File-Chemical Inject

Best Practice 14 October 2021
SABP-A-015
Chemical Injection Systems
Document Responsibility: Corrosion Control Standards Committee
Previous Revision: 18 November 2015 Next Revision: 14 October 2031

Contact: debruyhj & aldoya0b Page 1 of 58
© Saudi Arabian Oil Company, 2021
Saudi Aramco: Company General Use

Document Responsibility: Corrosion Control Standards Committee SABP-A-015
Issue Date: 14 october 2021
Next Revision: 14 october 2031 Chemical Injection Systems
Contents
Page 2 of 58

Page 3 of 58

Summary of Changes
Paragraph Number Change Type

(Addition, Modification, Deletion, Technical Change(s)
Previous Revision Current Revision New)
(18 November 2015) (14 October 2021)
All All Modification • Removal all commercial
names
• Added UNS numbers for
materials
• Added SI units where
applicable
• Corrected and simplified
language where necessary
3.1 3.1 Addition Added the following
references:
SAES-A-133
SAES-A-134
SAEP-43
3.1 3.1 Deletion Deleted the following
references:
SAES-L-133
SAES-J-400
SAER-2365
SAER-5941
3.1 3.1 Modification Corrected the title of the
following references:
SAES-A-205
SAES-D-109
SAES-G-006
SAES-L-132
32-SAMSS030
32-SAMSS-038
DB-950175-001
DB-950176-001
DB-950177-001
DB-950178-001
DB-950179-001
3.2 3.2 Addition Added the following reference:
NACE Publication 34109
Page 4 of 58


3.2 3.2 Modification Corrected the titles and
designations of:
API 570
NACE MR0103/ISO17945
NACE MR0175/ISO 15156
- 4.1 New New section with Acronyms
- 4.2 New New section with Definitions
4 5 Modification Changed the title of Section 5

to “Chemical Injection
Technology”
- 5.1 New Added a new section heading
for Retrievable Chemical
Injection Systems
for Retractable Chemical
Injection Systems
for Fixed Assembly Chemical
Injection Systems
for Injection System Selection
Considerations
- 6.1 New Added a General section
5.1 6.2 Modification Change the section title to

“Materials of Construction”
5.4.3 6.5.3 Modification Limit the use of Alloy 400

(UNS N04400) for
temperatures up to 204°C
(400°F).
Require the use of Alloy 600
(UNS N06600) for
temperature above 204°C
(400°F).
9 10 Modification Added a reference to SAEP-
43
Page 5 of 58


13.1 Addition Added a description for “Cold”
and “Hot” caustic injection
locations in CDUs.
Table 3 Table 3 Modification Indicate when Alloy 400 (UNS
N04400) can be used, and
when Alloy 600 (UNS N06600)
should be used.
12.3 13.3 Modification Simplified the section title
12.4 13.4 Addition Added a reference to API RP

932-B and SABP-Z-031
Page 6 of 58

Scope
The intent of this best practice is to provide guidelines for the detailed design, materials
selection, quality assurance, operations and inspection of chemical injection systems.
The content is based on established industry guidelines and field experience with their
use in Saudi Aramco facilities.
This Best Practice was developed to assist with improving and maintaining the
mechanical integrity of Saudi Aramco upstream and downstream facilities through the
use of the chemical injection systems.
This Best Practice covers chemical injection systems in all refining units, including wash
water and chloride injection in reformer units. All upstream oil & gas processing
facilities, transmission and producing pipelines and steam generators chemical injection
systems have been also covered. The chemical injection system for sea water
application is not covered in this document.
Conflicts and Deviations

If there is a conflict between this Best Practice and any Mandatory Saudi Aramco
Engineering Requirements (MSAERs), the mandatory document shall take the
precedence. Other conflicts shall be addressed in writing to the EK&RD Coordinator.
References
All referenced specifications, standards, codes, drawings, and similar material are
considered part of this Best Practice to the extent specified applying latest revisions
unless stated otherwise.
Saudi Aramco References
Saudi Aramco Engineering Procedures
SAEP-20 Equipment Inspection Schedule

SAEP-43 Lay-Up and Preservation Methods
Saudi Aramco Engineering Standards
SAES-A-112 Meteorological and Seismic Design Data

SAES-A-133 Internal Corrosion Protection Requirements
SAES-A-134 External Corrosion Protection Requirements
SAES-A-205 Qualification and Selection of Oilfield Chemicals
SAES-A-206 Positive Material Identification
Page 7 of 58

SAES-A-208 Water Treatment Chemicals
SAES-B-005 Spacing and Diking for Atmospheric and Low-Pressure Tanks
SAES-D-109 Design of Small Metallic Atmospheric Storage Tanks
SAES-G-006 Engineering Standard for Positive Displacement Pumps -
Controlled Volume
SAES-L-105 Piping Line Classes
SAES-L-110 Limitations on Pipe Joints and Components
SAES-L-132 Material Selection for Pipelines, Piping, and Process Equipment
SAES-Q-005 Concrete Foundations
Saudi Aramco Materials System Specifications
31-SAMSS-009 Positive Displacement Pumps - Controlled Volume

32-SAMSS-030 Manufacture of Small Metallic Atmospheric Storage Tanks
32-SAMSS-038 Shop-Fabricated Skid-Mounted Units
Saudi Aramco Library Drawings
DA-950035-001 2” High Pressure Access System - Chemical Injection and

Corrosion Monitoring
DB-950175-001 Antifoulant Injection System
DB-950176-001 Water Wash Injection System
DB-950177-001 Caustic Injection System
DB-950178-001 Neutralizing Amine Injection System
DB-950179-001 Filming Amine Injection System
Saudi Aramco Best Practices
SABP-A-016 Crude Unit Corrosion Control

SABP-A-018 GOSP Corrosion Control
SABP-A-021 Corrosion Control in Desalination Plants
SABP-A-025 Corrosion Control in Vacuum Distillation Units
SABP-A-026 Cooling Systems Corrosion Control
SABP-A-028 Optimizing Design and Operation of Reverse Osmosis Plants
SABP-A-029 Corrosion Control in Boilers
Page 8 of 58

SABP-Z-031 Wash Water Injection Facilities for Hydroprocessing Units
Saudi Aramco Inspection Procedures
00-SAIP-07 Positive Material Identification Requirements

01-SAIP-04 Injection Point Inspection Program
Industry Codes and Standards
American Petroleum Institute
API 570 Piping Inspection Code: In-Service Inspection, Rating, Repair, and
Alteration of Piping Systems
API RP 932-B Design, Materials, Fabrication, Operation, and Inspection
Guidelines for Corrosion Control in Hydroprocessing Reactor
Effluent Air Cooler (REAC) Systems
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
ASME B16.9 Factory-Made Wrought Buttwelding Fittings

ASME B31.3 Process Piping
Association for Materials Performance and Protection (AMPP)
NACE MR0103/ISO 17945 Materials Resistant to Sulfide Stress Cracking in

