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Pipelines & Flow Assurance

Angus Macaulay

Subsea Engineering Team Lead

Paradigm Flow Services

www.paradigm.eu ©2014 Paradigm Group B.V. All rights reserved.

SUBSEA EXPO 2016

Free the Pigs - Case Study

Angus Macaulay – Subsea engineering co-ordinator

Paradigm Flow Services Ltd


Pipeline blockages

blockages occur as the oil cools off in the

colder environment and the cloud point is

reached, wax begins to form.


Pipelines

Two regions are identified during this process:

the liquid and gel regions. dissolved wax

molecules moving from the pipe centre toward

the wall due to temperature gradient.

L

G

Pipe wall

Gel region containing liquid oil and precipitated wax

crystals

Liquid region

Dissolved wax moleculesMigrating towards the liquid-gel

Interface where T=WAT

Mass flux of wax molecules from the interface to the pipe wall

Inside Pipe temperature

profile

O Tamb Twat Tl

R, m


Pigging

Pigging;

• Less downtime

• Reduced waste processing

• Improved plant efficiency

• Lower overall service costs


Pipeline Overview

Details;

• Constructed in 1968

• 20” ID

• 92 km in length

• 7.9mm Wall thickness (9.5mm at river crossings)

• Design pressure 1280 Psi (88.3 Barg)

• Design Temp 10⁰C – 43.3⁰C

• Total fill volume 17,675 mᶟ

Pipeline Topography200 m

Sea level

River crossings


Problems with Pigging


Potential solutions

Options;

• Pumping at higher pressures in both directions

• Volumetric test to approximate blockage location

• Localised Hot oil flush

• Excavation of pipeline


Potential solutions


Potential solutions

Poor chap

doing the

work

Human

resource

manager

Marketing

manager

IT manager

Technologie

s manager

Logistics

manager

Project

manager

Product

developer

Health

and

safety

PR

manager

Business

analyst


48hr from initial call with client

until arrival of crew & equipment

onsite

Pipe-Pulse™ option


Pipe-Pulse™ set up

REVISIONS

No Date Description

JOB NOLATEST REVISION

DRAWING NO SCALE

DRAWN BYCHECKED

N/A

1

Angus Macaulay

Choke valve (CV) PRV

Plug valve (PV)

Ball valve (BV)

Needle valve (NV) PRV dump line

High pressure line

Kinneil site rig up P&ID

PFSL

101A

PFSL

101B

High pressure pump

Tank

Pipe-Pulse units

Control cabin

Data transfer Ethernet cable

Air hydro pump

To Tie in point HV-001 Ref DWG N371-1004

Vent to Sump

Vent to Sump

PT

0732Rev A3 K Thomson

PLR

To Finnart


Find-Block™ results


Find-Block™ results

Initial pulse

Reflection

Time response



REVISIONS

No Date Description

JOB NOLATEST REVISION

DRAWING NO SCALE

DRAWN BYCHECKED

N/A

1

Angus Macaulay

Choke valve (CV) PRV

Plug valve (PV)

Ball valve (BV)

Needle valve (NV) PRV dump line

High pressure line

Finnart site rig up P&ID

PFSL

101A

PFSL

101B

High pressure pump

Tank

Pipe-Pulse units

Control cabin

Data transfer Ethernet cable

Air hydro pump

HV696 2" RF600 - 2" 1502Pulsing Tie in point

Vent to Sump

PT

0732Rev A3 K Thomson

HV701 4" RF600 - 2" 1502 Flushing Tie in point

Crude feed from HV258. Flanged 4" RF150 - 4" 206

Heat exchanger

Warm fluid out

Cold fluid in

Pipe-Pulse injection Line

Pumping injection Line

Vent to SumpVent to Sump

PLR

To Kinneil

20" Finnart Export line

Heat exchanger

Warm fluid out

Cold fluid in


Wax removal


Success


To Conclude

• Ability to pulse into large diameter lines over long distances

• Accurately locate blockage within +/- 50m using Find-Block™

• Reduce/Eliminate the need for pipeline Intervention reducing

costs of pipeline blockages and restrictions


It’s time for a Paradigm Shift in Flowline Intervention

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