Pigging
Pigging the Unpiggable: ‘Everything Is Possible’ Through Innovation
Today, estimates vary widely, but experts cite a range of between 30% to 60% of the world’s pipelines that remain unpiggable. Innovation is helping to close the gap.
Correct Pigs, Procedures for Hydrostatic Testing of New Pipelines
Laying a cross-country pipeline is expensive. Many hours of engineering and planning must meet certain standards and regulations and receive federal government approval before starting construction. It costs approximately $100,000 per diameter-inch-mile to build a pipeline in a reasonable lay area. This number can easily triple in marsh lands, hills, mountains and rocky terrain. In those areas it could cost about $20 million to lay 100 miles (161 km) of 20-inch pipe.
Enbridge to Purchase Rio Bravo Pipeline from NextDecade
NextDecade Corporation and Enbridge announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement whereby Enbridge will acquire Rio Bravo Pipeline Company, LLC from NextDecade.
New Pipelines of Latin America
While proven reserves of natural gas in Latin America represent only 4% of global reserves, gas pipeline infrastructure is currently insufficient to meet growing demand.
New Diagnostics Technology Assesses Pipeline Pig Runs
Pipelines can require both scheduled and unplanned cleaning for many reasons, from the maintenance of throughput to preparation for inspections runs. The most common method for removing debris from pipelines is using pigs and scraper tools.
NuStar Completes Pipeline Projects, Begins Moving Volume
NuStar Energy has announced that it has completed and is moving volumes on three key pipeline projects that will significantly expand the partnership's capacity to move Permian crude oil to Corpus Christi for export, and to move refined products into Northern Mexico.
Suncor CEO Sees Increased Political Risk for Keystone XL
Canada's second-largest oil producer, Suncor Energy, believes the political situation in the United States has increased the risks to companies counting on construction of TC Energy Corp's proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline, its chief executive said on Wednesday.
Speed Control Cleaning Pigs Are Multi-Purpose
High-velocity natural gas pipelines pose a challenge to effective cleaning for corrosion mitigation purposes, maintaining throughput efficiency and pre-inline inspection (ILI) cleaning runs.
Case Studies for Intelligent Pigging of Unpiggable’ Offshore Pipelines
Offshore pipelines are often challenging for pigging and inspection. Riser pipes are vulnerable and critical for the asset-owners, especially in the splash zone. Some pipelines end at a manifold (PLEM) or a buoy for loading ships. Sometimes wye-pieces are constructed in the line or different diameters occur.
Preparing for Unpiggable Pipelines
The simple truth is some pipelines may be piggable for certain applications and non-piggable for others.
Transmitter Signal Propagation Issues on Steel Mandrel Pigs
Over the years as a pig tracker, I have noticed that getting a good transmitter signal from a steel mandrel (cleaner type) pig has become increasingly difficult compared to smart pigs.
Michigan Governor Halts Great Lakes Oil Pipeline Tunnel
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has ordered state departments and agencies to take no further action on legislation enacted in late 2018 authorizing construction of an oil pipeline tunnel beneath lakes Huron and Michigan. Whitmer made the move after Attorney General Dana Nessel issued an opinion st..
CDI
CDI CDI introduced the SoniTrack XLR, an acoustic geophone pipeline pig tracking system that includes a computer-controlled audio amplifier. This allows an operator to easily listen for pigs moving within a pipeline over several miles. In addition to industry-standard head..
What Everyone Needs to Know About Building Pig Launchers, Receivers
Having been engaged for many years in running pigs, inspecting sites, designing and building pig traps worldwide, we have seen a variety of applications, locations and product types, along with a wide array of designs – some good, some bad.
Preparing Pipelines for Successful In-Line Inspection
Gauge pigs provide insight into some conditions inside the pipe, but not all of them. They’re not intended to measure pipeline cleanliness or indicate if debris has built up to the point that it will impair the inspections tool’s data-gathering capabilities.
