THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC

Material Verification of New Construction and Vintage

Pipeline Projects

Brian Wilson
Business Development
 OVERVIEW

• Inform Pipeline Quality Manager & QA/QC Dept how to “Trust but Verify” MTR’s
by checking the material chemistry with handheld x-ray fluorescence.

• API 578 certification – material verification program

• PHMSA Advisory Bulletin ABD-09-01

• Hazardous Liquids Inspection Verification Process (HL IVP)

• XRF theory and operations

• Carbon Equivalency
Material Verification Program
What is a Material Verification Program?
 API RP 578
material verification program
3.10
A documented quality assurance procedure used to
assess metallic alloy materials (including weldments
and attachments where specified) to verify
conformance with the selected or specified alloy
material designated by the owner/user.
 API RP 578
Material Verification Program for New and Existing
Alloy Piping Systems
 API RP 578
Components in a Material Verification Program
• Pipe Lengths

• Piping components

• Flanges

• Special forgings

• Pressure containing welds

• Process valves including control and relief valves

MEETING CUSTOMER
SPECIFICATIONS
Verify all critical materials conform to
customer requirements independent of
certifications and markings from
manufacturer.
PRODUCT RELIABILITY AND
SAFETY
Ensure dangerously inappropriate
materials are not incorporated into
the completed process plant, either
by accident or well-meant but
misinformed actions.
SAFEGUARDS
Follow good engineering practice per
OSHA’s National Emphasis Program (NEP)
safeguarding accidents, injuries and death
API RECOMMENDED
PRACTICE
Follow recommended practice of
equipment assessment through
Retroactive PMI Program in
accordance with API 578.
OBJECTIVE QUALITY
EVIDENCE
Provide documentary evidence
to authorities that reasonable
quality procedures have been
used in building any plant where
failure could have serious
consequences
RISK REDUCTION
Mitigate corporate risk and provide
proof positive to regulators by
ensuring correct materials are in place
and supported with evidentiary
documentation
MAINTAIN
TRACEABILITY
Boost your material verification
process to provide 100% quality
assurance that components
removed during routine
maintenance activities are
replaced with the appropriate
material for service application
CORROSION CONTROL
Detect light and residual
elements for corrosion control
(i.e. sulfidation corrosion and HF
alkylation systems)
ACCURATE MATERIAL
IDENTIFICATION
Identify material other than that
specified and to allow for an
appropriate body to judge its
suitability.
FASTER PROBLEM
SOLVING
Identify and solve problems
faster, and even anticipate them
before they occur by having
access to real-time information
across the organization.
 PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIAL SAFETY ADMINISTRATION

Liquid Pipelines in USA-190,000 Miles Gas Pipelines in USA-2.4M Miles

 PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin 09-01 on May 21, 2009

• This bulletin advises pipeline operators of material problems –

inconsistent chemical (PSL 2 specifications) and material properties
(Yield Strengths, & Tensile Strengths) that have been found in micro
alloyed high-strength line pipe grades, generally grade X-70 and above.

• Some pipe material did not meet the requirements of the American
Petroleum Institute, Specification for Line Pipe—5L, (API 5L), 43rd edition
for the specified pipe grade even though the pipe supplier provided
documentation that the pipe met these minimum standards ( MTR’S )

• It suggests that pipeline operators closely review manufacturing

specifications for the production and rolling of steel plate. ( Trust by Verify
with PMI )
 PHMSA-Low Chemistry Plains Justice report on 2009 Bulletin.pdf

• PHMSA investigated seven pipelines, five confirmed contained

defective pipe

• Use of Substandard Steel by the U.S. Pipeline Industry 2007 to 2009

• A number of pipe mills provided P/L Suppliers from India, Ukraine,

Korea, China, & Mexico sub-standard (API 5L X70 standard pipe)
with: “Low and Variable Yield and Tensile Strength and Chemical
Composition Properties in High Strength Line Pipe”
 PHMSA-Low Chemistry Plains Justice report on 2009 Bulletin.pdf

• The Improper Steel Chemistry reported:

LOW or NO, Manganese, Vanadium, Niobium , Molybdenum, and
Titanium

• This problem was caused by a combination of:

➢ Improper Steel Chemistry
➢ Improper rolling of steel plate
➢ Alack of proper segregation of slabs of different grades of Steel
at the steel mills
• Grades of carbon steel vary in chemical
composition from simple C-Mn to complex
multi-element micro-alloyed composition.
Element Percentage Min or Max

Copper (Cu) = 0.50% Max

Nickel (Ni) = 0.50% Max

Chromium (Cr) = 0.50% Max

Do you
Molybdenum (Mo) = 0.15% Max confirm these
elements are
Sum (Nb + V) </= 0.06% Max within these
limits ???
Sum (Nb + V + Ti) </= 0.15% Max

Boron (B) </= 0.001% Max

LINE PIPE SLEEVE
A572 SLEEVE MATERIAL
“Mitigating Corporate Risk” for New Construction Projects

• You are all very

environmental &
Safety conscience !
• But what are you
Do you just Trust currently doing to
your Pipe Suppliers “Confirm that the
Line Pipe” meets
Mill Test Reports the correct
“Material
(MTR’s) ? Chemistry” ?
• Keystone-XL-
PHMSA-57-Special-
Conditions.pdf
• http://www.phmsa.dot.
gov/pipeline

Look at Condition # 4-Program must

Eliminate defects in “Chemistry as
affecting pipe quality.”
Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Integrity Verification Process (HL IVP) Overview
Industry (API/AOPL) Briefing
November 18, 2014

US DOT / PHMSA
mike.israni@dot.gov & steve.nanney@dot.gov 37
 Hazardous Liquids Inspection Verification Process

What is it HL IVP?

