WHAT IS PIGGING?

Pipeline pigging was developed in the fifties in the USA to clear debris from crude oil pipelines. They have now become widely used around the world in pipelines carrying anything from chocolate to shampoo but are most commonly used in the oil gas and petrochemical industries. A pig acts like a free moving piston inside the pipeline, sealing against the inside wall with a number of sealing elements. Pigs can perform a number of tasks including cleaning debris from the line, the removal of residual product in, and gauging the internal bore of, the pipeline. Pigs generally need specially designed launching and receiving vessels to introduce them into the pipeline. These vessels consist of a quick opening closure for access, an oversi ed barrel, a reducer and a neck pipe for connection to the pipeline. Pigs can be located using fi!ed signallers along the pipe or electronic tracking systems mounted inside the pig. The pigging of any pipeline will increase the lifetime, guarantee ma!imum throughput and minimum downtime due to blockages.

ABOUT PIGS
Pipeline pigs are devices that are inserted into and travel throughout the length of a pipeline driven by a product flow. They were originally developed to remove deposits which could obstruct or retard flow through a pipeline. Today pigs are used during all phases in the life of a pipeline for many different reasons.

Although each pipeline has its own set of characteristics which affect how and why pigging is used, there are basically three reasons to pig a pipeline" # To batch or separate dissimilar products$ # %or displacement purposes$ # %or internal inspection. The pigs which are used to accomplish these tasks can be divided into three categories"

# Utility Pigs, which are used to perform functions such as cleaning, separating, or dewatering. # &n 'ine &nspection Tools, which provide information on the condition of the line, as well as the e!tent and location of any problems. # (el Pigs, which are used in con)unction with conventional pigs to optimi e pipeline dewatering, cleaning, and drying tasks.

The type of pig to be used and its optimum configuration for a particular task in a particular pipeline should be determined based upon several criteria, which include" # The purpose * Type, location, and volume of the substance to be removed or displaced in conventional pigging applications, * Type of information to be gathered from an intelligent pig run, * +b)ectives and goals for the pig run. # The line contents * The contents of the line while pigging, * Available vs. required driving pressure, * ,elocity of the pig. # -haracteristics of the pipeline * The minimum and ma!imum internal line si es, * .a!imum distance pig must travel, * .inimum bend radius, and bend angles, * Additional features such as valve types, branch connections, and the elevation profile.

UTILITY PIGS Utility pipeline pigs can be divided into two groups based upon their fundamental

purpose" # Cleaning Pigs, which are used to remove solid or semi*solid deposits or debris from the pipeline. # Sealing Pigs, which are used to provide a good seal in order to either sweep liquids from the line, or provide an interface between two dissimilar products within the pipeline. /ithin these two groups, a further subdivision can be made to differentiate among the various types or forms of pigs"

Mandrel pigs, which have a central body tube, or mandrel, and various components which can be assembled onto the mandrel to configure a pig for a specific duty$

# Foam pigs, which are molded from polyurethane foam with various configurations of solid polyurethane strips and0or abrasive materials permanently bonded to them$ # Solid cast pigs, which are moulded in one piece, usually from polyurethane, and$

# Sp erical pigs or sp eres, which are of either a solid composition or inflated to their optimum diameter with glycol and0or water.

IN LIN! INSP!CTI"N T""LS

&n 'ine &nspection provides information on the condition of the pipe and0or its contents. /ith few e!ceptions, the &n 'ine &nspection Tool itself is simply the tool which gathers the data, which is then analysed by the engineers and technicians to determine and report on the condition of the line.

MFL INSP!CTI"N T""L

Although the two most common requirements are for geometry0diameter measurement and for metal*loss0corrosion devices, the information which can be provided by these intelligent pigs covers a much wider range of inspection and troubleshooting needs which include" # 1iameter0geometry measurements$ # -urvature monitoring$ # Pipeline profile$ # Temperature0pressure recording$ # 2end measurement$ # .etal*loss0corrosion detection$

# Photographic inspection$ # -rack detection$ # /a! deposition measurement$ # 'eak detection$ # Product sampling, and$ # .apping.

ULT#AS"NIC INSP!CTI"N T""LS

G!L PIGS (el pigs are a series of gelled liquid systems which have been developed for use in pipeline operations, either during initial commissioning, or as a part of a continuing maintenance program. .ost pipeline gels are water*based, but a range of chemicals, solvents, and even acids can be gelled. Some chemicals can be gelled as the bulk liquid and others only diluted in a carrier. (elled diesel is commonly used as a carrier of corrosion inhibitor in gas lines.

There are four main types of gel that are used in pipeline applications" # 2atching, or separator gel # 1ebris pickup gel # 3ydrocarbon gel # 1ehydrating gel As a liquid, although highly viscous, the gel can be pumped through any line which will accept liquids. (el pigs can be used alone 4in liquid lines5, in place of batching pigs, or in con)unction with various types of conventional pigs. /hen used with conventional pigs, gelled pigs can improve overall performance while

almost eliminating the risk of sticking a pig. (el pigs do not wear out in service like conventional pigs. They can, however, be susceptible to dilution and gas cutting. -are must be taken, therefore, when designing a pig train that incorporates gel pigs to minimi e fluid bypass of the pigs, and to place a conventional pig at the back of the train when displacing with gas.

The principle pipeline applications for gel pigs are as follows" # Product separation # 1ebris removal # 'ine filling0hydrotesting # 1ewatering and drying # -ondensate removal from gas lines # &nhibitor and biocide laydown # Special chemical treatment # 6emoval of stuck pigs

Specially formulated gels have also been used to seal gate valves during hydrostatic testing. (els have been developed with a controlled gellation time and a controlled viscosity for temporary pipeline isolation purposes.