman terms. While its unlikely
NACE International is working with local,
that terms like coupons, magnetic flux leakage,
state, and federal governments on policies to
slacklines, and MAOP will roll off the tongues
eliminate the devastating effects of corrosion and
of casual readers, at least theyll have a basic
strengthen public safety.
understanding of what all that means.
Its possible that some of that work took place
According to Waldman, TAPS was at first
at the organizations Corrosion 2015 conference in
called
rustproof. Unfortunately, its principal
Dallas, Texas, in March. The five-day gathering,
protection was a painted coating that proved
which drew some 7,000 attendees, was covered
vulnerable within a number of years. The antiwith wide-eyed wonder by The Dallas Morning
corrosion system was eventually fortified with
News. Reporter Marc Ramirez seemed especially
enthralled by an electrode rotator that mimics fluid buried magnesium anodes (mag bags), cathodic
protection, and 800 monitoring coupons. But
flow to test the efficacy of offshore coatings. The
Waldman notes that its due largely to the work of
device had been filled with what Ramirez referred
inline inspection (ILI) tools finding faults before
to as sparkly items to demonstrate its whirlpool
they could become failures that TAPS hasnt
effect. It looked, the reporter said, like a blender
suffered a corrosion-induced leak since it began
pureeing the remains of a Mardi Gras float.
operating in 1977.
COVER STORY
17
2015
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
I N N OVAT I O N S
18
Ph.D. in laser
welding from
Sheffield University
and is the author of
94 technical papers and
one book.
Although she wasnt
referring specifically to TAPSs
800 monitored coupons, Smith says
that in a contest between corrosion
monitoring and inline inspection, shed
put her money on the latter. Literally.
Monitoring gets you almost nowhere, she
says. Its not even worth installing. Id put all of
my investment into inspection.
The problem, Smith explains, is that
monitoring is tied to specific locations. Weight loss
coupons, for example, are effective at providing
real time readings, but just for certain points on
the pipeline. And because the flow regime around
a coupon might differ from the rest of the pipeline,
the information cant be generalized beyond the
coupon itself.
Even worse is the fact that corrosion coupons
are notorious for producing false positives.
Thereve been countless times when weve
seen negligible corrosion on a coupon, when
actually theres a lot of corrosion in the pipe,
she says.
Inline inspection can overcome those
deficiencies, Smith says, providing a highly
accurate picture of the condition of the line along
its whole length. She advocates starting an inline
inspection regimen soon after the pipeline is put in
service to capture baseline data that will be useful
in later comparisons. Through multiple inspections,
operators can identify trends, improve inspection
scheduling, and know with greater precision the
time to failure.
And what about lines that arent considered
piggable or arent fully inspectable, as Smith
prefers to call them?
Smith says that bi-directional inline inspection
tools can at least provide information about certain
sections of the pipe. By coupling that data with
corrosion modeling of the whole line, she explains,
I N N OVAT I O N S
COVER STORY
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
2015
19
TouchPoints
TDW Events, Papers & Conferences
Offshor
21-22 OCT
Oil Sands
15-16 SEPTEMBER | Fort McMurray, AB | Canada
SGA Operating
Conference & Exhibits
20-22 JULY | Nashville, TN | USA
LGA Pipeline Safety Conference
20-24 JULY | New Orleans, LA | USA
Rio Pipeline
22-24 SEPTEMBER | Rio de Janeiro | Brazil
J U LY 2 0 1 5
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
AUGUST 2015
11-13 MEA Gas Operations Technical &
Leadership Summit
Rochester, MN, USA
I N N OVAT I O N S
20
e Technology Days
TOBER | Stavanger | Norway
Road Expo
12-15 OCTOBER | Moscow | Russia
OPT Asia
21-22 OCTOBER | Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia
O C TO B E R 2 0 1 5
31 AUG - 2 SEPT
NACE Central Area Conference
St. Louis, MO, USA
5-9
2015
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
I N N OVAT I O N S
SEPTEMBER 2015
21
Containing
Catastrophe
I N N OVAT I O N S
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
2015
22
Pipe-Laying Protection
Preventive Measures
F E AT U R E S T O RY
I N N OVAT I O N S
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
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23
I N N OVAT I O N S
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
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24
Preventive Measures
While double block and monitor inline isolation
has become the industrys standard method for
non-intrusive isolation, utilized in all regions of the
globe to protect against the consequences of dropped
objects, it is also relied on for risk reduction during
general offshore maintenance work.
