Strategies for Managing

Black Powder in Sales Gas Pipelines

By: M. El-Sherik, Research and Development Center, Saudi Aramco

B
lack powder has proved to be a serious problem for gas pipeline tions at pig receiving door. To better characterize the particle
operations, and mitigation efforts have proven to be challeng- size distribution (PSD) and solids loading, black powder par-
ing. Gas pipeline operators employ removal and prevention ticles entrained in the gas should be sampled and analyzed at dif-
strategies, separate or in combination, to mitigate and manage ferent locations along the pipeline and at different depths inside
black powder impacts on operations and customers. Proper selection of the pipe. The isokinetic gas sampling technique is best suited to
mitigation and control schemes requires prior knowledge of composi- achieve this objective.
tion, properties and formation mechanisms of black powder. Table 1 shows results of solids loading and particle size distribu-
The best black powder management practice usually consists tion of black powder particles entrained in the gas as sampled by
of a combination of several control methods that are collectively the isokinetic sampling technique at two different sampling point
designed to minimize its recurrence and manage its impacts. These locations and at normal pipeline operating conditions.
measures include moisture control by strict adherence to gas mois-
ture specifications and the adoption of removal methods that target Sampling location
the specific type of black powder formed in the lines. The hardness of black powder is an important mechanical
This article presents the various black powder mitigation and property for materials selection of equipment such as filtration
control methods used by gas operators in controlling black powder systems and pressure control valves. Hardness measurements
effects. Pros and cons of removal and prevention strategies are also conducted on black powder particles using the nano-indentation
presented and discussed. technique revealed an equivalent Rockwell C hardness values
Black powder solids are formed and commonly observed in the ranging 32 to 58 Rc.
majority of internally uncoated transmission sales gas pipelines. It This large scatter in results can be attributed to the fact that hard-
is a loose granular black material that can accumulate in gas pipe- ness indents were made into individual particles which could be of
lines and which can cloud customers’ perception of natural gas as differing compositions (iron oxides or iron carbonates) which are
the “cleanest fossil fuel.” known to have different hardness values.
Black powder can be dry and powder-like, or wet with tar like It is obvious from these hardness values that black powder will
appearance. It can plug gas burner tips on devices ranging from rapidly erode many engineering materials such as pressure control
large power plant burners to residential gas heaters. Black powder valves made of carbon steel (CS) or austenitic stainless steels
in pipelines can lead to delays and reduced accuracy of in-line (Figure 2). Saudi Aramco has retro-fitted CS control valves with
inspection (ILI) tools, erosion or clogging of pressure control valves trims designed to resist erosion,
and metering instrumentations as well as flow reduction and lower such as solid tungsten carbide
compressor efficiency. for valve cages and tungsten
To prevent or effectively manage the effects of black powder, it carbide inserts for valve plugs
is essential to identify the nature of these solids and determine their and seat rings.
formation mechanisms and sources. Corrosion of the internal walls Gas pipeline operators
of sales gas pipelines leads to the generation black powder solids. employ removal and prevention
High water moisture content (off-specification gas) coupled with strategies, separate or in combi-
the presence of gases namely oxygen, carbon dioxide and hydrogen nation, to mitigate and manage
sulfide, which when dissolved in the condensed moisture film form black powder impacts.
corrosive aqueous solution and the onset of internal corrosion. Figure1: Fine black powder col-
Different black powder compositions have been reported by dif- lected at scraper door receiver of a
ferent pipeline gas operators. For example, whereas some opera- sales gas pipeline.
tors report black powder as being predominately iron sulfides,
Sampling Total suspended Size range
others observed the complete absence of iron sulfides but the location solids
presence of iron oxides such as Fe3O4 and FeOOH, while others <10µm <15µm <100µm
report a combination of iron sulfides, iron carbonates and iron (gm/MMSCFD)
oxides. All these products are relatively high in specific gravity A 12.60 75 93 98
(sp. gr. 4 to 5.1), abrasive and are typically difficult to remove in B 1.84 46 70 95
cleaning operations, particularly when wet.
Figure 1 shows a scanning electron microscope (SEM) image Table 1: Solids loading and particle size distribution of black powder
of typical black powder particles collected after pigging opera- particles in gas sampled by the isokinetic sampling technique.

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Removal Strategy Prevention Strategy
In the heart of the removal strategies is the view that black powder is This management phi-
a nuisance from which downstream operations and equipment need losophy has at its core, the
to be protected. belief that internal corro-
Each of the removal methods described in Table 2 can be applied sion of gas pipelines is the
separately or in combination. For example, mechanical cleaning source of black powder.
by instrument pigging can be combined with installation of filters As such, these methods
downstream closest to customer operations. This combination are based on preventing
ensures that the scraped black powder gets filtered out from the gas corrosion from occurring.
supply before reaching the customer. These methods include:
Although removal strategies are successful in protecting down- Moisture control –
Figure 2: Carbon steel control valve
stream operations from the effect of black powder, the removal Elimination of water con-
cage eroded by black powder after 45
methods have several common drawbacks: (a) they are after-the- densation in the pipeline, days in service. Photo by Saudi Aramco.
fact treatments that do not address the root cause of black powder particularly internally
formation, (b) these methods are not a one-time solution but require uncoated pipelines, is the most critical step in preventing black powder
frequent applications, (c) multiple installations are most often formation in a gas grid. This can be achieved by improving the effi-
necessary as in the case of filters and cyclones, (d) these methods ciency of the gas dehydration process to ensure dry gas in the pipeline.
increase operational costs of gas transport systems, and (e) subse- Appropriately sized triethylene glycol (TEG) dehydration units,
quent handling and disposal procedures and processes are required. coupled with the installation of appropriately sized refrigeration and
The handling and disposal procedures could become challenging knockout drum units upstream and downstream of TEG dehydrator
and costly if the black powder contains health and environmentally units, respectively, will help ensure drier gas entering the gas lines.
hazardous materials, such as mercury and any naturally occurring Controlling and minimizing dehydration process upsets is also
radioactive materials (NORM). important in limiting moisture in the pipeline.