Making Simple Smart and Smart Simple: Cost-Effective, Low-Risk Pipeline Inspection
Three brief case studies highlight the challenge, solution and outcome where innovative pigging solutions have been successfully deployed to meet major offshore operator’s requirements.
In-Line Inspection of Low-Pressure, Low-Flow Gas Pipelines
Maintaining control of an In-Line Inspection (ILI) tool’s speed is one of the most critical elements in successfully assessing the condition of a pipeline. Success is defined as receiving an intact tool at the conclusion of the inspection and acquiring data of sufficient quality to achieve the vendor’s sizing and accuracy specifications.
Accessible Pipeline Data Becomes Focal Point of Safety
Many of the world’s most vulnerable pipelines are in developed and municipal areas, where it can be difficult to locate miles of gas pipelines in these regions. And where locations exist, the data may not be in an easily retrievable and shareable format.
Enbridge, Baker Hughes Partner on Enhanced Inspection for Pipeline Safety
Enbridge and G.E. company Baker Hughes launched testing of new, ultrasonic phased array pipeline inspection tool sensors designed to enhance accuracy and identification of crack features and to deliver greater detail on the condition of a pipeline.
Getting into the Pig Launcher Groove
Pipeline pigging is an important part of ensuring reliable pipelines and, when done as part of a larger maintenance program, can significantly reduce the risk of line failure and downtime. This process, however, can be costly and time consuming with traditional pigging equipment.
Integrity Management of Unpiggable Pipelines
The long-term integrity of pipelines often depends on the ability to inspect their entire lengths with ILI technologies. When construction or location specifics prevent use of ILI, however, managing the short-term integrity of the pipeline becomes a higher priority until it can be made piggable.
PPSA/PRCI Host ILI Demonstration for Young Pipeline Professionals
The Pigging Products and Services Association (PPSA) and the Pipeline Research Council International (PRCI) hosted a pull through ILI demonstration for Young Pipeline Professionals at the PRCI’s Technology Development Center (TDC) in Houston.
Pipeline Pigs – You Have Got to be Kidding!
Even today, a lot of people laugh when you talk about putting a pig in a pipeline. And it takes a good 15 minutes to explain what they do and what they look like! There are an estimated 18-20 manufactures of pipeline pigs, most residing in the United States, with an estimated annual global market s..
Inline Services
Inline Services has new tracking equipment that can be used to monitor a pig’s location or movement throughout a pipeline. The pig-tracking equipment consists of receivers, geophones and transmitters. Receivers are used to reveal distinctive pulsing patterns of passing pigs. Geophones detect low sou..
Automated Pigging Systems Prove Proficient in Savings, Energy Efficiencies
Pigging systems are installed on pipeline systems for the purpose of inserting a pipeline pig into the pipe without interruption of the pipeline flow. Pipeline pigs are typically sized to the nominal pipeline diameter and configured of different designs and materials to serve the purpose of cleaning..
- Phillips 66 to Shut LA Oil Refinery, Ending Major Gasoline Output Amid Supply Concerns
- FERC Sides with Williams in Texas-Louisiana Pipeline Dispute with Energy Transfer
- U.S. Appeals Court Blocks Kinder Morgan’s Tennessee Pipeline Permits
- ConocoPhillips Eyes Sale of $1 Billion Permian Assets Amid Marathon Acquisition
- Valero Considers All Options, Including Sale, for California Refineries Amid Regulatory Pressure
- U.S. Appeals Court Blocks Kinder Morgan’s Tennessee Pipeline Permits
- Malaysia’s Oil Exports to China Surge Amid Broader Import Decline
- U.S. LNG Export Growth Faces Uncertainty as Trump’s Tariff Proposal Looms, Analysts Say
- Marathon Oil to Lay Off Over 500 Texas Workers Ahead of ConocoPhillips Merger
- Valero Considers All Options, Including Sale, for California Refineries Amid Regulatory Pressure