Corrosive Refinery Environments
NACE MR0175/ISO 15156 Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries-Materials for
Use in H2S-Containing Environments in Oil and Gas
Production
NACE Publication 34101 Refinery Injection and Process Mixing Points
NACE Publication 34109 Crude Distillation Unit – Distillation Tower Overhead
System Corrosion
Manufacturers Standardization Society of the Valve and Fittings Industry, Inc.
MSS SP-97 Integrally Reinforced Forged Branch Outlet Fittings - Socket

Welding, Threaded, and Buttwelding Ends
Page 9 of 58

Other References
J.G. Willmon, M.A. Edwards, “Pre-commissioning to Startup: Getting Chemical Injection
Right”, SPE 96144, SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Dallas, Texas, 9
– 12 October 2005.
J.W. Palmer, W. Hedges, J.L. Dawson, “Use of Corrosion Inhibitors in Oil and Gas
Production: (EFC 39)”, Woodhead Publishing, 2004.
W.C. Fort, E.S. Berm, R.C. Strong, M. Vegesi, “Process Design of Injection Systems”
CORROSION 96, paper no. 96587, NACE International, 1996.
R.R. Konet, G.J. Honer, R.M. Thompson, “Implementation Strategies for API RP 570
Injection Point Inspection Programs”, CORROSION 96, paper no. 96588, NACE
International, 1996.
R.C. Quinter, “Performance Verification of Injection Systems”, CORROSION 96, paper
no. 96590, NACE International, 1996.
J. Gutzeit, “Problems with Injection Facilities for Process Additives or Wash Water”,
CORROSION 96, paper no. 96591, NACE International, 1996.
P.R. Petersen, “The Use of Corrosion Inhibitors in the Refining Industry”, CORROSION
96, paper no. 96594, NACE International, 1996.
A. Bagdasarian, J. Feather, B. Hull, R. Stephenson, R. Strong, “Crude Unit Corrosion
and Corrosion Control”, CORROSION 96, paper no. 96615, NACE International, 1996.
J.R. Rue, J.G. Edmondson, “Control of Salt-Initiated Corrosion in Crude Unit Overhead
Systems”, CORROSION 2001, paper no. 01538, NACE International, 2001.
D.E. Powell, D.I. Ma’ruf, I.Y. Rahman, “Field-Testing Corrosion Inhibitors in Oil and Gas
Gathering Systems”, Materials Performance, p. 42-45, August 2002.
D.W. Alley, N.D. Coble, “Corrosion Inhibitors for Crude Distillation Columns”, Materials
Performance, p. 44-49, May 2003.
Terminology
Acronyms
Be: Baumé is a scale used to measure the density of various liquids.
CCR: Continuous Catalyst Regeneration
CHB: Chemical Hazard Bulletin.
CRA: Corrosion Resistant Alloy
ER: Electrical Resistance
GOSP: Gas Oil Separation Plant
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HPPT: High Pressure Production Trap
IPPT: Intermediate Pressure Production Trap
LPPT: Low Pressure Production Trap
LPR: Linear Polarization Resistance
MSDS: Material Safety Data Sheet
MPI: Magnetic Particle Inspection
NGL: Natural Gas Liquids
OSI: On-Stream Inspection
PMI: Positive Material Identification
PT: Penetrant Inspection
PWHT: Post-Weld Heat Treatment
QA/QC: Quality Assurance/Quality Control
RSS Report: Refinery Shift Superintendent Report
RT: Radiography Test
T&I: Test & Inspection
TDS: Total Dissolved Solids
RVL: Restricted Vendor List, generated by Saudi Aramco
Definitions
Catalyst: A material that aids or promotes a chemical reaction between other

substances but does not react itself. Catalyst increases reaction speed and can provide
control by increasing desirable reactions and decreasing undesirable reactions.
Chemical Hazard Bulletin (CHB): CHB is an internal company document (available in

both English & Arabic) developed by Environmental Protection Department to provide a
standardized one-page summary of a material’s hazard ratings: health hazards, fire &
reactivity, handling, storage & disposal and first aid information for use in the handling of
hazardous materials. It is known also as Material Safety Data Sheet, MSDS.
Fouling: Accumulation of deposits in condensers, exchangers, etc.
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Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS): MSDS is a document containing information on
hazardous ingredients, their properties, and precautions for use for a specific chemical
substance.
Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC): SCC is the cracking induced from the combined
influence of tensile stress and a corrosive environment.
Chemical Injection Technology
Chemicals play an important role in the enhancement of oil and gas production and
processing. They control corrosion, prevent organic and inorganic deposits, aid in
phase separation, control microbial problems, control pH, scavenge oxygen and
neutralize chlorides. Chemical injection is considered one of several corrosion
mitigation methods such as coating, material selection, cathodic protection, process
control, use of CRAs, etc.
A chemical injection philosophy depends primarily on the fluid composition, fluid

chemistry, operating pressures and temperatures, and to some extent the flow regime.
Depending on fluid characteristics and system materials, a wide range of chemicals
maybe injected intermittently or continuously into vessels and piping system to control
corrosion.
Chemicals can be delivered to the process through a variety of methods. There are
three typical injection system configurations used in hydrocarbon production and
processing:
• Retrievable (high pressure)
• Retractable (low pressure)
• Fixed (high or low pressure)
Retrievable Chemical Injection Systems
The retrievable system allows operators inject chemicals, retrieve, inspect and maintain
the equipment while the system is fully operating. These systems are used in the oil
and gas production industry; from the wellhead through the GOSP, and pipelines.
Figure 1 shows a typical retrievable chemical injection system. The system assembly
consists of a high-pressure access fitting, a solid plug, an injection nut, and an injection
tube (quill, cross head or perpendicular spray nozzle). Also see DA-950035-001.
Commentary Note:
There are also systems available that injects through a hollow plug, incorporating a small
non-return valve in the plug.
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Figure 1: Retrievable Type Injection System
Retractable Chemical Injection Systems
The retractable type injection system (see Figure 2) is commonly used in refining
operations, that operate at low temperature (< 100°C/212°F) and pressure (< 1034
kPag/150 psig).
A retractable quill style injector, which has a packing gland design, offers the ability to
remove and service the injector system during normal operations. This design can be
manually retracted from lines or other equipment operating at low pressure.
Fixed Assembly Chemical Injection Systems
The fixed assembly chemical injection system, as shown in Figure 3, is normally

recommended for use in a by-pass loop which can be isolated, or in systems having
frequent and regular shut-downs. This is required since system depressurization is
required during insertion and removal of the chemical injection quill. This injection
system is ideally suited for use in high-pressure and/or hazardous applications where
threaded fittings are not recommended to avoid leakage. Process shutdown or process
isolation is required for installation and inspection. The assembly consists of a flange
and an insertion rod with an injection quill.
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Figure 2: Retractable Type Injection System
Figure 3: Fixed Type Injection System
Injection System Selection Considerations
The following factors need to be considered as these can have a significant impact on
the safety, maintenance, operation, and service life of the chemical injection system:
• Chemical solution being injected
• Concentration of the chemical being injected and the mixed chemical/process
stream (for example; concentrated sulfuric acid injected into a RO water stream)
• Flow rate of the chemical injected and the process stream
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• Viscosity
• All chemical hazards
• All materials of construction (main process piping, chemical handling piping,
injection quill, etc.)
Chemical Injection System Design
General
A typical chemical injection system, shown in Figure 4, consists of a chemical storage