In 2009, Australia experienced one of its
worst oil spill disasters when an incident on an
offshore drilling rig in the Timor Sea resulted in
150 kilometers (93 miles) of polluted ocean and
evacuation of all personnel. The incident was
caused by the cracking of a sub-surface concrete
Pipe-Laying Protection
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
2015
Wet Buckle
I N N OVAT I O N S
F E AT U R E S T O RY
25
2015
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
I N N OVAT I O N S
26
RISK
Future Thinking
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11
V O L . V I I , N O. 3
2015
2015_Gas_Transmission_SS_BMG_Abstract.pdf
I N N OVAT I O N S
and
minimizes the risk of costly third-party
the pipeline system, but not the product it carries.
damage.
If theres a shutdown for an operator that owns all
And in certain circumstances, the system allows
of the assets, the shutdown cuts off their supply
operators
to run a bypass directly through the
of incoming cash flow and becomes even more
housing
of
the plugging system, further reducing
expensive, says project author Veronyca Kwan, a
the
need
for
additional fittings and associated costs.
Senior Business Market Analyst with TDW.
Whether
they choose the standard HT&P
Income loss is one of the primary concerns
process
or
more
advanced isolation technology, the
facing transmission line operators as they try to
strategic
investments
in line modifications will not
decide how and when to respond to the NTSBs ILI
only
help
operators
achieve
compliance with the
recommendations. And the ability to prevent such
NTSBs
recommendations,
the
work will enhance
losses by continuing pipeline operations is one of
their
pipeline
integrity
management
programs,
the key reasons that HT&P procedures could prove
provide
operators
with
more
actionable
inline
hugely beneficial to operators that move forward
inspection
data,
and
help
them
safely
maximize
with a multiyear modification project to get their
throughput.
pipeline system in compliance.
In the case of STOPPLE Train
isolation technology, shutdown
Double Double Stopple Train Isolation with Bypass
prevention is one of several features
that could make compliance with
the NTSB recommendations more
cost-effective, says Grant Cooper,
Manager of Commercialization,
HT&P Technology, for TDW.
What weve done is expand
standard block and bleed
technology, so you can weld two
fittings on the pipeline, instead of
four, Cooper says. In one fitting
you have a double block and bleed
isolation, which means its not only
less costly, its even safer.
The two independent seals used
to establish the systems double
block and bleed capability also increase the
* NTSB Study: www.ntsb.gov/news/events/Documents/
likelihood of a successful workable seal on
TDW e-book on pending IVP regulations:
www.TDW-IVP.com
27
4 Battling Pipe
steps to
BY THE
NUMBERS
MULTIPLE DATASET
(MDS) PLATFORMS can
supply pipeline operators with a
comprehensive view of their line
integrity by providing a vehicle
for an evolving combination of
overlapping inspection technologies to be run on a single
tool, at the same time.
THE RESULT: robust threat
detection and advanced
characterization.
LFM
SMFL
DEF
MFL
XYZ
REPORT When critically assessed by specialized software and data analysts, the
overlapping MDS data helps determine the exact characteristics and severity of the entire
series of interacting threats a re-rounded dent with gouging and crack-like features.
Metal loss, re-rounding, cycling, dent length and depth, strain and severity ranking.
XYZ MAPPING
DEFORMATION
HIGH RESOLUTION
MAGNETIC FLUX LEAKAGE
SpirALL MAGNETIC
FLUX LEAKAGE
Identifies re-rounding
(or rebounding) of the dent.
Recognizes volumetric
metal loss within the dent.
Prioritize maintenance/repair
based on severity
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