33

 GRE Glass Reinforced Epoxy

 GRP Glass Reinforced Plastic
 FSO Floating Storage and Offloading
 DPR Department of Petroleum Resources
 EP Exploration and Production
 GS General Specification
 LCS Loss Control and Safety
 MAOP Maximum Operating Pressure
 Mol Wt Molecular Weight
 TEPNG Total Exploration & Production Nigeria Limited
 NPS Nominal Pipe Size
 OML Oil Mining Lease
 P&ID Process & Instrumentation Drawings
 PJM Project Management
 PRO Process
 SMR Site Modification Request
 NB Nominal Bore

3.3 Design Considerations

3.3.1 Codes, standards and specifications

The design took into account, applicable TEPNG (the client) General
Specifications, international codes/standards which include but not
limited to:
3.3.1.1 GS EP PVV 001 Correspondence between Elf and
Total Piping Material Classes.
3.3.1.2 GS EP PVV 111 Piping design specification
3.3.1.3 GS EP PVV 112 Piping material classes
3.3.1.4 GS EP PVV 119 Design of Standard Piping Support
3.3.1.5 GS EP PVV 148 Glass – Reinforced Plastic Piping
Materials (Tubes & Accessories)
3.3.1.6 GS EP PVV 178 Design and Erection of Glass
Reinforced Plastic (GRP) Piping System.
 34

3.3.1.7 ASME B 31.3 Code for Pressure Piping. Chemical

Plant and Petroleum Refinery Piping
3.3.1.8 GS EP ECP 103 Process Sizing Criteria

3.3.2 Scope of work

The scope of work included detailed engineering for Installation of the
new 28” GRE piping material and Cost Estimation required for EPCI
for the project.
The following main disciplines were involved:
 Process Engineering
 Piping Engineering
 Loss Control and Safety
For the purpose of this report, details will be provided on the Piping
Engineering as that is the field of interest of the report.

3.4 Piping Engineering

3.4.1 Piping materials
The applicable TEPNG Piping Classes in this project were Class B03
and B91 (see appendix B-1) in accordance with P&IDs NG-ODU-
UNITY-ASE-010202 (see Appendix B-2), NG-ODU-UNITY-ASE-
010204 (see Appendix B-3) and with the General Specification GS
EP PVV 148 for GRE material and GS EP PVV 112.
All piping components, flanges and gaskets were in accordance with
the piping material class and conformed to ASME B16.5, ASME
B16.11 and ASME B16.21.

3.4.2 Piping philosophy, routings and tie-in

See piping General Arrangement drawings NG-ODU-UNITY-ASE-
050501 (appendix B-4), NG-ODU-UNITY-ASE-050101 (appendix B-
5), NG-ODU-UNITY-ASE-050102 (appendix B-6), NG-ODU-UNITY-
ASE-050103 (appendix B-7) and Tie-In list document NG-ODU-
UNITY-ASE-050301 (appendix B-8).
The major pipe routing was the replacement of the decommissioned
28” carbon steel pipe on the discharge line (see NG-ODU-UNITY-
 35

ASE-050501), with 28” GRE pipe, at tie-in point 16-01 (see NG-
ODU-UNITY-ASE-050101). Other pipe routings which were majorly
temporary involved three pipe sizes. The first was the modification
of a 10” Carbon Steel piping. This was done by decommissioning of
a 10” cap on the line, 10"-NW-1801-B513, which was replaced
temporarily at tie-in point, 16-03, by two flanged carbon steel
spools holding a ball valve in place. This connection preceded the
10” flexible hose which spanned all the way to the portside. On
approaching the portside, there was a carbon steel connection
between the flexible hose running from the tie-in point (16-03) and
all the way down the portside to the sea. This was done to enable
the vacuum breaker, which is made of carbon steel, to be installed.
The vacuum breaker was not installed with the initial carbon steel
connection at the tie-in point because it has to be very close to the
portside.
The second temporary pipe routing was the modification of a 20”
GRE Piping connected to the 28” header. This was to stop flow to
the 28” header during the period of maintenance. This was done by
temporarily decommissioning the GRE line, 20"-SW-2450-B700 and
replacing it with a 20” carbon steel line, 20"-SW-2451-B513, at tie-
in point, 16-02. This 20” carbon steel line was reduced to 12” by a
20”x12” eccentric reducer. But between the tie-in point, 16-02 and
the reducer was placed a 20”x4” weldolet (on the 20” carbon steel
line) carrying a 4” carbon steel weldneck flange to retain the
connection of the existing 4” GRE line, 4"-SW-2407-B630, with the
initially existing but temporarily decommissioned 20” GRE line.
This temporary connection between the 4” carbon steel weldneck
flange and the 4” GRE line was at tie-in point, 16-04. After the
20”x12” reducer was placed a 12” carbon steel line 12”-SW-2451-
B513, routed towards the starboard (away from the 28” header)
carrying the 12”x6” vacuum breaker which was close to the
starboard, before the introduction of a 12” flexible hose connected
down to the sea at the starboard.
 36