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 Method Description Value/Applications
This process involves moving an object, a - Ease of application
Pipeline Inspection Gauge (PIG), through the - Effective in cleaning pipelines with small quantities of black powder
pipeline by means of a gas pressure differential. - Does not take the line off-stream, or introduce water into the system
Dry/me-
- Require launching and receiving pig doors.
chanical
- Debris that have lodged against the inner pipe walls are very difficult to remove which could
cleaning
lead to reduced accuracy of MFL ILI and a possible false assumption that the line is clean
- Pipelines with large amounts of black powder could cause the pig becoming stuck
in the line thus stopping operations.

- Typically achieved by loading the cleaning
chemicals between an aggressive scraper
Chemical front pig and a sealing pig in the rear
cleaning - Typically used when the lines are suspected
of having large quantities of black powder.
- Very effective in removing all black powder in fewer runs than dry cleaning
- Require la unching and receiving pig doors
- Relatively expensive and more complex than dry cleaning
- Disposal of large quantities of black powder and the cleaning chemicals is costly.

- These are usually cartridge filters placed
downstream in the gas pipeline system to
protect control valves and customers.
Filters - The design and size of these filters will
depend on the amount of black powder, its
particle size and hardness.
- Their modular design permits their installation in strategic points to protect down-
stream assets and customers
- Disposal of black powder filled cartridges is costly
- Could lead to reduced gas flow if filters are not replaced in timely manner.

Based on the principle of centrifugal force. - Simple

Black powder entrained in the gas passes
Separa- through these devices and the particles are
tors and physically knocked out of the gas stream to
cyclones the walls of the separator where they fall and
are collected at the bottom in a collection hub.
- Modular design permits installation in strategic points to protect downstream assets
and customers
- Effective only if the concentration of solid particles is relatively high, and if the par-
ticle size is relatively large. (larger than 8 µm to 10 µm)

These combine the best features of cyclones
and filters in a two-stage removal process.
Cyclo- The first stage of the removal is achieved by
Filters the cyclone, which knocks out black powder
particles larger than 8 µm to 10 µm. The sec-
ond stage of cartridge filters removes the finer
black powder particles.
- Large units and costly
- Modular design permits installation in strategic points to protect downstream assets
and customers
- Disposal issue of black powder filled cartridges
- Could lead to reduced gas flow if filters are not replaced in timely manner.

Commissioning practices – This involves improving hydro-test Conclusion

procedures. More specifically, during dewatering and drying proce-
dures air drying should not be used, but flash drying with methanol
or nitrogen gas should be used instead. The use of sweet water in
conjunction with biocides and corrosion inhibitors will ensure no
corrosion takes place during the hydrotest wait-in periods.
If sweet water is not readily available in the field, such as the case in
many Middle East regions, then fresh water slugs can be used between
pigs to wash the line and remove salt water. Following hydrotesting,
chemical cleaning should be practiced to ensure the pipeline is clean
from loose debris and mill scale prior to starting operations.
Internal coatings – These are organic coatings, such as high sol-
ids solvent based epoxy polyamine films that have originally been
applied to protect the internal surfaces of pipelines from corrosion
during storage. They are typically used for reducing drag; however,
prevention of black powder formation would be an added benefit.
These coatings are typically applied with a thickness range of
2 mils to 3 mils (50μm to 80μm) to cover pipe roughness (Ry5
= 30μm). They have been in use for the last 65 years and are
used in over 310,00 miles (500,000 km) of pipelines worldwide.
International standards (API 5 L 2 and ISO 15741) cover the speci-
fication of internal coatings for gas pipelines.
Despite its common occurrence in the gas industry, black powder
still presents problems to gas pipeline operators and customers and
therefore it warrants special attention. There are several removal
and prevention methods available to gas operators for mitigating the
formation and managing the impacts of black powder.
The best black powder management practice usually consists
of a combination of several control methods that are collectively
designed to minimize its recurrence and manage its impacts.
These measures include moisture control by strict adherence to gas
specifications and application of removal methods to remove black
powder formed as a result of gas dehydration process upsets. P&GJ
Author: M. El-Sherik is a corrosion consultant
with Saudi Aramco, who advances pipelines cor-
rosion management in areas such as black pow-
der, external corrosion, modeling and prediction of
hydrogen-induced cracking, and sulfur solubility
and deposition in gas lines. He earned his doctorate
and master’s of science degree in materials and met-
allurgical engineering, both from Queen’s University
in Canada.

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| 65
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