Part 5

Pipeline Pigging

Dr Asaad Kareem 1
What is Pigging?

Dr Asaad Kareem 2
What is Pipeline Pigging ?
Pigs
– Pipeline Pigging refers to the practice of using devices or implements known as 'pigs' to
perform various cleaning, clearing, maintenance, inspection, dimensioning, process and
pipeline testing operations on new and existing pipelines.

Why is it called pigging?

– "PIG" stands for Pipeline Inspection Gauge" or "Pipeline Intervention Gadget".

– The other states that a leather-bound pig was being sent through the pipeline, and
while it passed, the leather squeaked against the sides of the pipe, sounding like a
squealing pig.

Pigging Operation
– The process of driving the pig through a pipeline by fluid.
Dr Asaad Kareem 3
What is Pigging?

– During pipeline construction, pigging is used for debris removing, gauging, cleaning,
flooding, and dewatering.

– During fluid production operations, pigging is utilized for removing wax in oil
pipelines, removing liquids in gas pipelines, and meter proving.

– Pigging is widely employed for pipeline inspection purposes such as wall thickness
measurement and detection of spanning and burial.

– Pigging is also run for coating the inside surface of pipeline with inhibitor and
providing pressure resistance during other pipeline maintenance operations.

– For existing operational pipelines pigging is normally performed without stopping the
flow of the product in the pipeline.
Dr Asaad Kareem 4
Purpose of Pigging?
1) to batch or separate dissimilar products;

2) to displace undesirable materials;

3) to perform internal inspections.

Pigging Categories
1) Utility Pigs, which are used to perform functions such as cleaning, separating, or dewatering.

2) In-Line Inspection Tools (intelligent inspection pigs), which provide information on the
condition of the line, as well as the extent and location of any problems.

3) Gel Pigs, which are used in conjunction with conventional pigs to optimize pipeline dewatering,
cleaning, and drying tasks.
Dr Asaad Kareem 5
Utility Pigs

• Utility pigs can be divided into two groups based upon their fundamental
purpose:
(1) cleaning pigs used to remove solid or semi-solid deposits or debris
from the pipeline,
(2) sealing pigs used to provide a good seal in order to either sweep
liquids from the line, or provide an interface between two dissimilar
products within the pipeline.

• Utility pigs include various types or forms of pigs:

 Spherical Pigs,
 Foam Pigs,
 Mandrel Pigs,
 Solid Cast Pigs
Dr Asaad Kareem 6
Spherical Pigs
 Spherical pigs are usually made of polyurethane and filled with a water/glycol mixture.
 They should never be run in lines that do not have special flow tees installed.
 They can be inflatable, solid, foam, and soluble.
 Spheres should never be inflated with air.

Spheres are commonly used to:

 Remove liquids from wet gas systems.
 Serve to prove fluid meters.
 Control paraffin in crude oil pipelines.
 Flood pipeline to conduct hydrostatic test.
 Dewater after pipeline rehabilitation or new construction.
Dr Asaad Kareem 7
Foam Pigs
 Foam pigs, also known as Polly-Pigs, are molded from
polyurethane foam with various configurations.
 They are normally manufactured in a bullet shape.
 The standard foam pig length is twice the diameter.
 They are compressible, expandable, lightweight, and flexible.

 The disadvantages of foam pigs are that they are one-time use products, shorter length of
runs, and high concentrations of some acids will shorten life.

Foam pigs are used for:

 Pipeline proving, drying and wiping, removal of thick soft deposits, condensate removal in
wet gas pipelines, and pigging multiple diameter lines.
 Foam pigs coated with wire brush or silicon carbide are used for scraping and mild abrasion.
Dr Asaad Kareem 8
Steel Mandrel Pigs

 Steel pigs are a more long-term, long-life pig. They consist of a steel mandrel body with
easily replaceable sealing elements (cups and discs)
 A mandrel pig has a central body tube, or mandrel, and various components can be
assembled onto the mandrel to configure a pig for a specific duty.

 The mandrel pig can be either a cleaning pig, sealing pig, or

a combination of both.
 Cleaning pigs are designed for heavy scraping and can be
equipped with wire brushes or polyurethane blades. .
The advantage of steel pipeline pigs is the ability to replace
the wearing components (cups, discs, brushes, etc.), which
make the pig reusable.
Dr Asaad Kareem 9
Solid Cast Pigs

 Solid cast pigs are usually molded in one piece, from

polyurethane, neoprene, nitrile, Viton, and other rubber
elastomers.
 Solid cast pigs are considered sealing pigs although some solid
cast pigs are available with wraparound brushes and can be used
for cleaning purposes.
 The solid cast pig is available in the cup, disc, or a combination cup/disc design.
 Because of the cost to redress a mandrel pig, 14 or 16 in solid cast pigs are used.