tank, piping/tubing, controlled volume pumps, gauges, strainers, filters, pressure relief
valves, sight glasses and flow metering/monitoring devices, check valves, hand valves,
a power source for the pump and instrumentation to control the injection and to monitor
its effectiveness.
Vent
Relief Valve
Chemical
Storage Tank
Level Pressure
Meter Calibration Gauge Damper
Over-flow Tube
Truck
Conection
To
Injection
Point
Y-Strainer
Positive Displacement Pump Flow Switch Flow Meter
Figure 4: Chemical Injection System Simplified Drawing
The chemical injection system is designed to accommodate the chemical types and
volumes that are considered necessary for efficient operation throughout the facility
lifetime. All systems are appropriately sized to handle ‘worse-case’ scenarios. Unless
otherwise specified, equipment will normally be installed outdoors in a relative humidity
from zero to 100% (condensing) and exposed to heat and sand. Site specific
meteorological and seismic data as specified in SAES-A-112 are used for equipment
design.
Commentary Note:
In Saudi Arabia, metal temperatures can reach 70°C when exposed to direct solar
radiation.
In addition, equipment which is not enclosed or hermetically sealed but is located in

severely corrosive locations as defined in SAES-A-134, shall be protected against
failure due to wind-born sea water spray and the accumulation of wetted salt (NaCl).
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Materials of Construction
Materials of construction for the chemical injection system components should be

carefully selected to be compatible with the chemical solution and be capable of
withstanding maximum pump discharge line pressure and process main pressure.
Concentrated chemicals by themselves can be corrosive until properly diluted by the
process fluids.
Chemicals identified as oilfield treatment chemicals, such as biocides, corrosion

inhibitors, scale inhibitors, demulsifiers, and boiler treatment chemicals use austenitic
stainless steel type 316L (UNS S31603) as mandated by SAES-L-132 for piping, tanks,
and the injection quills.
Other products which do not meet these guidelines, such as strong acids, or inhibitors
injected in refinery process systems, etc., should be assessed on a case by case basis,
using the minimum mandatory requirements of SAES-L-132. Specific materials for a
few applications are detailed in this document. Non-metallic materials are generally not
used for chemical injection and may only be used as indicated in this document or
permitted in SAES-L-132.
When handling chemical solutions where the solvent is water or when injecting water,
dissimilar metal flanged joints should use insulation kits as mandated by SAES-A-133.
Chemical Storage Tank
The chemical storage tanks should be sufficiently sized so that re-filling is not required
every day. The size of chemical storage tank depends on their exact application.
Chemical storage tanks in offshore upstream operations are normally sized for 3
months use. Chemical storage tanks in refineries are usually sized to provide at least
one month’s capacity. Some applications, such as caustic (NaOH) in a refinery, may
use local unit tanks that are made up on a batch basis from a bulk supply. Such local
unit tanks should have a minimum of one day’s capacity.
A chemical tank should be equipped with a fill nozzle, vent, discharge, level instrument
and drain. The chemical storage tank level should be monitored. Chemical storage
tanks should be flushed and cleaned when replacing chemical type.
Chemical tanks must be properly labeled as to the contents of the tank and its hazards.
Tanker connection should be accessible by road and must be clearly identified with
connected tank number and product. Unloading connections shall be sealed, in order to
prevent cross-contaminating chemical products, with blind flanges or if fitted with quick
connect systems with plugs or caps. Chemical tanks must be electrically grounded
similar to any other tanks in the plant. Also, the chemical tanker must be connected to
the ground system before starting chemical filling to the tank.
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The CHB (also known as MSDS) shall be located near the unloading connections, in
enclosures protected from direct sun, wind and rain. In general, CHBs must be readily
available to the workers who are exposed to the chemical product.
A containment concrete slab and curb should be constructed around the tank to contain
its contents in the event of a spill or tank rupture. This concrete slab and curb must be
sloped toward a drainage system. It should be noted that, any new chemicals should
be included in the plants spill prevention controls. Spacing and diking of tanks shall be
in accordance with SAES-B-005. Concrete foundations for tanks shall be in accordance
with SAES-Q-005.
The design of chemical storage tanks up to 1500 barrels capacity shall be in

accordance with SAES-D-109, and supplied against 32-SAMSS-030.
Skid-mounted injection systems shall be designed as per 32-SAMSS-038.
Standard storage units or tanks provided by chemical vendors are sometimes used for
some applications including temporary chemical applications or where there is limited
space for the construction a storage tank. These containers are usually made of
austenitic stainless steel type 316L (UNS S31063). For products that are corrosive to
stainless steel, polyethylene and other non-metallic materials are used.
Vendor storage systems usually contain a shuttle tank and a base tank (see Figure 5).
The shuttle tank is used for the transportation of the product. The two tanks are
connected via the filling hose. Transfer of the product from the shuttle tank is done
under gravity. The supplier fills a shuttle tank with a product and delivers the filled tank
to the facility. When the shuttle tank empties it is disconnected and returned to the
product supplier for reuse. The supplier replaces the empty tank rather than refilling it
on-site.
The preferred use of these tanks is to stack one on top of another and drain the shuttle
tank into the permanent site tank.
Some chemical tanks require nitrogen purge to exclude oxygen from the feed. Some
tanks require mixers, caustic tanks in particular. These mixers should be nitrogen or
mechanical. No air blowing is allowed for mixing purpose.
Special materials are required for special chemicals such as caustic and sulfuric acid.
The materials of construction should be as mandated by SAES-L-132.
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Figure 5: Base Tank
Non-metallic tanks have been used for more than 25 years successfully in the offshore
Berri field.
Pumps
Positive displacement pumps are frequently used for injection of chemicals into a
pressurized system. The positive displacement pump must be a metering type with
stroke adjustment to vary the chemical injection rate. It is important to select a pump
from Saudi Aramco approved manufacturers that meet the required flow rate and
pressure.
The chemical injection pump pressure needs only to be slightly higher than the internal
process stream pressure. The positive displacement pump must be capable of
generating sufficient injection line pressure to overcome injection line losses, the
process line operating pressure and thus create the required pressure differential
across the injection tube.
To ensure online chemical injection reliability and availability, a back-up, or secondary

pump must be available in the event of pump failure or the need for maintenance. For
critical applications, the chemical injection pumps shall be provided with appropriate
alarms and automated controls to provide immediate switchover from running to
standby pump, in case of pump failure. All pumps and electric motors must meet the
area classification.
SAES-G-006 and 31-SAMSS-009 defines the minimum mandatory requirements

