Materials Design And Lifecycle Performance Guide – Volume 2

(Pipelines and Flow lines/Pipeline Rehabilitation)

17.6 PIPELINE REHABILITATION

Contents

17.6.1 Overview ................................................................................................... 1

17.6.2 Pipeline Condition Assessment ............................................................... 1
17.6.2.1 External Corrosion ............................................................................. 2
17.6.2.2 Internal Corrosion .............................................................................. 2
17.6.3 Pipeline Renovation Philosophy ............................................................. 2
17.6.4 External Renovation ................................................................................ 5
17.6.4.1 External Pipe Renovation .................................................................. 5
17.6.4.2 Coating Renovation ........................................................................... 5
General ............................................................................................................... 5
Removal of Old Coatings................................................................................... 5
Surface Preparation ............................................................................................ 5
Coating Application ........................................................................................... 5
17.6.5 Internal Renovation ................................................................................. 6
17.6.5.1 Installation.......................................................................................... 6
17.6.6 Pipeline Requalification........................................................................... 7

17.6.1 Overview

Rehabilitation is defined as “The assessment, renovation and reclassification work

required to establish a level of integrity based on known values, that enables an
existing pipeline to continue to operate, safely for a determinate period”.
Rehabilitation may be required to restore the structural integrity of a pipeline or to re-
establish an acceptable level of corrosion protection.

For offshore pipelines many of the techniques and practices for rehabilitation will be
either impracticable or prohibitively expensive. Hence, the following sections refer
mostly to rehabilitation of onshore pipelines. For offshore pipelines only minor
rehabilitation will be feasible.

17.6.2 Pipeline Condition Assessment

Determining the need for rehabilitation involves a pipeline condition assessment. This
assessment will help identify the measures required to address pipe integrity and/or
corrosion protection problems.

Pipe integrity is influenced by loss in pipe wall thickness and cracking within the pipe
wall. Data accrued over the life of the pipeline from in-line inspections, visual and
NDT examinations during bell hole investigations (see MDLP guide section 17.3),

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failure incidents and subsequent risk assessments, will help identify what remedial
measures will be necessary to re-establish and maintain the integrity of the pipeline.

17.6.2.1 External Corrosion

The coating and the CP system help prevent external corrosion and the environmental
conditions developing underfilm that support the initiation of stress corrosion
cracking. Data gathered during above ground CP and coating condition monitoring
surveys (see MDLP guide section 17.2) will help to establish the status of the CP and
the coating system and the actions required, if any, to renovate these systems.

17.6.2.2 Internal Corrosion

Pipeline rehabilitation may also be required to resolve internal corrosion problems.

The requirement for this will be established from in-pipe inspection, NDT
examinations and failure incidents. The most likely means of rehabilitation will be by
the insertion of a thermoplastic liner.

17.6.3 Pipeline Renovation Philosophy

The decision to rehabilitate a pipeline or pipeline section will have considered all
available options (Figure 17.6.1) including abandonment where demand can be
provided by pipelines with spare capacity, and replacement where the cost of
rehabilitation is prohibitive.

Figure 17.6.2 gives an overview of the renovation process.

Renovation may involve one or more of the following actions (Figure 17.6.3)
depending upon the results of the pipeline condition assessment:

a. An upgrade of the CP system

b. Coating refurbishment/liner insertion
c. Replacement of individual pipe sections or local structural repair

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Figure 17.6.1. Rehabilitation decision tree

CP data In - pipe inspection
CIPS
Risk assessment
Assess Pipeline Condition
Failure history
Above ground coating survey
- DCVG Visible inspection - bell holes
- Pearson
- current attenuation No
Does pipeline require attention ? No action required

Yes
Yes
Can capacity be supplied from elsewhere ? Consider abandoning line

No
Instigate de - commissioning process
No
Replace Is rehabilitation cost - effective ?

Yes
Design & construct new pipeline
Initiate a rehabilitation programme

Figure 17.6.2. General renovation scheme

Replace individual Can problem be resolved Is pipe integrity an issue ?

Pipe lengths No by local repair ? Yes
Yes
Grinding
Sleeve repair
Epoxy half shell
Clockspring No
No
Is internal or external Re - test and commission
corrosion protection an issue ?

Yes Yes
Insert liner Is internal corrosion an issue ?
No No
Is external corrosion an issue ?
Yes
Yes
Will upgrading the CP Upgrade CP
system resolve problem ? system

No

Renovate
coating system

Yes
Is CP still an issue ?

No

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Figure 17.6.3. Renovation of pipe, coating and CP

Yes
De -commission pipeline or lower
Is local repair or individual pipe replacement required ?
operating pressure as appropriate

No Yes De -commission pipeline

Is internal corrosion an issue? and Insert liner
Perform local repair/replace individual pipes

No
No
Is external corrosion an issue ?

Yes Yes
Re -test and Up - grade CP Will upgrading CP system resolve issue ?
commission system
No Yes Lower operating
Can coating be applied in ditch ? pressure
& excavate
No
De -commission if required
Yes

Excavate and remove from ditch

No
Remove old coating
Is CP still an issue ?

Prepare surface

Re -coat

If the structural integrity of the pipeline is not at issue, an upgrade of the CP system
may be all that is required to restore the corrosion protection system to a condition
where acceptable cathodic potentials can be maintained. Renovation of the CP
system will be dependent upon the potentials and the current demand measured over
the lifetime of the pipeline. An upgrade of the CP system would be the least
expensive option and would involve the least disruption to the operation of the
pipeline. Upgrading the CP system would normally involve the installation of
additional TRs and ground beds to supply a more uniform distribution of current to
onshore pipelines and retrofitting of sacrificial anodes offshore.

