HOT TAPPING

A. GENERAL
This procedure provides guidelines covering the safety aspects to be considered when welding a hot tap connection onto a pipe or vessel
installed in a refinery, chemical plant, or other similar facility, or lines that contained product. It is not a substitute for job planning. A detailed
written procedure shall be prepared for each hot tap.This procedure does not apply to hot taps on gas or liquefied petroleum transmission
pipelines or service taps on gas distribution mains. These procedures apply to piping and equipment fabricated from ferritic and austenitic
steel. Materials such as aluminum, copper, or cast iron are not addressed.Hot tapping shall be performed by qualified professionals who
specialize in performing such work on a frequent basis.Client representatives should be included from initial designs through hot tap
completion (safety,construction, operations, maintenance, etc.) An engineered design with a drawing approval cycle shall be
implemented for the proposed hottap. The design shall include:
metallurgical analysis, including wall thickness, determination by ultrasonic test (UT);
in-process controls and inspections to assure conformance to design;
approval of Contractor/Subcontractor procedures; and a review and approval by Owner
B . M E T A L L U R G Y
Vessels or lines to be hot tapped must be properly inspected for adequate wall thickness and absence of imperfections to minimize the
risk of burn-through. Qualified welders shall adhere to controlled welding techniques to prevent over heating.A thorough inspection of
each connection area must verify that the metal thickness is adequate forthe pressure and temperature involved. There must be no
lamination or other imperfections. Hottaps should only be made in lamination-free areas with adequate metal thickness.
Burn-Through Prevention
To minimize the possibility of burn-through, the first weld pass to the equipment should be madeutilizing applicable regulatory agency
standard guidelines. Subsequent passes should be madewith a one-eighth inch (1/8) (3.2 millimeter) electrode diameter or less if the
metal thicknessdoes not exceed one-half inch (1/2) (12.8 millimeters). In many situations, low hydrogen rodsmay be preferable to reduce
the possibility of burn-through. For a wall thickness greater than one-half inch (1/2) (12.8 millimeters) where burn-through is not a primary
concern, larger diameterelectrodes may be used.
Metal Thickness
Generally, a minimum base metal thickness of three-sixteenths inch (3/16) (4.8 millimeters) isrecommended for hot tapping. Exceptions
to the recommended thickness may be permitted whenengineer specifications allow. Welding on thin material could result in overheating
and burn-through. If practical, temporarily reduce the pressure and/or temperature within the equipment toprovide an additional safety
factor while welding takes place.
Metal Temperature
If the metal temperature is less than 50F (10C), heating the weld area before welding should be considered. Generally, welding should
not be performed on lines or equipment when atmospheric temperature is less than -50F (-45C) unless special consideration is given
to the base metal characteristics, electrodes, and a method of metal preheating. Hot tap machines should also be checked for suitability of
use at low temperatures. Under all circumstances, hot tapping should be limited to the pressure/temperature rating of the machine.
Stress Relief
Some equipment is unsuitable for hot tapping because the metallurgy or thickness of metal requires stress relieving, which normally
cannot be done while the equipment is pressurized.Special treatment is required for high tensile strength alloy steels; special-welding
electrodes must be used. Hot tap fitting and weld rod metallurgy must be compatible with the metallurgy of equipment to be tapped.
Chemistry of Line or Vessel Contents
The oxygen level within the equipment must be controlled to prevent the formation of a vapor/air mixture within flammable or explosive
ranges. In addition, contents of the line or vessel being hot tapped must not contain the following:
hydrogen, where the equipment has operated above the Nelson curve limits, because of the possibility of hydrogen molecules attaching
to the metal;
vapor/air or vapor/oxygen mixtures within flammable or explosive ranges;
acids, chlorides, peroxides, or other chemicals likely to decompose or become hazardous from the heat of welding;
caustic or amine if the concentration and temperature are such that the fabrication specifications call for stress relieving; and
certain unsaturated hydrocarbons that may experience exothermic decomposition reaction(ethylene, for example) if the metal
temperature resulting from hot tapping could initiatesuch a reaction at the maximum expected pressure. Such reactions could have
thepotential for causing localized hot spots on pipe walls that could lead to failure.

C . R E Q U I R E M E N T S
Hot work on pipelines and other operating equipment shall not be applied for pressures less than atmospheric or greater than seven
hundred (700) pounds per square inch per grade (psig) and