governing the design and installation of positive displacement pumps-controlled volume
(chemical injection pumps). Skid-mounted injection systems shall be designed as per
32-SAMSS-038.
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Quill
Most process piping failures that are related to chemical injection points have occurred
immediately downstream of the injection quill. Many of these failures have been
attributed to localized corrosion attack of the concentrated product, which corroded the
process line pipe wall. Consequently, the use of internal injection tubes, such as quills
or atomizing nozzles, which direct the product into the process fluids, are required.
General Quill Design Criteria
The design of an injection quill is very critical. The quill should be designed
efficiently to disperse injected chemicals into a process stream without
allowing the injected chemicals to concentrate against the pipe interior walls
and without clogging the injection quill opening.
The injection quill must be sized to inject the desired amount of chemical, and
should be capable of effectively and intimately mixing the chemical with the
process stream. Injection quills should be installed per approved design
drawings and an inspector has to verify all injection quill insertion dimensions
according to 01-SAIP-004 prior to the installation.
The quill design should be evaluated for possible stress, fatigue problems and
flow induced vibration. For new projects or installations, stress calculations
must be performed to determine the optimum injection quill insertion length.
For any replacement quills, stress calculations must also be performed and
provided. Process stream flow rate fluctuations, flow regimes, fluid viscosity
and quill natural frequencies are essential variables affecting injection quill
design.
Natural frequency and wake frequency calculations should be performed on

each quill that will be installed in the field, as per ASME PTC 19.3. The
purpose of these calculations is to prevent the quill from entering a resonant
vibration in which fatigue failure can occur. The wake frequency should be
less than 80% of the quill's natural frequency to guarantee no resonant
harmonic vibration.
Angled Face Quill Design
Open-end injection quills shall have a bevel cut angle at 45° minimum and
60° maximum. Angles less than 45° would limit the influence of the scarf cut.
The quill must include a slot through a wall of the quill tip. The slot shall not
be longer than the length of the bevel. The slot is rectangular and is opposed
to the angled end.
Quills with an angled face utilizes the turbulence created by its design, in
conjunction with the natural turbulence within the pipe, to accomplish
distribution of the injected chemical into the process stream.
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The disadvantage of angled open-end quills is that at low process stream flow
rates there tends to be a concentration of the injected chemical at the pipe
wall surface below the injection point.
For liquid streams, the quill should be installed in the pipe so that the angled
face of the quill faces downstream of the fluid flow direction (Figure 6). For
mixed and vapor phase streams, the angled face of the quill should face the
fluid upstream as shown in Figure 7.
Figure 6: Proper Quill Alignment in a Liquid-Phase Stream
Figure 7: Proper Quill Alignment in a Mixed and Vapor Phase Streams
This design is commonly used in upstream facilities and can be used as an

option for neutralizing and filming amine injection system in addition to the
side hole opening quill.
Caustic Injection Quill Design
Caustic injection quills (Figure 8) shall not be fabricated using pipe with a
welded end plate. Caustic injection quills shall therefore be fabricated from
solid alloy bar as follows:
• Operating temperature ≤ 204°C (400°F): Alloy 400 (UNS N04400)
• Operating temperature > 204°C (400°F): Alloy 600 (UNS N06600)
Page 20 of 58

Figure 8: Caustic Injection Quill Simplified Drawing
The design, materials, fabrication, examination, and testing of the fabricated

bar must be as per DB-950177-001 and meet the requirements of ASME
B31.3 “Process Piping”.
Fabricating the caustic injection quill by boring a solid alloy bar is considered
as unlisted components in ASME B31.3. The ASME B31.3 Code defines
unlisted components as components not in Tables 326.1, A326.1, or K326.1
of the code.
The processes used to fabricate the caustic injection quill must be reviewed
for Code compliance. Some fabrication processes can cause gross or local
wall thinning. The absolute first stage in the process of fabricating the caustic
injection quill is to perform PMI on the bar material to assure that the material
is indeed the intended alloy. Do not rely on paperwork or bar stamping. The
metallurgical condition of the bar should be “annealed”. The machining
should be done in more than one pass. First a rough cut is required followed
by fine cutting. The objective is to avoid work hardening the surface. All
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machining should be done with adequate lubrication. The quill must be
examined in accordance with the ASME B31.3.
Dimensions of the fabricated quill shall conform to those of comparable listed

components as practicable as possible (straight pipe). In any case,
dimensions shall be such as to provide strength and performance equivalent
to standard components except as provided in paragraphs 303 and 304 of
ASME B31.3.
The pressure/temperature design of the fabricated caustic quill shall provide

the same safety margins as ASME B31.3. The Code states that the pressure
design must meet the requirements of paragraph 304.7.2. The fabricated
caustic injection quill may be used provided that it conforms to a published
specification or standard within the following limitations:
1) The designer shall be satisfied that composition, mechanical properties,

method of manufacture, and quality control are comparable to the
corresponding characteristics of listed components.
2) Pressure design shall be verified in accordance with paragraph 304 of
ASME B31.3.
The pressure design of the fabricated caustic injection quill shall be based on
calculations consistent with the design criteria of ASME B31.3. These
calculations shall be substantiated by one or more of the means stated below
(paragraph 304.7.2 of ASME B31.3) considering applicable dynamic, thermal,
and cyclic effects in paragraphs 301.4 through 301.10 of ASME B31.3, as
well as thermal shock.
a) Extensive, successful service experience under comparable conditions

with similarly proportioned components of the same or like material.
b) Experimental stress analysis, such as described in the Boiler Pressure
Vessel Code, Section VIII, Division 2, Appendix 6.
c) Proof test in accordance with either ASME B16.9, MSS SP-97, or ASME
Section VIII, Division 1, UG-101.
d) Detailed stress analysis (e.g., finite element method) with results
evaluated as described in Boiler Pressure Vessel Code, Section VIII,
Division 2, Appendix 4, Article 4-1. The basic allowable stress from Table
A-1 shall be used in place of Sm in Division 2. At design temperatures in
the creep range, additional considerations beyond the scope of Division 2
may be necessary.
e) For any of the above, the designer may interpolate between sizes, wall
thicknesses, and pressure classes, and may determine analogies among
related materials.
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Calibration Tube
Accurate calibration of the chemical injection rate is essential to provide adequate

protection to the piping and equipment and to control the chemical consumption. So,
the injection system shall include provisions for pump calibration and flow rate
verification downstream of the metering pumps. A vented calibration tube (graduated
cylinder) in addition to the inline flow meter shall be installed on each chemical injection
pump which will provide an easy way to measure the rate of flow of the chemical being
injected. While the use of inline flow meters is becoming more common, field
installations may inject volumes as low as one gallon per day. The costs of flow
metering equipment in these cases exceed the costs for chemical injection. So, the
need for inline flow meter may not be required for low volume injection. Tank
consumption tracking or graduated cylinder can provide the injection confirmation
required in these situations. Flow switches can be installed which shut the pump in on
low flow and send an alarm indicating low flow. Flow measurement data and alarms
shall be sent to the DCS.
A calibration tube is typically a clear tube with markings in milliliters, gallons/hour (GPH)
or gallons/day (GPD) as appropriate and used with a stop watch to measure the flow
rate. The tube should be placed on the suction side of the injection pump with the
necessary valves and fittings so the injection rate can be checked any time by the
operator. Main line chemical feed and calibration tube shut off valve shall be ¼ turn ball
valves and shall be positioned so that the operator can easily and simultaneously
operate both valves during calibration. Calibration tubes should be vented back to the
storage tank above the high-high liquid level.
Figure 9: Calibration Tube Drawing
Injection Line
Injection lines should be sized to allow for the efficient transfer of chemical and stay
within the working pressure of the material. All connections from the chemical pump to
the point of injection shall be hard piped. Flexible tubing in certain section can only be
Page 23 of 58

