GENERAL

Seawater is utilized in KNPC MAA refinery as cooling medium for heat exchangers and

returned to sea. Seawater supply & return lines are running underground & above ground and

forms a seawater cooling network. Pipe materials used in this network are internally cement
lined pipes, Bonna Pipes (both internally & externally cement lined).

Internally cement lined carbon steel pipes are used in Gas trains -1, 2, 3 & 4(GRVE & Cement
lined) and Bonna pipes is used for Refinery units (RMP & FUP).

KNPC MAA refinery has an extensive network of Seawater supply and return system. The
seawater is supplied by Public Authority for Industry (PAI), from their Pumping station located

in Shuaiba Industrial Area, South-East of MAA Refinery. PAI have a comprehensive Pumping
facility with many pumps and interconnecting piping ensuring optimum flexibility in pumping

operation. Due to various problems on the sea water network, which are mainly related to
hydraulic and Mechanical reliability of the network, KNPC intends to address issues related to
seawater distribution network in KNPC MAA refinery.

Currently, KNPC MAA receives seawater from PAI through 7 numbers of 72" NB header
pipelines as present in below. Seawater supply header from PAI
Header
Size

To Gas trains &

Process units

Table 1 Seawater Supply Header from PAI

Material of Construction

Internally cement lined Carbon Steel Pipe with

external painting for A/G and wrapping for U/G.

Year of
construction

72

Gas Train 1

72

Gas Train 2

72

Gas Train 3

72

RMP facilities

Bonna Pipe for Underground

1983

72

FUP facilities

Bonna Pipe for Underground

1984

Internally cement lined Carbon Steel Pipe with

external painting for A/G and wrapping for U/G.
Internally cement lined Carbon Steel Pipe with
external painting for A/G and wrapping for U/G.

1977
1977
1977

72
72

ERU

Internally cement lined Carbon Steel Pipe with

external painting for A/G and wrapping for U/G.

2008

Gas Train 4

GRVE for U/G, Internally cement lined Carbon Steel

Pipe with external painting for A/G and wrapping
U/G

2014

SITE CONDITIONS

The following is a summary of the general site conditions at KNPC MAA Refinery.
Altitude

Table 2 Site conditions

Climate
Atmosphere

Approximately 74 feet above sea level

Sub-tropical desert with dust and sand

storm
Marine, dusty, corrosive, refinery
environment

Atmospheric pressure

14.7 psia

Relative humidity

30 100 %

Maximum atmospheric temperature in

shade
Minimum atmospheric temperature in
shade

131 F
27 F

Maximum solar temperature

180 F

Design air temperature for air cooling

130 F

Design air wet bulb temperature

85 F

Maximum wind velocity

100 miles per hour

Average annual rainfall

4 inches

Maximum rainfall in one hour

2 inches

Scope

a. Inspection of seawater cooling network (above and underground).

To know the health of existing pipe lines, inspection of the same is to be carried out using
latest online inspection technology without excavation of pipeline and hampering the ongoing
operation. Based on the results of inspection and recommendation of inspection agency,
suitable repair/replacement of pipe sections to be carried out to improve the life of existing
seawater network.

b. Major Seawater Network problems are leaks and external, internal corrosion. Latest online
leak arresting methods, external wrapping & internal lining/repair works are to be carried out
as per recommendation of specialized vendor.

c. Replacement of the existing passing butterfly valves with new the new valves.
d. Replacement of corroded flanges, hardware, gaskets, etc.
e. Repair of damaged wrapping and coating pipe sections (underground/above ground).
f. Installation of new Air release valves on the existing Bonna piping.
g. Installation of new Vacuum/Air release vales on the existing Cement lined Carbon Steel
piping.

h. Installation of new pressure control valve/restriction orifice on the existing seawater return
header.

ABBREVIATIONS

The following abbreviations are used within this document:

API

- American Petroleum Institute

AWWA

- American Water Works Association

ANSI
CFP

- American National Standards Institute

- Clean Fuel Project

DEP

- Design Engineering Practice

ERU

- Ethane Recovery Unit

FUP

- Future Upgradation Project

FGRU

- Flare Gas Recovery Unit

GRVE

- Glass Reinforced Vinylester

MAA

- Mina Al-Ahmadi

KNPC

- Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KSC)

MAFP

- MTBE Alkylation and FCC revamp Project

GRP

- Glass Reinforced Plastic

PCV

- Pressure Control Valve

PAI

- Public Authority for Industry

PCCP

- Pre-Stressed Concrete Pipe

SWS

- Seawater Supply

RMP

- Refinery Modification Project

SWR

- Seawater Return

AGRP

- Acid gas removal project

FCC

- Fluid catalytic cracking

A/G

- Above Ground

U/G

- Under Ground

CODES AND STANDARDS

ISO 14692 (part 1 to 4)

- Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries- Glass reinforced plastics.

ISO 11357-2

ASME B31.3

- Process Piping

ASTM D 2992

ASTM D 2996

Plastics- differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) - Part 2: Determination

of glass transition temperature.
Practice for Obtaining Hydrostatic or pressure design basis for
Fiberglass (Glass-fiber reinforced thermosetting resin) Pipe and fittings.
Standard specification for filament wound Fiberglass (glass-fiberreinforced thermosetting resin).