Solid cast pigs are extremely effective in removing liquids from product pipelines, removing
condensate and water from wet gas systems, and controlling paraffin buildup in crude oil systems.

Dr Asaad Kareem 10
In-Line Inspection Tools (ILI)
ILI tools are used to carry out various types of tasks including:
 Measuring pipe diameter/geometry
 Monitoring pipeline curvature
 Determining pipeline profile
 Recording temperature/pressure
 Measuring bend
 Detecting metal loss/corrosion
 Performing photographic inspection
 Detecting crack
 Measuring wax deposition
 Detecting leak
 Taking product samples, and
 Mapping
Dr Asaad Kareem 11
In-Line Inspection Tools (ILI)

 Ultrasonic ILI tools are used for measuring metal loss and detecting cracks in pipelines.
 Ultrasonic tools are especially suitable if there are high requirements regarding sensitivity and
accuracy, which is especially relevant in offshore pipelines.
 Ultrasound tools are also well suited with regard to the range of wall thicknesses usually experienced
in offshore lines.
Dr Asaad Kareem 12
Gel Pigs
 Gel Pigs are chemically constructed with a rigid or semi-rigid structure.
 Most pipeline gels are water-based, but a range of chemicals, solvents, and even acids can be gelled.
 Gel pigs have been developed for use in pipeline operations, either during initial commissioning or
as a part of a continuing maintenance program.

The principal pipeline applications for gel pigs are as follows:

 Product separation  Condensate removal from gas lines

 Debris removal  Inhibitor and biocide laydown
 Line filling/hydrotesting  Special chemical treatment, and
 Dewatering and drying  Removal of stuck pigs

 The four main types of gel used in pipeline applications are batching or separator gel, debris pickup
gel, hydrocarbon gel, and dehydrating gel.
Dr Asaad Kareem 13
Gel Pigs
 Gel pigs have been developed for use in pipeline operations, either during initial
commissioning or as a part of a continuing maintenance program.
 The gel can be pumped through any line accepting liquids.
 Gel pigs can be used alone (in liquid lines), in place of batching pigs, or in conjunction
with various types of conventional pigs.
 Gel pigs do not wear out in service like conventional pigs. They can, however, be
susceptible to dilution and gas cutting.

Dr Asaad Kareem 14
Launcher and Receiver

 Pigs generally need specially designed launching and receiving vessels (launcher and receiver) to
introduce them into the pipeline.
 The launcher and receiver are installed at the upstream and downstream of the pipeline section being
pigged, respectively.
 The distance between the launcher and receiver depends on the service, location of pump (liquid
product) or compressor (gas product) stations, operating procedures, and the materials used in the pig.
 In crude oil pipeline systems, the distance between launcher and receiver can be as long as 500 miles
for spheres and 300 miles for pigs.
 In gas transmission service, the distance between the launcher and receiver can be as long as 200
miles for spheres and 100 miles for pigs, depending on the amount of lubrication used.
 The launcher and receiver consist of a quick opening closure for access, an oversized barrel, a
reducer and a neck pipe for connection to the pipeline.

Dr Asaad Kareem 15
Launcher and Receiver (Liquid)
 The horizontal barrel in the launcher holds the pig for loading. The horizontal barrel in the
receiver holds the pig for unloading.
 A barrel diameter 2 in. larger than the diameter of pipeline is recommended for both
launchers and receivers. The barrel length should be 1.5 times the pig length and long
enough to hold 10 or more spheres.

Configuration of pig launcher (liquid services) Configuration of pig receiver (liquid services)
Dr Asaad Kareem 16
Launcher and Receiver (Gas)
 The inclined barrels should be long enough to hold 10 or more spheres.
 In large-diameter gas pipelines, the barrel diameter can be 1 in. larger than the pipeline.

Configuration of pig launcher (gas services) Configuration of pig receiver (gas services)
Dr Asaad Kareem 17
Pigging Procedure

1. Pressure and flow rate;

2. Prerun inspection;

3. Pig launching and receiving;

4. Freeing a “stuck” pig.

Dr Asaad Kareem 18
Pigging Procedure: (1) Pressure and Flow Rate
 Any pigging operation should
follow a safe procedure that is
suitable to the given pipeline
conditions.