• Verification of MOP and material records

• Pressure testing and material verification where records do not exist

• Re-evaluation, where Risk-Based Alternative used instead of Pressure

Testing

• Fatigue analysis process used for determining reassessment intervals for

cracking issues

• Other Part 195 Updates

 Hazardous Liquids Inspection Verification Process

Where would HL IVP be applicable?

• High consequence areas (HCA)

• Could affect right of ways, interstates, freeways, etc.

• Highly volatile liquid (HVL) pipelines

• Rural gathering lines that could affect HCA

“In-Situ NDE”
Technologies for Portable Analysis

Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) Technique of vaporizing

sample surface and analyzing the emitted light spectra. The
wavelength of the light corresponds to the elements present,
while the intensity is a function of quantity of that element.

X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF) Technique of exciting and

ejecting atoms’ inner shell electrons with x-ray radiation and
analyzing the fluorescent x-rays emitted when the atoms return to
a stable state. X-ray energies emitted correspond to the individual
elements, while the intensity is a function of quantity.
Positive Material Identification (PMI) XRF Technology Explained
 X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) – A Simple Overview

-
Kα x-ray

- - -

Lα x-ray 1.25% Cr
1. X-ray ejects K-shell electron 0.5% Mo
………
- - - - -

- K
L
M-shells Alloy
2. L-shell electron moves to replace
ejected K-shell electron, M-shell - - -
Grade P11
electron replaces L-shell, etc…
- 4. The x-ray energies and fluxes are
interpreted by the analyzer into the
corresponding elements,
3. Reduced energy state is given off as a “Kα”, concentrations, and resultant alloy
“Lα”, etc. x-rays, the energies of which are read grade
by the detector
 XRF Spectrum

Qualitative

Quantitative
How Filters in XRF Automatically Work the Element Range in the Periodic Table

“ Low Filter “engaged “ Light Filter “engaged

Automatically for : Automatically for :
Ti ,V , Cr S, P, Si, Al, Mg

“ Main Filter“ engaged

Automatically for :
All Elements
San Bruno, California September 9, 2010- Affected all P/L Companies

The released natural gas

ignited, resulting in a fire
that destroyed 38 homes
and damaged 70. Eight (8)
fatalities, many were
injured, and many more
were evacuated from the
area.
 Chevron Richmond Refinery Incident
• On August 6, 2012, the Chevron Refinery in Richmond, CA
experienced a catastrophic rupture in the #4 Crude Unit.

• At the time of the incident, light gas oil was flowing through the
line at a rate of approximately 10,800 barrels per day.

• The ruptured line released flammable, high temperature light gas

oil which partially vaporized into a large cloud that engulfed 19
Chevron employees. A few minutes later, the release fluid
ignited.
ASTM A106
 BP Texas City 2005
• July 28, 2005 – BP TX City Refinery experienced a major fire in Resid
Hydrotreater Unit (RHU)
• $30M in property damage and one minor injury
• Cause: 8” carbon steel elbow install in a HP-HT hydrogen line in stead of 1 ¼ Cr
– ½ Mo elbow rupturing after only 3 months of operation
 BP Texas City 2005
Key Findings
• Material Verification procedure did not require PMI testing of critical
components during maintenance
• Design was geometrically identical for all 3 elbows allowing interchange
 DCP Enterprises 2002
• August 14, 2002 – DCP Enterprises a chlorine transfer hose
ruptured releasing 48,000 lbs. of chlorine gas during railcar
unloading operation near Festus, Missouri
• 3 workers and 63 residents sought medical attention
• Cause: 316 hose installed vs. required Hastelloy C276 leading to
excessive corrosion and ultimate failure.
Could this have been avoided?
 Carbon Equivalency (CE)
• Carbon equivalency formula is used for rating the weldability of low
alloy and carbon steels and takes in to account the equivalent additive
of carbon and other alloying elements on a particular steel.

• Carbon equivalency also represents the contribution of the composition

to the susceptibility of hydrogen cracking.
Carbon Equivalency (CE)

Carbon Equivalent Weldability

Up to 0.35 Excellent
0.36-0.40 Very good
0.41-0.45 Good
0.46-0.50 Fair
Over 0.50 Poor
Carbon Equivalency - Midstream
Carbon Equivalency - Midstream
 Material Verification of New Construction and Vintage Pipeline Projects

• “Trust but Verify” MTR’S by checking the “Material Chemistry” with XRF/OES
• Compare the MTR’S per Line Pipe and Component's to confirm the “Heat Number” for the
Mill’s MTR ( Random per Heat Number)
• Provide complete records of “ Material Chemistry Verification” for your Construction
Quality Program, and Operations
• Verify YOU are using the correct materials to “Mitigate Corporate Risk”
• Improve & Insure the Quality & Performance of the XRF/OES operator with applying the API
578 PMI Certification to requirements
• Cost/Loss-”Benefit Ratio”-By increasing pipeline safety and reducing the chance of
incorrect material entering the construction process or finished product
• Provide Proof to Regulators that pipe MTR Chemistry is being verified as required by
project quality programs and owner requirements
 Questions & Answers

• Brian K. Wilson
• Business Development, Energy Markets
• Thermo Fisher Scientific
• (713) 380-1287 mobile
• brian.k.wilson@thermofisher.com