used if pressure and temperature limitations are not exceeded. The distance between
the chemical storage tank and the injection point should be minimized as much as
possible. All piping to the injection pump and from the pump should be free draining
towards the pump to avoid any chemical stagnation.
Check Valve
Check valves must be installed on all chemical lines at the inlet line to the injector to
prevent the process fluid from pushing back into the chemical injection line. Some of
the line or fittings have built-in internal check valve. It is recommended to install external
ones. The internal check valves are not reliable in case of internal corrosion that will
damage the internal threads causing the check valves to be disoriented and becoming
useless. Also, the long inspection intervals of these fittings, once a year during the
plant PM shutdown, will make them un-reliable.
Filter
Filters/Y-strainers must be placed between the chemical supply and the injection pump.
The size and type of the filter element will depend on the rate and type of fluid that is to
be pumped. Two separate filters with individual isolation valves shall be provided where
chemical injection cannot be stopped for process reasons (for example: injection of
demulsifiers).
Miscellaneous
Most of the chemical injection lines are small in size (less than 1-inch diameter) and are
therefore not rigid. These injection lines can easily vibrate if not properly supported.
Such continuous vibration can result in fatigue failures. As a result, adequate support to
these chemical lines must be provided.
Each injection point should be installed with an isolation valve in case any repairs are of
the chemical feed system are required. For retractable systems, a vent valve must be
installed to release pressure and drain any process fluid/gas that accumulates after the
quill is retracted from the process and the injection valve is closed.
A pressure relief valve must be installed on the pump discharge to vent fluid back into
the chemical tank or pump suction line if pressure builds up.
The actual pump internal relief valve setting shall be between 110% and 120% of the
rated discharge pressure.
A pressure gauge for each pump discharge line must be installed.
A sight flow indicator is recommended to be provided close to the injection point location
as visual indication of chemical flow.
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A pulsation damper, to ensure an even chemical application, shall be provided in each
pump discharge line and shall be sized to provide sufficient degree of damping. Any
fitting required for charging the pulsation dampers shall be provided. Suppression
devices shall be furnished as necessary to meet the following criteria. Unfiltered peak
to peak pulsation levels shall not exceed 3% of:
• Rated suction pressure or 100 kPa gauge (15 psig) whichever is less;
• Rated discharge pressure or 100 kPa gauge (15 psig) whichever is less.
The following situations shall be avoided:

• Cavitation in the suction or discharge of the pump;
• Over delivery due to suction losses or uncontrolled delivery;
• Exceeding maximum allowable working pressure of pressure containing parts.
Any fittings required for charging the pulsation dampers shall be securely connected to
the discharge piping. Pulsation dampers shall be designed so that no solids settle in
the interior of these devices.
As per SAES-L-110, Section 9, seal welding of threaded joints is required when deemed
necessary by the Operating Organization for those locations and services where an
uncontrolled leakage would result in serious consequences for the operation or safety of
plant and personnel. Seal welding of all threaded joints up to the first block valve is
required in the following services and applications:
• All hydrocarbons
• Boiler feed water, condensate, and steam systems utilizing ASME Class 300 and
higher flange ratings
• Toxic materials such as chlorine, phenol, hydrogen sulfide, etc.
• Corrosive materials such as acid, caustic, etc.
• Oilfield chemicals (e.g., corrosion inhibitors, Demulsifiers, electrolytes, etc.)
• Piping which is subject to vibration, whether continuous or intermittent
As per SAES-A-206, Section 5 and 00-SAIP-07, PMI testing shall be performed at a
point in time that ensures proper alloy materials have been used in the fabrication of an
identifiable assembly. Usually, this is done after fabrication and immediately prior to
fabrication to ensure completes testing of the injection system components before their
installation in the field.
The following information is needed to design an optimum injection system:

• System Parameters
o Pipe/vessel diameter (also vessel length if applicable)
o Line pressure
o Fluid viscosity
o Fluid density
o Mass or volumetric flow rate
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o Working temperature
o Clearance for the retrieval of the quills
• Chemical Parameters
o Viscosity
o Density
o Temperature
o Anticipated injection pressure
o Mass or volumetric flow rate
o Concentration of active ingredient
Chemical Injection Point Position
The injection point should be installed in a location which can be accessed. Adequate
clearance should be available for insertion and removal of the quill.
The effectiveness of the chemical injection is influenced by the location of the injection
point. The quill should be installed in a location where the flow rate will promote
effective distribution of the chemical. The turbulent flow at the injection point should
cause mixing of the injected chemical with the process stream. The relative viscosity of
the injected chemical and the process stream play a major role in mixing.
The injection tube tip should be inserted within the center 1/3 of the pipe (Figure 10).
This is where the highest fluid velocity normally is, and will avoid prevent concentration
of the chemical at the pipe wall. It is imperative that any injected chemical is not
directed at the equipment or pipe wall where it could cause localized corrosion damage.
Figure 10: Quill Insertion Limits
For nominal pipe sizes of 36 inches and greater, the inserted quill length shall provide a
tip location not greater than 35% of the nominal diameter measured from the outside
wall of the pipe while the minimum insertion must be no less than 6 inches.
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If the pipeline is designed for regular scraping operations, protruding injection quills
must be removed before scraping begins. Installation of chemical injection in scrapable
lines can be avoided by locating the injection point at other locations such as lateral
lines, etc. Refer to SABP-A-019 for more details on pipeline corrosion control using
corrosion inhibitors.
The quill opening must be aligned parallel to the process flow with the correct opening
orientation, as illustrated in the previous section. Therefore, the orientation of the quill
must be marked to insure proper positioning of the quill opening once the injection tube
assembly is installed in the process pipe.
One of the recommended field practices for high pressure injection systems, is to
permanently mark, on the solid plug hex nut, the long side of the quill with a straight
line. This convention should be maintained, if possible, whenever the quill is reinstalled.
The solid plug should not be loosened in order to achieve orientation, as this may affect
the plug seal in the access fitting. This shall be part of an installation checklist signed
off by the installer and assigned inspector.
Chemical Injection System Inspection
Monitoring and inspection are key activities in maintaining chemical injection system
integrity. Chemical injection systems must be inspected regularly, including the
injection point itself, downstream and upstream piping and equipment that may have
been affected.
Inspection frequencies should be determined by the type of mechanical/ physical