temperatures less than 70F (20) or greater than 600F without additional extensive engineering and/or consultation with appropriate
industrial specialists.
The pipe, tank, or vessel walls must be at least the minimum thickness for the design temperature and pressure plus three-thirty-
seconds of an inch (3/32), but in no case less than three-sixteenths of an inch (3/16"). The thickness must be confirmed by ultrasonic
testing.
The metallurgy of the pipe, tank or vessel shall be fully determined prior to welding.
Hot taps shall not be performed upstream of rotating equipment without filters or traps toretain cuttings.
The chance of blow through is greatest on welds running longitudinal to the pipeline.Therefore, on full encirclement fittings the only welds
made directly to the pipe are the end circumferential welds.
Minimum velocity (flow) of the fluid/gas shall be specified in the job plan for each hot tap.
Pipelines with high flow rates or refrigerated liquids tend to result in too rapid quenching of the weld which may contribute to weld
cracking problems. Bolt-on tees, suitable for the service, may be used where weld cracking or stress relief is a problem.
D . H O T T A P M A C H I N E S
All hot tapping machines must be certified with documented proof of certification for maximumworking pressure and temperature rating.
The machine must be able to positively retain andremove the blank or coupon. They may be powered by hand, air, hydraulic fluids, or
electricity.A hot tap machine can be considered suitable if the pressure and temperature of the medium insidethe line or vessel falls within
the working limits of the hot tap machine. The seals and materials of the hot tap machine must be compatible with the fluids in the line or
vessel and the material of thedrill or cutter must be suitable for effective penetration of the metal of the pipe or vessel.Before hot tapping is
attempted, the machine, cutter and pilot bit should be carefully inspected toensure that they are in satisfactory condition and capable of
being left in service, if necessary, inthe event of mechanical problems or hot tap valve leakage.
E . P R E P A R A T I O N
Mounting, assembling, and operation of the hot tapping machine shall be performed by personneltrained for this purpose. Selection of the
proper fitting and reinforcement for use in making the hottap connection shall be based on the proper codes (refer to API). The overall
fitting and valveassembly length must not exceed the machine boring bar maximum travel. Weldolets, weld-ends,split tees, saddles,
nozzles, branch-o-lets, or plain meters may be used depending on thereinforcement needed. If hot tap diameter is greater than fifty
percent (50%) of the run pipediameter, full encirclement pads or split tees shall be used

The geometry of the fitting attachment shall be determined before welding. Careful measurementsmust be made to assure that:
tapping machine has sufficient overhead clearance for its full travel;
the valve is sufficiently deep so that the pilot bit clears the valve seat when retracted;
the tapping machine cutting rod is of sufficient length to cut entirely through the pipe, vessel,or tank wall;
for piping, the cutter does not cut the opposite wall of the pipe;
the cutter head is of sufficient depth to cut heavy wall vessels and pipes; and
the proper angularity (if kept between the nozzle and the wall) and all elements (seat rings,bolt circles, etc.) are concentric with each
other to prevent the jamming or obstruction of thecutter in its travel.If the hot tap is not vertical, a nipple with attached small gate valve shall
be welded to the bottomof the tapping valve for blowing or washing cuttings out of the seating area.A Safety Action Plan, Job Safety
Analysis and Safety Task Assignment (STA) procedures shall beimplemented before the task is executed.
F . W E L D I N G P R O C E D U R E
Welding must be performed using welding procedures qualified to the applicable code and specifications and welders qualified to the
welding procedures, code, and specification.
On storage tanks the liquid level shall be at least three (3) feet above any welding. Floating roof tanks shall have roofs floating. Welding
should not be permitted on the deck of a floating roof except under very carefully controlled conditions. Emergency exit plans shall be in
place before starting work on such roofs. Additionally, extreme caution is advised when welding inthe following locations of floating roof
tanks:- I n s i d e t h e p o n t o o n . -Between the deck and li quid surface near the tank roof gauge float
compartment.- N e a r t h e r o o f s e a l v e n t . - Near t he f l oat i ng r oof l i f t l eg vent . - Bet ween
t he pr i mar y and secondar y seal s.
Nozzles shall be beveled 45- 50from the outside. The entire weld on carbon steel nozzles shall be made with American Welding
Standards of Engineering (A.W.S.E.) -7018 electrodes or equivalent.
Nozzle pad shall be air or nitrogen tested, and soaped for leaks.
Hot taps should be performed on flowing lines with exceptions requiring attention as below:-Static lines shall be full and properly
vented if run is less than twenty (20) feet.-Welding shall not be done on empty or partially full lines without proper
purging and testing.-The degree of hazard on lines carrying gas under pressure shall determine if a hot tap can be
performed safely

Hot taps within eighteen inches (18) of a pipe anchor, expansion joint, expansion loop,flanged connection, or threaded connection shall
be avoided.
The hot tap fitting shall be full-fusion welded to the equipment to be tapped (normally) at a right angle. The fitting shall be contoured to the
shape with a nozzle bevel and one-eighth inch(1/8) gap to permit full penetration weld. Longitudinal welds on encirclement tees, saddles
and sleeves shall not tie onto pipe.
Before the tap is made, a test on the branch shall be carried out with valve in position to test valve gaskets and packing and to check
attachment weld. Hydrostatic testing shall be done at temperatures below 203F (95C). Pneumatic testing, using air or nitrogen, shall be
done at temperatures above 203F (95C). Soaping for leaks shall be used for pneumatic testing.
Additional testing such as radiograph, dye penetrant, or magnetic particles may be used for testing. These additional tests shall not
substitute for the pneumatic test.
G . R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y
It shall be the Project/Site Manager's responsibility to review and justify the need for performing hot taps (ensure alternatives have been
exhausted) and for assuring that the Hot Tap Permit has been completed and signed by all designees.The Project/Site Manager is
responsible for ensuring that the people required to perform the hot tapping work are trained and qualified.
H . E X C E P T I O N S T O T H I S P O L I C Y
All exceptions must be approved and signed-off by a Registered Professional Mechanical Engineer in conjunction with the Project/Site
Manager and Owner.
ATTACHMENT A: HOT TAP PERMIT