Sampling

Product sampling is performed either on board

of a vessel and/or at shoreside in order to allow
our laboratory to certify whether the stored
quality is conform to the client’s requirements.
• What is of extreme importance?
• Representativity of the sample
“Sample having its physical or chemical characteristics identical to the
volumetric average characteristics of the total volume being sampled.”

• Integrity of the sample

“Condition of being complete and unaltered, i.e. the sample being preserved
with the same composition as when it was taken from the bulk of the liquid.”
 Whom performs what actions
• Customer:

• Should advise what samples are required ( location to be taken ) ;

• Amount of samples needed;
• Method to be used.
• Customer Service:

• Initiate internal instructions document: ( surveyor procedure)

• Amount of samples
• Type
• Purpose of samples Analysis / Retain
• Volumetric quanity of each sample
• Location
• SDS
• The surveyor:

• Follows 15 Rules For Life

• Acts according procedure and latest official acting method
• Continuous communication with terminal / on board personnel / drivers
 Safety
• Personal Safety equipment
• Minimum requirements ; Standard Personal Safety equipment with
safety goggles and air monitor
• Additional equipment, if specified in work instruction
• Static electricity
• The person and all equipment to be used must discard of any build up
static electricity before sampling operation can be commenced
• No cargo-tank sampling allowed while loading is in progress !!!!
• 30 minutes relaxation time to be applied after loading interruption
• Filling grade :
• Standard rule for liquids i.e. a 70 to 85% filling grade of the total
available volume is not applicable for liquified gasses.
• For gasses:
• The Maximal nett filling weight for a 1 liter cylinder is restricted to 400grams of
product
• Exemptions : Ethylene / Ethane : 150g
• VCM : 800g

( weighing scales need to be available at sample location)

 gassampling
• Always sample at 90 ° on wind direction
• Always use a N² purged gascylinder (Alternative purging gas if N² is part of analysis)

• Always use a gascylinder that is appropriate for the

required product and that is marked as follows:
• Butadieen  Yellow
• Ethyleen  Red
• C3/C4  Green
• Ammonia  Blue
• Sulfinert coated  Black
• Teflon coated  White

• Always use spark-proof tools for connection purposes

• Always use correct pressurised sampling hoses. (RVS, Viton
of Teflon)

• Always avoid direct contact with skin and use

appropriate gloves
• Always check if cylinder has a valid testing certification
 gassampling
• Never fill beyond appropriate indicated filling level
• To verify the filling grade each gascylinder should be weighed
before and after filling. ( Informative Tare [empty] weight clearly to be indicated on each pressure vessel)
• In case of product over-fill:
• Product release should be restricted to the bare minimum.
• Local regulations should be taken into account.
• Use of fleir lines where available.

• For following gasses, the cylinders need to be cooled before

sampling:
• Propane
• Propylene
• Ethylene
• Ethane

• Sampling location; ( unless not allowed, always use sample tubes !! )

• Use 50 % sample tube where available
• Avoid use of 0% sample tube ( possibility of contamination with
water and sediments
• If cargo-tank pressure is too low, circulation pump sample is advisable
 Gas sampling attention points
• Sampling tube must be free of contaminants
• Pre-flush with product before connecting sample hose
• Gascylinders must be kept in vertical position
during sampling
• After sampling check if valves on cylinder are
correctly closed and free of leackages and re-insert
end-caps for transport
• TARRA/BRUT/NETT weight for each cylinder is to be
marked on the sample label!
• Storage Cooling is required for following products
• Ammonium anhydride
• Butadieen
Gassampling
 Gas sampling
• Example of procedure
• Before sampling:
• All valves closed
• Empty weighing of gas cylinder
• Connection of sample hoses to gas cylinder
• Connection of sample hoses to sample point
• Circulation line , pumpstack
• 50 % tubes ( or alternative )
• Specific sample points
• Sampling:
• Open valve of sample point ( check for leaks if any
• Abundantly purge / rinse cylinder (via flare)
• Fill cylinder and close all valves on cylinder
• Close valve of sample point
• After sampling:
• Empty sample hose
• Check cylinder weight with scales and calculated sample weight
• If short of product : immediately add soem product
• If overfilled: directly discard of overfilled quantity to flare
• Verify if all valves used are correctly closed and not leaking before leaving the sample
location.
 Ethylene sampling
• Ethylene cylinders must always be equipped with
an over-pressure safety valve.
• Must be kept stored in cooled condition
• Transport to be done in a foam filled plastic
transport case and in a car/truck from which the
transport compartment is ventilated and separated
by a bulkhead from the driver compartment
( Current pick-up trucks in use in KSA are compliant with this transport rule)
 Sample retain
• Whereas a liquid product is retained for a period of 3
months as a standard rule, the gas cylinders are in
principal kept for a shorter period
• The standard proposed retain period for gas samples is
set forward as 2 weeks .
• Reason for this is that there will be a slight but constant
migration of the pressurised gas inside the cylinder towards
the environment via the pores in the metal which could result
to changes in composition if analysed
• Price of sample cylinders is quite high and therefore only
restricted amounts of sample cylinders are purchased.
• For specific and lenghtened voyages, exemptions can
be applicable.
documents

• Letter of Recommendation for restrictions in

sampling method :
• Note that samples need to be taken at 50 % or other tube

• Note that samples need to be taken at circulation pump

• Other sample points than 50 % tube or circulation pump to be used ( Liquified gasses)

• No open sampling method is allowed . ( Liquid products )

 Typical specifications
The herebelow given typical specifications for liquefied gases are only to be used as an
example, the shown limits are only guidelines.