Standard test method for time-to failure of plastic pipe under constant
internal pressure

ASTM D 1598

ASTM D 2584

- Standard test method for ignition loss of cured reinforce resins.

ASTM D 4024

AWWA C950

AWWA M45

- Fiber Glass pipe design.

DEP 30.10.02.13-Gen.

- Non-Metallic Materials Selection & Application.

DEP 31.40.10.19-Gen.

- Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic pipeline & Piping system.

NORSOK M-622

- Fabrication and Installation of GRP piping system.

UKOOA

Standard specification for machine made Fiberglass (glass-fiberreinforced thermosetting resin) Flanges.

Standard for fabrication and testing of fiberglass reinforced pipe and

joining system.

Specification and Recommended practice for the use of GRP Piping

offshore.

Add valve codes and std

KNPC Standards 87C1

- Cement Mortar Lining of steel pipe & fittings.

KNPC Standards 50D11.1

- Standard specification for Pipe Welding.

DEP 31.38.01.11-Gen.

Technical specification for Cement Lining of

Materials.

AWWA C205

Cement Mortar Protective Lining and Coating

for Steel water pipe.

KNPC Standards 50 A19.103 - Piping Material specification, Line Class L3.

METALLURGY

2.1 METALLURGY -PIPE MATERIAL:

Considering the life, maintenance and performance aspect, it is proposed to use GRVE

For better reliability of pipe joints used for connecting GRP/GRVE should be laminated or

(Glass Reinforced Vinyl Ester) for underground piping for all future replacement.
Butt-wrap joints.

Wherever damaged piping is identified, same to be replaced with Duplex Stainless Steel
pipe material (within the ISBL Area).

2.2 VALVE TYPE & MATERIAL:

All butterfly valves to be of triple offset type.

Butterfly valve material to be used: Body & Trim A216 Gr. WCB+EPDM lined/A536-60-4018+EPDM lined/B148 UNS C95800, Stem Monel, Disc - Al Bronze, Seat - B148 UNS
C95800.

2.3 GASKETS & FASTENERS:

All gaskets to be of Neoprene for low pressure sea water application.

Bolts and nuts to be Zinc-Nickel + PTFE coated.

2.4 FLANGES:

Flanges shall be of ASTM A105 ASME 16.47 series A /AWWA C207 ring class E as per

For GRVE pipes, flanges to be of GRVE with dimensional suitable to matching flanges.

existing flanges.

3 Existing Metallurgy in Seawater Network vs. International Standards &

Practices
Area
Division

LPG TRAIN - 1,
2 & 3 (Units 31,32 &33)

LPG TRAIN-4

Piping Line
Class

Table 3 Summary of Existing Seawater piping

1W3(A/G)

4" TO 18"

A53-GR.B SEAMLESS
(C.S + CEMENT
LINED)

20" TO 72"
20" TO 72"

115201D &
315201D (A/G)

4"-24"

115201D (A/G)

30"-72"

1W3D,

30"-48"

API 5L GR.B (C.S +

CEMENT LINED)
API 5L GR.B (C.S +
CEMENT LINED)

Standard

Year / (SWS
Distance)

Kellogg
International
Standard.&
ASME
B36.10M

1977 / (1.5 KM)

ASTM A106 GR.B

SMLS (C.S + CEMENT
LINED)
API 5L Gr.B PSL.1
SAW (C.S + CEMENT
LINED)
API 5L Gr.B PSL.1
SAW (C.S + CEMENT
LINED)

6"-24"

ASTM A106 GR.B

SMLS (C.S + CEMENT
LINED)

2"-72"

GRV(RTRPVINYLESTER RESIN

L3 (A/G AND
U/G)

18"-30"

1W3 (A/G AND

U/G)

API 5-LS GR.B DSAW

(C.S + CEMENT
LINED)

36"-72"

API 5L GR.B DSAW

(C.S + CEMENT
LINED)

Piping Line
Class

Pipe Size

Material

F11AD (UG)

Area
Division

Material

1W4 (U/G)

1W4D (U/G)

ERP (Unit - 35)

Pipe Size

ASME
B36.10M &
MFR.

2014 / (2.5 KM)

KNPC-STD50
A19.103&
ASME
B36.10M

2008 / (2.2 KM)

Standard

Year of
Construction /

FUP AND RMP

L3 (A/G AND
U/G) & BONNA
PIPES(U/G)

4"-30"

C.S + CEMENT LINED

32"-72"

C.S + CEMENT LINED

& BONNA PIPES

2 -72
GT-5

F11AT(U/G)GRVE&115201T(A/G)

< 4
4 24
30 -72

Fiber Glass
Reinforced Vinyl
Ester Resin

Cu-Ni (B466 UNS

C70600)

A106 Gr.B + Cement

Lined

(SWS
Distance)

KNPC-STD50
A19.103
,ASME
B36.10M &
MFR.

1983 & 1984 /

4 KM & 3KM

ASME
B36.10M &
MFR.

Ongoing /3.6 KM

API 5L Gr.B + Cement

Lined

The above Table 3 indicates the existing metallurgy with respect to refinery area, piping class,
pipe sizes and material of construction.

With respect international practices, materials used for seawater services includes Cement

lined CS, Cu alloys, high alloyed SS (PREN>40 e.g. Duplex and super Duplex SS), Titanium and
GRP/GRVE.