deterioration anticipated. The inspection frequency shall follow SAEP-20.
The need for more detailed inspection requirements for chemical injection system was
formally addressed industry-wide with the publication of API 570. Additional inspection
requirements can be found in 01-SAIP-04 “Injection Point Inspection Program”. This
Saudi Aramco inspection procedure provides guidelines for the identification, tracking
and monitoring of chemical injection points.
Management of Change
The Management of Change (MOC) process should be used to identify changes which
could impact the inspection plan for a particular injection point circuit. Below are some
examples of work/changes requiring MOC approval:
• Use of different chemicals
• Change of chemical manufacturer
• Change in process conditions
• Change of materials of construction
• Changing the location of a chemical injection point
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• Routing chemicals to any sewer
• New chemicals being introduced
• Existing chemicals being mixed in different ways
• Quill replacement in kind to ensure updated construction drawings.
The success of the program depends on timely communication of changes made to
injection systems. Ideally, any change in chemical type, injection rate, duration,
injection location or concentration should signal a need to analyze potential impact on
the inspection program.
Chemical Injection System Maintenance
The proper assembly and care of a chemical injection system is extremely important.
Establishing and following a thorough maintenance routine will aid in preventing any
problems. To ensure maximum performance, periodic checks and cleaning are
necessary for the injection quill. This cleaning practice can be done during the plant
shutdown.
All tubing connections, fittings, tanks, and pumps should be checked by the plant
operators on a daily basis. The injection fittings must be examined regularly for leaks
and thread damage. Injection fittings should be thoroughly cleaned at least once a
year. Installed filters should be disassembled, cleaned, and inspected on a regular
basis for contamination and damage. The frequency of inspection is dependent upon
the fluid injection rates; the higher the rates, the shorter the time between inspections.
Filter elements should be replaced if there are any signs of plugging or contamination.
The filter element can be flushed from the inside out with solvent. If any significant
debris is noted at any one time, the source must be identified and eliminated. The
check valve should be checked regularly to confirm that its seat is clean and seated
correctly to stop any back flow.
If a chemical injection system appears to be plugged or the flow restricted, stop injecting
immediately. Pull and inspect the filters for debris. If the injection system does not
respond to this treatment, stop pumping. Troubleshoot the chemical injection system to
identify the location of plugging and clean it. Continued pumping may only increase the
severity of the problem and possibly damage the system.
If any piping or equipment shuts down or is taken down for inspection or maintenance,
the chemical injection system related to this piping or equipment shall be stopped.
This will avoid concentration of the injected chemical at the injection site which can lead
to corrosion for the pumps, valves and piping system.
If the chemical pump is to be stopped for an extended period in excess of 2 months, it is

recommended that the original chemical be displaced from the injection system by
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flushing with an appropriate solvent. Stagnant chemical lying in the injection system
could cause plugging, and corrosion. Selection of solvent will be determined on a case
by case basis. Proper mothballing of the chemical system including tanks and pumps
shall be considered based on the downtime period defined in SAEP-43. This procedure
provides basic guidelines and recommendations for the preparation of detailed
procedures for the preservation of piping and equipment.
If polymerization of a chemical is a problem when the system is suspended, then the

line shall be provided with drainage capability and the line drained immediately following
suspension of service. This shall be clearly stated in the operating instruction manual
(OIM) for the system.
The injection point isolation valve must not be closed without stopping the pumps,
because injection against a closed injection location valve will cause continual operation
of the PZV.
Records of maintenance activities, repairs and downtime for the chemical injection
system should be documented to develop appropriate maintenance strategies.
Injection Point Documentation
The injection system details shall be documented, including:
• Process operating window

• Anticipated conditions
• Equipment design
• Materials of construction
• Monitoring requirements
• Inspection requirements
Appendix A contains a sample form that can be used for documenting plant injection
point details. This form should be carefully completed with as much detailed information
as possible for each injection point in the plant. It will help concerned
engineers/inspectors to make sure that all injection points are included in the inspection
program. This form will assist plant inspector to select the proper inspection techniques
and to optimize the inspection interval.
For caustic, neutralizing and filming amine injection points, all PMI performed must be
documented and logged in inspection files. Proved quill tip location and orientation after
installation and before startup by radiography shall be also retained by the plant
inspection. It is recommended that a digital photograph before installation to be taken
for the quill tube inserted in the pipe so that the conditions and details of the quill can be
noted. This photograph should be documented in inspection files.
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Safety
The purpose of warnings and cautions highlighted below is to call the operator’s
attention to possible danger of injury to personnel and/or damage to equipment, and
deserve careful attention and understanding. Safety precautions must be established
throughout any activities related to the chemical injection system operations including,
but not limited to the following:
• Safe operation for the retrieval equipment requires a minimum of two (2) trained
operators.
• The retrieval equipment shall not be used unless the crew performing the work
has been trained in its safe operation.
• All plant safety requirements and environmental regulations shall be followed.
• The media type, its pressure and temperature for the attended job shall be
identified before commencing the job.
• All the required personal protective equipment shall be provided and used when
checking the injector, i.e. hard hat, safety glasses, protective clothing, face
shield, safety gloves, breathing apparatus, etc.
• Any actions which could vary system pressure such as surges caused by
opening and closing of valves and chokes should be delayed until completion of
the attended job related to the chemical injection system operations.
• Enough clearance for safe operation around the attended location should be
established.
• Wind direction prior to starting operations involving hazardous products should
be noticed.
• Up-to-date CHBs shall be posted near all chemical storage tanks and unloading
sites.
• Ensure safe release of chemical to the environment by proper installation of
equipment, provision of ventilation and personnel protection.
• Every chemical injection skid shall be equipped with eye washes and showers
side to be used in case of any emergency situation.
• Waste chemical shall be disposed in a safe place.
• For the retractable injector, be careful when breaking connections. Release the
pressure on the chemical line using the drain valve on the pump discharge. Be
sure to close the isolating valve on the process before inspecting the retractable
injector. Break the connection between the retractable injector and the isolating
valve slowly and carefully to release any pressure. Verify that the valve is
completely shut and holding before removing the retractable injector. Never
operate the retractable injector without the external support frame.
• The operator should always position himself to the side when working on the
injector location.
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The following Sections (13, 14 and 15) describe the details of chemical and water wash
injection requirements in Saudi Aramco facilities with respect to design basis, injection
locations, and material of construction.
Refinery Chemicals and Water Wash Injection
Many different types of process additives are used to maintain reliability and optimal
performance of refinery operations. The types of injection chemicals used in refineries
are as varied as the intent and purpose of the programs they service. An additive can
be either a commodity chemical such as acid, caustic, methanol; or a proprietary
chemical such as neutralizing amine, filming amine, antifoulant and chloride. NACE
Publication 34101 contains general guidelines for refinery chemical injection and mixing
points and NACE Publication 34109 contains specific guidelines for chemical treatment
in Crude Distillation Units (CDUs).
The additive can be as simple as a water stream injected to dissolve salt deposits or to
dilute corrosive process components. Wash water requirements in SAES-A-133 and
DB-950176-001 shall be followed. Some of the major types of additives used in
refineries are:
Caustic Addition in Crude Units
Caustic (NaOH) injection is used to reduce crude column overhead acid corrosion,
caused by hydrogen chloride (HCl). Caustic is injected at different locations in a Crude
Distillation Unit (CDU).
Caustic is sometimes injected upstream of the desalters to control desalting pH, but this
is seldom used. pH values above 7.0 leads to tighter emulsions and poor performance
of the desalters while pH values below 7.0 is better for the desalter performance.
For CDU overhead corrosion control, caustic is injected at a location between the
desalter and the fired heaters. The location of this injection point varies from refinery to
refinery in Saudi Aramco’s operations. Injection immediately downstream of the
desalters, referred to as the “Cold Location” is preferred. However, some refineries
prefer to inject caustic in a “Hot Location” immediately upstream, of the CDU charge
heaters. Caustic injection in the Hot Location is considered higher risk than the Cold
Location.
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Design Basis
The design is usually based on the following:

• Caustic strength: 1 – 5 wt% (2 – 7 °Be) NaOH
• Injection Rate: up to 5 ptb as NaOH
• Quill Orifice Velocity: 9.1 m/s (30 ft/s)

• Slipstream Orifice Velocity: 6.0 m/s (20 ft/s)
• Crude Velocity in pipe: 2.0 m/s (7 ft/s)
Injection Locations
Refer to SABP-A-016
Crude Bypass Stream
The most important consideration in the design of the crude bypass stream is
to establish a controlled flow which will maintain an injection velocity of 9.1
m/s (30 ft/s) into the main crude stream. It is assumed that the velocity of the
main crude stream at the point of injection will normally be greater than 2.0
m/s (7 ft/s).
In order to meet this objective, while at the same time limiting the bypassed
crude rate to less than 1% of the maximum expected crude rate, three
differently sized injection sections, as shown in Table 1, are recommended to
cover the range of crude unit capacities.
Table 1: Crude Unit Charge Rate vs. the Slipstream Rate
Maximum Expected Crude Bypass Rate at 148°C

Rate at 600°F, BPD (300°F), BPD
Over 100,000 940
60,000-l00,000 580
Under 60,000 300
It is obviously important to stop injecting caustic during crude flow

interruptions to avoid formation of a pool of concentrated caustic in the crude
oil piping system. It is, therefore, strongly recommended that a low flow
shutdown be installed to stop the caustic pump when the bypassed crude rate
decreases to less, than 85% of its design rate.
Requirements for Caustic Injection System
The detailed design of the caustic injection system is shown in the Library
Drawing DB-950177-001. Table 2 summarizes the caustic injection
requirements. Each refinery must have updated as-built quill detailed design
drawings which also specify the quill materials of construction.
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Table 2: Caustic Injection Requirements
Variable/Location Target or Limit Comment

Source Fresh caustic only Spent caustic results in tramp compounds entering the
system and causing corrosion, fouling, emulsions, and
foaming.
Caustic 1 to 5 wt% Typical values. Dilute caustic aids mixing. Identical
concentration (2 to 7° Baume) concentration must be provided. Variation in caustic
strength injected to process stream is a major cause of
preheater fouling.
Measurement Each batch Essential. Measure the concentration of each and every
batch of caustic to be used in the plant prior to use.
Data must be stored in a permanent record. Injection of
off-specification caustic at one plant caused stress
corrosion cracking and an economic loss of over $1
million. Injection of off-specification caustic at another
plant caused excess fouling.
Dilution water O2 < 20 ppb Stripped sour water is a good source.
Dilution water Cl- Zero Target.
Storage tank The larger the better to minimize batch make-up
operation and variation.
Nitrogen blanket to exclude oxygen.
Mechanical mixers
Caustic delivery to Dedicated line Strongly preferred. A dedicated line from the bulk
unit caustic tank to the unit day tank facilitates the correct
dilution of caustic. At least two plants that use a
complex caustic header system have experienced
major problems with cross contamination and delivery
of out-of-specification caustic that resulted in major
operational problems.
Injection location The suction of the crude booster pump is the normal
location and assists efficient caustic mixing.
In cases where preheater fouling is an issue, then

caustic injection upstream of the heater is allowable.
Injection Maximum 177°C Higher temperatures can be used but only if fouling of
temperature (350°F) preheat exchangers or some other site specific need
makes it essential. Fouling can be readily detected by
measurement of pressure drop across the preheater.
Higher temperature injection requires careful and
continuing attention to every detail as failures at higher
temperatures can be catastrophic.
Quantity injected Salt < 2 PTB, Caustic injection rates are fine-tuned based on
add 1 PTB NaOH overhead chloride levels. Initial rates for a new unit
follow the rules of thumb provided. The maximum
Salt 2-5 PTB,
amount injected is limited to less than 2 PTB NaOH.
add 1.5 - 2 PTB
Amounts injected may be limited further due to effects
NaOH on downstream process such Visbreakers, FCCUs, and
Maximum 5 PTB hydrocrackers.
Injection quill T ≤ 204°C (400°F): Saudi Aramco experience has demonstrated the
material Alloy 400 (UNS performance of these materials.
N0440)
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T >204°C (400°F):
Alloy 600 (UNS
N0660)
Injection quill Only when the unit The caustic injection quill can be removed only when
removal is down the unit is down. The quill must be inspected at every
T&I
PMI Positive Material Identification of the injection quill must
be performed on site on all quill fittings to verify
metallurgy upon the removal. This must be documented
and logged in inspection files.
NDT Visual inspection supplemented by Magnetic particle
testing or penetrant testing should be conducted by the
plant inspection to determine the need for replacement.
Ultrasonic thickness measurements should be taken on
all quills and quill fittings.
Injection quill length Injection quill must Field verification of pipe diameter and quill length to be
be the correct confirmed before installation by operations, process
length engineer, inspection and maintenance.
Injection slip stream Dilute caustic Use of a slip stream aids dispersion of the caustic and
mixed 1:100 with helps to minimize caustic-caused corrosion problems.
crude slip stream The slip stream is effectively mixed prior to injection
using an Alloy 400 (UNS N04400) static mixer. All
caustic pipe and fittings shall be Alloy 400 (UNS
N04400).
Installation of a flowmeter The slip stream line should be fitted with a flowmeter for
positive flow indication and appropriate restriction
orifice.
In-line Mixer Static mixer Static mixer shall be used to ensure a homogenous
mixture.
Material Use only Alloy 400 (UNS N04400).
Injection orientation Co-current with The quill should be installed in the pipe so that the hole
crude flow of the quill faces the fluid downstream (Figure 8).
Quill construction PMI Shop QA/QC inspector must identify all materials to be
Alloy 400 (UNS N04400) during fabrication. The PMI
Results must be documented and compared to the
approved site drawings.
Welding procedure A special welding procedure should be verified and
approved.
Quill installation PMI Positive Materials Identification of the injection quill and
all slip stream pipe and fittings must be performed on
site to verify metallurgy. Material other than Alloy 400
(UNS N04400) or Alloy 600 (UNS N06600) for
temperature above 204°C (400°F) shall not be fitted.
Radiography Location of quill tip shall be proved after installation and
before startup by radiography. A permanent record of
the radiograph shall be retained by the refinery.
Quill design Non-retractable Correct positioning of the quill is critical. Therefore, a
with match-mark non-retractable design shall be used. A match-mark
indicator
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indicator is used to show the orientation of the quill
opening.
Latest revision Drawings update / redlined and approved should be