 Operating pigging pressures and

fluid flow rates should be controlled
carefully.

 Velocity of driving fluid is usually

between 3 ft per second to 5 ft per
second during pigging.

Dr Asaad Kareem 19
Pigging Procedure: (2) Prerun Inspection
 If the pig has been run before, it should be inspected to assure it will run again
without stopping in the pipeline.
 Measure the outside diameter of the pig’s sealing surface. This diameter must be
larger than the inside pipe diameter to maintain a good seal.
 Inspect the sealing surfaces to assure there are no cuts, tears, punctures or other
damage that will affect the pig’s ability to run in the pipeline.
 The unrestrained diameter of brush pigs should also be measured to assure that the
brushes will maintain contact with the pipe wall during the complete run.
 When using brush type mandrel cleaning pigs, the brushes should be inspected for
corrosion or breakage.
 All components of brush type mandrel pigs should be checked to be certain that
they are tight and in good condition.
Dr Asaad Kareem 20
Pigging Procedure: (3) Pig Launching and Receiving
 Pig launchers are used to launch the pig into the pipeline.
1. To launch pigs, make sure that the isolation valve and the kicker valves are closed.
2. In liquid systems, open the drain valve and allow air to displace the liquid by opening the vent
valve.
3. In natural gas systems, open the vent and vent the launcher to atmospheric pressure.
4. When the pig launcher is completely drained (no pressure left), with the vent and drain valves
still open, open the trap (closure) door.
5. Install the pig with the nose firmly in contact with the reducer between the barrel and the
nominal bore section of the launcher.
6. Clean the closure seal and other sealing surfaces, lubricate if necessary, and close and secure
the closure door.
7. Close the drain valve. Slowly fill the trap by gradually opening the kicker valve and venting
through the vent valve.

Dr Asaad Kareem 21
Pigging Procedure: Pig Launching and Receiving
8. When the filling is completed, close the vent valve to allow pressure to equalize across the
isolation valve.
9. Open the isolation valve. The pig is ready for launching.
10. Partially close the main line valve. This will increase the flow through the kicker valve and
behind the pig.
11. Continue to close the main line valve until the pig leaves the trap into the main line as
indicated by the pig signaler.
12. After the pig leaves the trap and enters the main line, fully open the main line valve.
13. Close the isolation valve and the kicker valve.
14. The pig launching is complete.

Dr Asaad Kareem 22
Pigging Procedure: (3) Pig Launching and Receiving
 Pig receivers are used to receive the pigs after they have made a successful run.
1. To receive pigs, make sure the receiver is pressurized.
2. Fully open the bypass valve.
3. Fully open the isolation valve and partially close the main line valve.
4. Monitor the pig signaler for pig arrival.
5. Close the isolation valve and bypass valve.
6. Open the drain valve and the vent valve.
7. Check the pressure gauge on the receiver to assure the trap is completely depressurized.
8. Open the trap closure and remove the pig from the receiver.
9. Clean the closure seal and other sealing surfaces, lubricate if necessary, and close and secure
the trap (closure) door.
10. Return the receiver to the original condition.

Dr Asaad Kareem 23
Pigging Procedure: (4) Freeing a “Stuck” Pig
 The goals of “pigging” a pipeline include not only running pigs to remove a product or to
clean the line, but to do the work without sticking the pig.

 A pig tracking system consists of a transmitter mounted on the pig, an antenna, and a receiver that
records and stores each pig passage.
 Sometimes a pig without a transmitter fails to come in to the receiver because it gets stuck
somewhere in the line.
 When this happens, the pig cups usually flip forward and flow continues around the stuck pig.
 In order to find the stuck pig, another pig with a transmitter is launched and tracked closely at all
points that are readily accessible.
 When the transmitter pig passes one tracking point but never reaches the next point, it is assumed the
transmitter pig has reached the stuck pig and they are both stuck.
 Both pigs and the debris ahead of the pigs are then removed by cutting the pipe behind and well
ahead of the stuck pig.

Dr Asaad Kareem 24
Activity
Review Questions

1) What is pipeline pigging?

2) What are the main features of pigging procedure?

3) What is the purpose of pigging?

Dr Asaad Kareem 25