For internal use only!

APPLICATION REPORT Oil & Gas

Leak detection and localisation in a pipeline system for

petrochemical feedstock
• Continuous monitoring of 21 pipelines to comply with safety regulations
• Comprehensive solution including supply of mass flowmeters
• From consultation to instrumentation to integration, service and support –
everything from one source

1. Background
Lyondellbasell is one of the world’s premier plastics, chemicals and refining companies. At its largest
European polymer site in Wesseling, Germany, the company operates a system of 21 pipelines in
accordance with the Technical Rules for Pipelines ("Technische Regeln für Fernleitungen" – TRFL) 2010.
These pipelines are used to supply the site with petrochemical feedstock such as naphtha, propane,
butane or refined gases.

2. Measurement requirements
In order to meet regulatory needs and to ensure continuous operation, the company was required to
implement a leak detection system. Lyondellbasell was therefore searching for a technical solution
to monitor its pipeline system in accordance with Annex I, Section 7 of the TRFL. The pipeline leak
detection system was not only to detect and localise leaks down to the level of pinhole leaks. It was also
demanded that false alarms by the system be virtually eliminated. Line imbalances leading to false
alarms had thus to be properly considered from the start.

For this reason, it was of utmost importance that the system was capable of handling the various
influencing factors creating those line imbalances. The most challenging impacts on leak monitoring
were the different measuring instruments used in every pipeline, the various gas separators installed
next to the inlets of the flowmeters as well as the fact that standard density varies considerably and can
in many pipeline areas not be determined by density meters due to installation limitations.

The customer also demanded the system to be located centrally at the site.
It required the system to be installed in the central control room. It was to be
connected to the existing control system (PCS7).
 APPLICATION REPORT
For internal use only!

3. KROHNE solution
Lyondellbasell decided in favour of the PipePatrol pipeline leak detection system. The comprehensive
solution offered by KROHNE proved convincing. Right from the beginning, KROHNE cooperated with the
technical inspection association (TÜV) on the system design for full approval of the leak monitoring by
the local authorities. This involved extensive consultation and support of the customer as well as close
coordination with the local authorities during the whole approval procedure.
PipePatrol was subsequently commissioned, configured and calibrated on-site. The leak detection
system consists of a monitoring and an operating station, both of which were connected redundantly
to the customer’s OPC servers and integrated into its SCADA system (PCS7). PipePatrol operates
completely independent of all other PCS-controlled systems. It uses the measurements made available
via the process control system. As some pipelines still lacked the flow metering necessary to enable
pipeline monitoring, KROHNE also supplied the required Coriolis mass flowmeters: 10 OPTIMASS 6400
(DN 15, 100 / ½", 4"), 7 OPTIMASS 2300 (DN 100 / 4") and 5 OPTIMASS 1300 (DN 15, 50 / ½", 2").

4. Customer benefits
PipePatrol meets all regulatory requirements, thus allowing Lyondellbasell continuous pipeline operation.
This way, the company overcomes the risks and costs of non-compliance. Pipeline safety has been greatly
increased due to the excellent leak detection performance. The KROHNE system is able to detect leaks
as small as 10 m³/h (<1%) of the maximum transport rate within 6 minutes or less. There was no need
for the customer to change its instrumentation as PipePatrol is also able to maintain its high level of
performance using the volumetric measurements of orifice plates and comparable instrumentation. It was
another significant benefit for the customer that there was no need to modify the infrastructure for custody
transfer operations or to install additional density meters. PipePatrol’s unique E-RTTM approach with
Signature Analysis using pattern recognition can reliably distinguish between real leaks and imbalance
deviations caused by density changes or separation units. The customer also stands to gain from the
authority-compliant reports of PipePatrol DT. These automatically generated reports can be used to fulfill
the validation requirements as described in the code of practice VdTÜV 1051. In this way, the company
can prove to the authorities that a pipeline is free of pinhole leaks when closing the valves. Working
together with the main instrument vendor KROHNE pays off for Lyondellbasell. From consultation to
instrumentation to integration, service and support – everything has been provided from one source.

5. Product used
PipePatrol
• Pipeline leak detection and localisation system for gases and liquids
• E-RTTM (Extended Real Time Transient Model) based; meets API 1130 standards
• As independent solution or integrated into existing instrumentation and control systems
OPTIMASS 6400
• The standard high-performance Coriolis mass flowmeter
for the process industry, with Entrained Gas Management (EGMTM)
OPTIMASS 2300
© KROHNE 11/2015 -472- Subject to change without notice.

• Twin straight-tube Coriolis mass flowmeter for bulk, high volume and
CT measurement
OPTIMASS 1300
• Twin straight-tube Coriolis mass flowmeter for standard process applications

Contact
KROHNE Messtechnik GmbH
Ludwig-Krohne-Str. 5
47058 Duisburg
Germany
Tel.: +49 203 301 0
Fax: +49 203 301 103 89
info@krohne.com
Please visit our website for a current list of all KROHNE contacts and addresses.