Chapter 19

Commissioning
Hal S. Ozanne

Chapter Outline
Introduction 405 19.5 Sizing or Gauging Pigs 412
19.1 Plan 411 19.6 System Checkout 413
19.2 Plan Sequence 411 19.7 Pipeline Drying 413
19.3 Operations and 19.8 Line Fill 414
Maintenance Manuals 412 19.8.1 Example 414
19.4 Completion of Bibliography 420
Construction 412

INTRODUCTION
In preparing for the commissioning and start-up of the operation of a new,
upgraded, or downgraded pipeline system, a commissioning plan must be
developed that takes into consideration all aspects of the preparation, start-up,
and operation of the system. The more complex the system is, the more detailed
the plan must be. A good starting point in developing a plan is to review and
understand the system process flow diagram (PFD) and the facilities piping
and instrument diagrams (P&IDs).
These diagrams show the major components, the pipe sizes of the system,
and the instrumentation that is used to monitor and control the system. A review
and understanding of these drawings will provide a good knowledge about the
major components of the system to be used and the operation of it.
See Figs 19.1 and 19.2 for an example of a system PFD and a facility P&ID.
If the project consists of something as small as replacing a section of pipe,
then the commissioning plan can be relatively minor. On the other hand, if a
project consists of the installation of a new pipeline and facilities like pump
or compressor stations and measurement facilities, then the plan will be very
detailed, lengthy, and require a significant amount of time to develop, usually
with a team of personnel.
The team preparing the commissioning and start-up plan may include
the operating company project manager, the engineering project manager,

Pipeline Planning and Construction Field Manual. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-383867-4.00019-0

© 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 405
19.2 | Plan Sequence 411

operations manager, control center manager, and other personnel who have
critical knowledge of the components of the system and the intended operation
of the system.

19.1 PLAN
The development of a commissioning plan will begin long before the construc-
tion and installation of the pipeline and/or facilities have been completed. The
plan should be very detailed and include step-by-step instructions as to how the
system should be commissioned. By doing this, the risk of a problem develop-
ing will be minimized, and there will be less chance of any safety problems
developing.
A typical plan will include the following:
● A detailed sequence of events that lead to operations that must be completed
● Verification that the completion of operating and maintenance manuals is
complete
● Verification that all construction and installation activities for the project are
complete
● Verification that all piping components of the system have been hydrostati-
cally tested
● Verification that the pipeline has been dried if required
● Filling the pipeline with product (crude oil, products, or gas)
● Operator training
● Running a sizing pig
● A check that communications to all facilities, where applicable, are
operational
● Verification that power is connected and energized for all facilities/locations
where required
● Coordination with receipt and delivery companies
● Personnel are trained and prepared for the plan

19.2 PLAN SEQUENCE

A detailed plan sequence will be prepared prior to commissioning the system.
The plan will incorporate a step-by-step instruction for the operations team to
follow from the time the construction contractor turns the system over to the
pipeline operator until that system is ready for normal operation.
In some cases, the entire system may not be placed into operation at the same
time. For instance, one pump station on a multistation liquid pipeline might be
placed into operation first, with the others to follow at a later time. The same
may be the case at a tank farm where not all of the tanks will be completed
and placed into operation at the time the line is placed into initial operation.
In situations like these, the commissioning plan will be developed and imple-
mented in phases as each phase of the project is ready to be put into operation.
412 CHAPTER | 19 Commissioning

19.3 OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE MANUALS

As the plan is being prepared, a verification of the status of the operations and
maintenance manuals should be made. Pertinent data can be obtained from the
operations manual, which can be used in the preparation of the plan. The com-
missioning plan is a prelude to the full operation of the system. See Chapter 21
for details of operations and maintenance manuals.

19.4 COMPLETION OF CONSTRUCTION

During the construction of a pipeline system, there will be a team of construc-
tion inspectors and managers monitoring the construction to verify that the var-
ious aspects of the construction are completed according to the construction
specifications, drawings, and other construction documents. Part of the contrac-
tor’s responsibility is to verify that the components of the system all operate
correctly. For instance, valves can be opened and closed, a motor can be ener-
gized, lights can be turned on or off, etc.
Before the contractor leaves the project, an operations team should visit each
location to verify that all components will operate as intended. They may
include making sure that valves are installed in the right direction, meters are
installed in the right direction, all on/off switches work correctly, all tie-
down anchors and bolts have been installed, etc. This is a double check to
ensure that everything has been installed correctly and nothing has been
overlooked.
In most cases, there is a warranty clause in the construction contract, where
the contractor must take care of any issues of their work product. During the
system checkout if it is discovered that items have been not been completed
or things have not been installed correctly, the contractor or vendors will be
required to make the necessary corrections. When major pieces of equipment,
such as pumps, motors, compressors, and turbines, are purchased, part of the
order will include having a technician from the vendor on-site during checkout
and start-up of the piece of equipment.

