A Presentation on Pipelines Material

Selection in Oil & Gas Industry

Types of Pipeline in Oil & Gas Industry:

Injection lines: Pipelines injecting water / steam / polymer / gas into the wells to
improve the lift.
Flow lines: Pipelines from the well head to the nearest processing facility.
Trunk lines / Inter field lines: Pipelines between two processing facilities or from
pig trap to pig trap or from block valve station to block valve station.
Export lines / Loading lines: From the processing facility to the loading or export
point.
Transfer lines / Spur lines: Branch line exiting into trunk line or export line.
Gathering lines: One or more segment of pipelines forming network and
connected from the wells to processing facilities.
Disposal lines: Pipe line which disposes normally produced water into disposal
wells (shallow / deep).
Subsea pipelines: Pipe lines connecting the offshore production platforms to on
shore processing facilities.

Pipeline Typical Flow Scheme Export Crude (Fig. 1):

Fig. 1: Figure showing Pipeline Typical Flow Scheme Export Crude

Pipeline Typical Flow Scheme Export Gas (Fig. 2):

Fig. 2: Figure showing Pipeline Typical Flow Scheme Export Gas

Pipeline Typical flow scheme Offshore (Fig. 3):

Fig. 3: Figure showing Pipeline Typical Flow Scheme Offshore

Codes used in Oil & Gas Industries:

Design and Construction:

ASME B31.4 Pipeline transportation Systems for liquid hydrocarbons and other
liquids
ASME B31.8 Gas Transmission and distribution piping systems
ISO 13623 Petroleum and Natural gas industries Pipeline transportation
systems
DNV F-101 Offshore Standard for submarine pipeline systems

Sour Applications:

NACE MR-01-75 Sulphide stress cracking resistant materials for oilfield

equipment
ISO 15156 Materials for use in H2S containing environments in oil and gas
production

Materials:

API 5L Specification for line pipe

API 5LC Specification for CRA line pipe
API 5LD Specification for CRA clad or Lined pipe
API 5LE Specification for Polyethylene line pipe
ISO 3183 Petroleum & Natural gas industries Steel Pipe
ISO 14692 Petroleum and Natural gas industries Glass Reinforced plastic
piping
AWWA M 45 Fibre glass pipe design

Pipeline Fittings:

ISO 15590 1 Pipeline Induction bends

ISO 15590 2 Pipeline Fittings
ISO 15590 3 Pipeline Flanges
MSS SP 75 Specification for High test Wrought Butt welding fittings
MSS SP 44 Steel Pipeline Flanges
ASTM A 694 Steel forgings for high pressure transmission service

Valves:

API 6D Pipeline valves

API 594 Check valves
API 608 Metal Ball Valves
API 609 Butterfly valves
ISO 14313 Petroleum & Natural gas industries Pipeline valves

Other Pipeline Components:

Pig launcher / Pig receivers

Barred Tees
Isolation Joints
Pig signallers
Corrosion monitoring fittings
Shrink sleeves / External coatings / Cathodic protection for buried lines

Corrosion Threats in Oil & Gas:

CO2 Corrosion (Sweet Corrosion) General metal loss due to the presence of
CO2 in the process fluid.
H2S Corrosion (Sour Corrosion) Localized metal cracking and corrosion due to
presence of H2S in the process fluid.
Chlorides and Bicarbonates Cracking in the metal due to the presence of stress
and chlorides in the process fluid.
Corrosion due to Oxygen Oxidation and metal loss due to the contact of metal
with oxygen in the process fluid.
Microbiologically induced corrosion Bacteria that induces corrosion particularly
within H2S
Erosion (Abrasion) corrosion Corrosion due to the fluid flow and velocity
within the pipe environments.
Corrosion (External) Threats in the facilities External atmospheric corrosion on
above ground lines and corrosion due to soil for buried lines.
Corrosion Under Insulation External corrosion due to water ingress under the
insulating materials.

Material Selection Process:

Identify corrosion threats

Define the corrosion circuits
Calculate the corrosion rate per year
Calculate the Service Life Corrosion (SLC) based on design life
Consider the materials options
Carry out the Life Cycle Costing (LCC) Capex / Opex / Install
Review the materials selection w.r.t design / operating / constructability
Finally select the choice materials

Corrosion Agents in Oil & Gas:

Carbon Dioxide CO2

Hydrogen Sulphide H2S
Oxygen O2
Chlorides ClWater H2O

Material Options

Metals:

CS with corrosion allowance

Stainless Steel
Duplex Stainless Steel
Super Duplex Stainless Steel

Metals + Lining:

CS with internally coated FBE

CS with internal PE lining
CRA clad / lined materials

Non Metals:

Glass Reinforced Epoxy (GRE)

Polyethylene (HDPE)

Advantages & Disadvantages of Material Options (Fig. 4):

Fig. 4: Advantages and Disadvantages of materials

Corrosion Control in Oil & Gas Pipeline Chemical Injections
Description:

Purpose of injection

Corrosion inhibitor:
Basically meant for CS pipelines, forms a
layer of film on the surface and protects the core pipe from corrosion attack.
Batch injection or continuous
Scale Inhibitor:
Prevents scale formation in the pipelines by dissolving
scale forming salts
Wax inhibitor :
Dissolves the wax within the crude
Oxygen Scavenger :
Reacts and removes oxygen in the fluid
Biocide:
Destroys the bacteria , algae and fungi in the process fluid.
Coagulant / Anti foam: Normally mixed in the separators to improve mixing and
reducing the foam
Demulsifier:
Prevents emulsion in the multiphase system
Dehydration agents:
Removes moisture in the gas normally Glycol injection

Odorant:
leakage

Added to the fluid to add smell and detect the