If the pipeline requires excessive current to protect it, or if the coating condition
monitoring surveys show excessive coating breakdown, then a programme of coating
renovation would be recommended. Coating renovation would only be a practical
proposition for onshore pipelines.

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17.6.4 External Renovation

17.6.4.1 External Pipe Renovation

Where the pipe contains defects that compromise the pipe integrity, they must be
repaired locally or individual pipe sections replaced. The type of repair will depend
upon the nature of the damage (gouging, cracking, general or pitting corrosion) and
the damage severity. Superficial damage will be removed by grinding, severe and
extreme damage by welded or epoxy filled sleeves, or by the use of glass reinforced,
clock spring type, repair systems.

17.6.4.2 Coating Renovation

General
If the coating can be renovated in-situ, it may not be necessary to take the pipeline out
of service, merely to reduce the operating pressure. If there is a requirement to remove
the pipeline from the ditch to renovate the coating, there may be a necessity to take it
out of service.

Removal of Old Coatings

Ultra-high pressure water jetting is the most efficient means of removing old coatings
and the most commonly used technique in the field. Units are available for mainline
and in-ditch use. Typically quoted removal rates are 2 – 3 m/min for 864 mm
diameter asphalt and tape coated pipe.

Surface Preparation
The overall cost of rehabilitation makes any compromise on surface preparation a
false economy. Mainline and in-ditch grit blast units are available to provide a surface
suitable for the application of high performance liquid (epoxy and polyurethane)
coatings. A surface preparation rate of 3 m/min is typically achieved on 864 mm
diameter pipe. If the pipe is suspected of suffering from SCC, further NDT inspection
would be performed on the clean metal substrate.

Coating Application
Coatings are most commonly applied by in-ditch or mainline, line travel, applicators
using multi-position automated spray guns mounted to an oscillating mechanism able
to provide uniform 360o coverage. The most commonly applied coatings are solvent
free, high build polyurethanes and epoxies.

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17.6.5 Internal Renovation

An increase in the expected water content in oil and gas, sand erosion, low inhibitor
efficiency etc. may result in internal corrosion. Internal corrosion may involve
intervention to extend the operational life of a pipeline/flowline. The most practical
solution in this circumstance is to insert a thermoplastic liner. The choice of material
will depend upon a number of factors including:

(a) The product being carried:

- stabilised oil,
- live oil,
- gas,
- water
(b) The operating temperature and pressure
(c) Facilities for venting the annulus

Liners can be inserted as a loose fit (sliplining), by roll down or by SwageliningTM.

The loose fit technique allows longer lengths to be inserted, fewer flange connections
and a continuous annular space that affords effective venting.

Swagelining and roll down produce a tighter fit to the host pipe with a larger, more
uniform ID. Because these techniques provide a tight fit, the remaining structural
integrity of the host pipe may be taken advantage of, allowing higher operating
pressures to be used without the need to significantly increase the liner wall thickness.

Hydrocarbon absorption within the liner will increase as the temperature increases
causing the liner to swell and thermally expand increasing the risk of buckling. Nylon
(PA11) will provide greater resistance to buckling than PE and due to the lower gas
permeation of nylon, may be a more practical proposition for the transport of live oil
and gas. Nylon lined pipe still requires venting to release annular pressure.

PE liners are suited to the transport of stabilized oil and water at temperatures up to
approximately 40oC. Under these operating conditions, annular pressurization is
unlikely and buckling less of a problem. Nylon (PA11) performs better for live oil and
gas than PE. Because of its greater stiffness, lower hydrocarbon absorption and gas
permeability, PA11 can be employed for this service at temperatures up to 80oC.

Although known to be feasible for offshore pipelines and flowlines, the economics of
performing these operations may make internal lining financially unattractive.

17.6.5.1 Installation

Installation to an existing pipeline must take account of the following factors:

i. The pipe ID
ii. Corrosion damage and deposits
iii. Diameter variations, weld protrusions and mis-alignments

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iv. Bends, pig traps and manifolds

The technique used to insert the liner will depend upon the condition and changing
geometry of the pipeline. Where significant diameter variations, weld protrusions,
mis-alignments and bends etc. exist, sliplining may be more appropriate. Where
higher pressure operations are required, a tight fit achieved by rolldown or
SwageliningTM is required so that the remaining structural strength of the host pipe can
be utilised. Where a tight fit is required, the preferred installation technique is
SwageliningTM due to the ability to insert greater lengths in a single pull.

Liners can be fabricated in the field by butt fusion to continuous lengths typically 400
to 1000 metres. Insertion involves pulling the liner into the steel pipe at a controlled
rate. Once lined, the continuous lengths of steel may be connected using a range of
fittings. Onshore, the most economical and widely proven connector is the raised
flange type, constructed either using pre-manufactured PE flanges fusion welded to
the liner, or using the liner itself formed/flared around the face of the steel ring.
Where a welded connection is preferred, the Swagelining WeldLinkTM joint can be
utilised.

17.6.6 Pipeline Requalification

Where actions have been taken to address pipe integrity problems, it may be
necessary to re-qualify repaired areas and the pipeline generally, by performing a
hydrostatic expansion test. Hydrostatic testing may also be required if the
rehabilitated pipeline is being considered for uprating or a change in service. Further
details of pipeline re-qualification are given in MDLP guide section 17.5.

Courtesy: BG Exploration & Production India Limited, Mumbai

(Operator of Tapti Field platforms in Mumbai High)

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