Also, the valve controlling flow from line 10"-NW-1801-B513 to line

10"-NW-1802-B513, which connects to the 28” header, was
temporarily shut down, to stop flow from the line to the header
during the period of maintenance and also to allow for temporary
cutting and blinding of the line 10"-NW-1802-B513, at tie-in point
16-05, so as to avoid clash with the 12” line, 12”-SW-2451-B513,
running to the starboard.
All temporary connections were decommissioned after maintenance
was completely carried out on the 28” header (discharge line), while
previously existing but temporarily decommissioned connections were
put back in place.

3.5 Project Costing

3.5.1 Bill of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation (B.E.M.E)

S/ Component Nominal Unit

Qty Price ($)
N Description Size (in) Price ($)
1. Pipe for 12bars
28 22m 30.00 660.00
Manuf. Std – GRE
Pipe (GRE) –
2.
Bondstrand with 4 22m 10.00 220.00
quicklock ends
90o LR elbow – Cu-Ni
3. 4 1 25.00 25.00
– CL150
90o LR elbow – GRE –
4. CL150 – bondstrand 4 1 30.00 30.00
heavy duty hub flange
Flange – Bondstrand
5. 2000 heavy duty hub 28 1 100.00 100.00
flange – GRE – CL150
Flange – Bondstrand
2000 heavy duty hub
6. 4 2 45.00 90.00
flange – GRE – CL150

7. Flange – Composite 2 1 35.00 35.00

flange WN stub end
stock finish A105 –
 37

GRE – CL150
Flat gasket –
8. Neoprene 3mm thk 28 1 15.00 15.00
shore – CL150
Flat gasket –
9. Neoprene 3mm thk 4 2 3.00 6.00
shore – CL150
Studs – A193 B7 + 2
washers Hh Nut A192 1
10. 2H Zinc- 28 8.50 238.00
1
×195 mm
plate/bichromate 4
treated
Studs – A193 B7 + 2
washers Hh Nut A192
5
11. 2H Zinc- 16 5.00 80.00
8
plate/bichromate
treated

Total cost of the line design is $1,499.00

N/B: All cost are not exact, but are approximate values within range
of the quoted values above.

3.5.2 Bill of Engineering Measurement (B.E.M.)

 38

The B.E.M. is a template for carrying out B.E.M.E. It gives details of

the engineering component to be valued but without quantity and cost
as that will be filled in by the designer as appropriate.

S/ Component Nominal Unit

Qty Price ($)
N Description Size (in) Price ($)
1. Pipe for 12bars
28
Manuf. Std – GRE
Pipe (GRE) –
2.
Bondstrand with 4
quicklock ends
90o LR elbow – Cu-Ni
3. 4
– CL150
90o LR elbow – GRE –
4. CL150 – bondstrand 4
heavy duty hub flange
Flange – Bondstrand
5. 2000 heavy duty hub 28
flange – GRE – CL150
Flange – Bondstrand
2000 heavy duty hub
6. 4
flange – GRE – CL150

Flange – Composite
flange WN stub end
7. 2
stock finish A105 –
GRE – CL150
Flat gasket –
Neoprene 3mm thk
8. 28
shore – CL150

Flat gasket –
9. Neoprene 3mm thk 4
shore – CL150
10. Studs – A193 B7 + 2 1
washers Hh Nut A192
1
×195 mm
2H Zinc- 4
 39

plate/bichromate
treated
Studs – A193 B7 + 2
washers Hh Nut A192
5
11. 2H Zinc-
8
plate/bichromate
treated

3.6 Recommendations
 Routine checks and maintenance should be carried out
regularly to avoid failure or shutdown of operation which could
lead to extra loss or cost.
 More research should be done as to determine materials with
better resistance to harsh operating conditions so as to reduce
damage on piping systems and operations.

3.7 Conclusion

With the right equipment and technical knowledge of an existing

facility, replacement is possible of any damaged part. This could also
have an advantage as it brings out a better performance of the facility
especially when a material upgrade is implemented.