Ethylene
Test item unit limits

ethylene %volume 99.9 min

ethane ppm volume 500 max
ethane +methane ppm volume 1000 max
C3 and heavier ppm volume 10 max
acetylene ppm volume 5 max
oxygen ppm volume 5 max
nitrogen ppm volume 100 max
carbonmonoxide ppm volume 2 max
carbondioxide ppm volume 5 max
methanol + ethanol + aceton ppm volume 10 max
hydrogen ppm volume 10 max
water content ppm weight 10 max
total sulphur ppm weight 2 max
Ammonia ppm volume 1 max
Ethylene
Standard Ethylene calculation Table
Ethylene

Temperature Vapour pressure Liquid density Vapour density Temperature Vapour pressure Liquid density Vapour density
(C) (bar, absolute) (kg/m3, vac) (kg/m3, vac) (C) (bar, absolute) (kg/m3, vac) (kg/m3, vac)

-103.8 1.012 568.0 2.089 -99.9 1.266 562.4 2.581

-103.7 1.018 567.8 2.101 -99.8 1.273 562.2 2.594
-103.6 1.024 567.7 2.112 -99.7 1.280 562.1 2.608
-103.5 1.030 567.5 2.124 -99.6 1.287 561.9 2.622
-103.4 1.036 567.4 2.136 -99.5 1.294 561.8 2.636
-103.3 1.042 567.2 2.148 -99.4 1.302 561.7 2.650
-103.2 1.048 567.1 2.159 -99.3 1.309 561.5 2.664
-103.1 1.054 567.0 2.171 -99.2 1.316 561.4 2.678
-103.0 1.060 566.8 2.183 -99.1 1.324 561.2 2.692
-102.9 1.066 566.7 2.195 -99.0 1.331 561.1 2.706
-102.8 1.073 566.5 2.207 -98.9 1.338 560.9 2.720
-102.7 1.079 566.4 2.220 -98.8 1.346 560.8 2.734
-102.6 1.085 566.2 2.232 -98.7 1.353 560.6 2.749
-102.5 1.091 566.1 2.244 -98.6 1.361 560.5 2.763
-102.4 1.098 566.0 2.256 -98.5 1.368 560.4 2.778
-102.3 1.104 565.8 2.269 -98.4 1.376 560.2 2.792
-102.2 1.111 565.7 2.281 -98.3 1.383 560.1 2.807
-102.1 1.117 565.5 2.293 -98.2 1.391 559.9 2.821
-102.0 1.123 565.4 2.306 -98.1 1.399 559.8 2.836
-101.9 1.130 565.2 2.318 -98.0 1.406 559.6 2.851
-101.8 1.136 565.1 2.331 -97.5 1.445 558.9 2.925
-101.7 1.143 565.0 2.344 -97.0 1.485 558.2 3.001
-101.6 1.150 564.8 2.356 -96.5 1.525 557.5 3.078
-101.5 1.156 564.7 2.369 -96.0 1.567 556.7 3.157
-101.4 1.163 564.5 2.382 -95.5 1.609 556.0 3.238
-101.3 1.169 564.4 2.395 -95.0 1.652 555.3 3.320
-101.2 1.176 564.2 2.408 -94.5 1.696 554.5 3.404
-101.1 1.183 564.1 2.421 -94.0 1.741 553.8 3.489
-101.0 1.190 564.0 2.434 -93.5 1.787 553.1 3.576
-100.9 1.196 563.8 2.447 -93.0 1.833 552.4 3.664
-100.8 1.203 563.7 2.460 -92.5 1.881 551.6 3.754
-100.7 1.210 563.5 2.473 -92.0 1.929 550.9 3.846
-100.6 1.217 563.4 2.486 -91.5 1.979 550.1 3.939
-100.5 1.224 563.2 2.500 -91.0 2.029 549.4 4.035
-100.4 1.231 563.1 2.513 -90.5 2.081 548.7 4.131
-100.3 1.238 563.0 2.527 -90.0 2.133 547.9 4.230
-100.2 1.245 562.8 2.540 -89.5 2.186 547.2 4.330
-100.1 1.252 562.7 2.554 -89.0 2.241 546.4 4.432
-100.0 1.259 562.5 2.567 -88.5 2.296 545.7 4.536
Ethylene

Temperature Vapour pressure Liquid density Vapour density

(C) (bar, absolute) (kg/m3, vac) (kg/m3, vac)
-88.0 2.353 545.0 4.642
-87.5 2.410 544.2 4.749
-87.0 2.469 543.5 4.859
-86.5 2.528 542.7 4.970
-86.0 2.589 542.0 5.083
-85.5 2.651 541.2 5.198
-85.0 2.714 540.5 5.314
-84.5 2.778 539.7 5.433
-84.0 2.843 539.0 5.554
-83.5 2.909 538.2 5.676
-83.0 2.977 537.4 5.801

Vapour pressure International Thermodynamic Table of Fluid State, Propylene

Vapour density (UIPAC); S. Agnus, B. Armstrong, K.M. De Reuck, W.
Liquid density Featherstone, M.R. Gilson; Pergamon press; 1980.

Vapour density API Technical Data Book; 6.B1.1 ; 1966 (1976)