19.5 SIZING OR GAUGING PIGS

When the contractor has finished installing the pipe before the line is hydrosta-
tically tested, a gauging or sizing pig is run through the line and transported by
air. The diameter of the pig is sized to be slightly less than the inside diameter of
the pipe. It may consist of thin plates between the cups of the pig. If the pig
encounters any indentations, obstructions, or narrowing in the line, the plates
will bend to indicate there is a problem in the pipe. It will be up to the construc-
tion contractor to determine the problem that occurred, the location of the pro-
blem, and to repair it before the line is put into operation.
19.7 | Pipeline Drying 413

19.6 SYSTEM CHECKOUT

A team will be dispatched to each facility, including scraper trap locations,
intermediate valve stations, metering facilities, storage terminals, and compres-
sor or pump stations, to thoroughly check out each one. Each component will be
checked for correct operation, instruments will be calibrated, and pumps and
motors will be checked for alignment and correct rotation. Communication sys-
tems at each location will be checked to ensure that communications are func-
tioning back to the control center. All instrumentation including pressure gages
and transmitters, temperature transmitters, and pressure switches will be
calibrated.
The list can be quite extensive, and that is why it is important that the com-
missioning plan be very detailed. The system PFD and P&IDs should include
all of the components for each location, including all instrumentation and com-
munication paths, so that a comprehensive commissioning plan can be prepared
using these drawings as a basis.
Dependent on the size and number of facilities in the system, the checkout
may require from a few days to several weeks to complete. The process can
begin while the contractor is still working on cleanup, fencing, and other site
work without interfering with the checkout team.
If the pipeline facilities include some sophisticated equipment, it is generally
preferable to have representatives from the equipment manufacturer present for
the checkout and system start-up.

19.7 PIPELINE DRYING

After the pipeline has been successfully hydrostatically tested, the water must
be removed from the line. This process is normally completed by inserting pipe-
line pigs or scrapers into the line, and air is used to push the pigs or scrapers
through the line, pushing the water out of the line. This process will be repeated
until no more water comes out of the line.
Prior to hydrostatically testing the pipeline, arrangements will need to be
made ahead of time for the proper disposal of the water. This arrangement is
usually handled during the permitting phase of the project. The permitting agen-
cies require the pipeline company to indicate where the water for hydrostatic
testing is going to be acquired and where it is going to be disposed. Testing
of the water will normally be required before it is discharged to verify there
are no hazardous materials in it.
Depending on the service for the pipeline, additional steps may be required
to further dry the pipeline. The delivery points for pipelines in natural gas, nitro-
gen, and chemical service will have specifications of very low moisture content
for the product that is delivered into their system. In such cases, additional pipe-
line drying steps will be required.
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This may require that the air used to push the pigs through the pipeline is
dried before it is compressed into the line. In some situations, nitrogen is
used instead of air. Swabbing pigs are pushed through the line until they are
completely dry when they are removed from the pipeline. There are companies
that provide pipeline drying services if the construction contractor does not
have the necessary equipment.

19.8 LINE FILL

A pipeline is filled with the product that it will transport immediately after it has
been dried so that moisture will not be reintroduced into it. The beginning of the
line will be connected to the source of its product. There may be a connection to
another pipeline, a terminal (for a liquid line), oil or gas wells, a gas plant, or a
refinery.
The initial volume of product for the line fill of the pipeline is normally
owned by the pipeline operating company. Because the fill or inventory stays
in the line, it does not belong to the companies that ship products through
the line. The product is measured as it is injected into the line so that the line
fill volume can be accounted for.
As the line is being filled for the first time, air is bled out of the line at the
end of the line. During construction, vent valves are installed along the line. The
vent valves are normally located at the same locations as intermediate pipeline
block valves and at locations where the elevation is at high points on the line.
The line is not backfilled at these high-elevation locations until after the line is
filled and placed into operation.
The first intermediate block valve from the beginning point of the lines is
closed, the vent valves are opened, and the fill is started. When the product
reaches the vent valve(s), it is closed and the intermediate block valve is
opened. The procedure continues at each block valve until the line has been
completely filled with product.

19.8.1 Example
The following is an example of a commissioning plan for a 30 inch natural gas
pipeline. Due to the amount of large elevation difference along this particular
pipeline, a portion of the lines was tested with nitrogen instead of water to pre-
vent overpressuring the lower section of pipe due to the elevation head of water.

30 inch Pipeline System Commissioning Procedure

30 inch Hydrotest: Segment 1
1. After valves 1716 and 1753 are opened halfway, Segment 1 of the 30 inch
pipeline from the top of the hill to the delivery facility will be hydrotested in
five sections because of the elevation differences and the effects of head
pressures. The profile of the test sections will be such that the maximum