available archived and new drawings communicated to all
affected refinery personnel.
Crude pipework PWHT for minimum Required that the pipework, fittings, etc., be post weld
upstream of the of 3 diameters heat treated to prevent caustic stress corrosion
injection point upstream cracking. Failures due to Caustic SCC have occurred in
Saudi Aramco plants.
Crude pipework PWHT all piping Required that the pipework, fittings, etc., be post weld
downstream of the systems and heat treated to prevent caustic stress corrosion
injection point equipment cracking. Failures due to Caustic SCC have occurred in
Saudi Aramco plants.
Crude pipework NDT The pipework upstream and downstream of the
inspection injection location must be inspected as per API 570 and
01-SAIP-04 for injection point. The frequency of NDT
inspection shall be increased to every three months for
newly installed quills for the first year of operation.
Operating Caustic injection As communicated by the operation engineer on a daily
procedures rate basis and any deviations reported in RSS report.
Neutralizing Amine in Crude and Vacuum Units
Neutralizing amine is introduced into the crude unit overhead lines from the atmospheric
columns and vacuum columns to neutralize the acids that cause very low pH and high
corrosion rates at the water dew point. The objective of injecting neutralizing amine is
to control the pH in the overhead receiver water at a pH of 5.5 to 6.5 which is the range
commonly used in the industry. However, some companies have adopted different
ranges. Other operating companies use a target range of 7.5-8.0. This higher pH is
achievable in systems using ammonia for neutralization but is not cost effective in Saudi
Aramco systems where a neutralizing amine is used.
Design Basis
The neutralizing amine should be injected through an injection quill with

steam to distribute and atomize the neutralizing chemical.
This method will fully disperse the neutralizer into the vapor stream and will
prevent neat chemical injection which could lead to under-deposit and severe
localized corrosion.
In order to have a good neutralizing amine injection the following items shall
be consider in the system design:
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• All process-wetted parts, including the injector pipe with a quill tip or
nozzle, are constructed of Alloy C2000 (UNS N06200), Alloy B-2 (UNS
N10665) or Alloy 625 (UNS N06625).
• The steam pressure should be in the range of 345 kPag to 1,034 kPag
(50 to 150 psig).
• The steam should be trapped and filtered close to the injection point.
• The steam injector equipment, valves and check valves in steam side
service should be rated for this service with steam.
• The neutralizer mixing tee should be as close to the injector as
possible.
• The mixing tee should be horizontal to or above the top of the injection
pipe to insure free uniform flow of the neutralizer.
• The neutralizer mixing tee and the chemical and steam lines should be
supported on adjacent structures to avoid placing excessive strain on
the chemical injector pipe and packing gland.
• Both the steam line and the neutralizer line shall have a check valve to
insure proper flow.
• Both the steam line and the neutralizer line should have a filter
• (Y-strainer – 100 mesh) located near the steam injector to prevent mill
scale or other solid contaminates from fouling the injector pipe or
nozzle.
• The steam injector should be installed in the top or side of the
horizontal section of overhead vapor line, not the bottom.
• Using austenitic stainless steel type 316 (UNS S31600) materials or
better for the steam and neutralizer line to the steam injector is
recommended.
Injection Locations
Refer to SABP-A-016 and SABP-A-025
Requirements for Neutralizing Amine Injection System
The detailed design of neutralizing amine injection system is shown in the

Library Drawing DB-950178-001. Table 3 summarizes the neutralizing amine
injection requirements. Refinery must have current as-built quill detailed
design drawings which also specify the quill materials of construction. These
drawings should be up-to-date and signed-off.
Table 3: Neutralizing Amine Injection Requirements

Filter Y-Strainer Preferred. 100 mesh typical.
The Y-Strainer should be installed in both the steam
line and neutralizer line immediately before mixing, but
at a location that can easily be serviced (easily
accessible from an existing platform). This will reduce
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the problem with quill blockage by preventing mill scale
or other solid contaminates from fouling the injector
pipe or nozzle.
Treatment rate Enough to maintain Treatment rate is adjusted to give the required
pH in the overhead overhead receiver pH. Use a Strong Acid Test to
receiver from 5.5 to calculate the target injection rate that will assure
6.5 neutralization of the first drops of condensing acid.
Injection location After 1st elbow Neutralizer must be injected into the overhead system.
Injection into the reflux is bad practice.
For crude unit, preferred location is immediately
downstream of the first elbow if the outlet pipe is
installed at the top of the crude column.
> 5 pipe diameters Strongly preferred to achieve proper mixing and to
from downstream avoid erosion-corrosion on downstream elbow.
elbow
Co-injection with Neutralizer co-injection with the wash water without
wash water steam (downstream of the 2nd elbow) can be
considered as an alternative on a case-by-case basis.
Injection orientation Injection point with steam to be top side of line if entering on a horizontal
portion of line.
Co-current with the The quill should be installed in the pipe so that the hole
process stream flow of the quill faces the fluid downstream.
Mixing Tee The mixing tee Mixing tee should be located at an elevation above the
should be as close injection point. The mixing tee should be horizontal to
to the injector as or above the top of the injection pipe to insure free
possible. uniform flow of the neutralizer.
Steam co-injection The steam used Required. Use steam co-injection to ensure neutralizer
should be from is vaporized and adequately dispersed. Use lowest
345 to 1,034 kPag pressure steam that meets design need. Inject into the
(50 to 150 psig) overhead at no more than 34 kPag (5 psig) over the
stream pressure. The steam should be trapped and
filtered close to the injection point.
Installation of a The slip stream line should be fitted with a flowmeter for
flowmeter positive flow indication and appropriate restriction
orifice.
Steam injector Should be rated for this service with steam.
equipment, valves
and check valves in
steam side service
Steam and Piping from and Using austenitic stainless steel type 316L (UNS
neutralizer lines including the mix S31603) or better tubing material is recommended.
and fittings point with steam This tubing is clean and more resistant to corrosion
metallurgy shall be a than carbon steel that is commonly used. Alloy 400
compatible (UNS N04400) shall not be used for inhibitor service.
material.
Steam trap Should be installed on steam line close to the mixing point
Quill design Retractable Mandatory. Allows maintenance on-stream.
12 o’clock Normal orientation.
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Inject in center 1/3 Preferred to inject in the center of the stream to ensure
of the stream even distribution away from pipe walls.
In large systems it may be impossible to obtain a quill

that can be retractable, i.e., removed on-line and meet
these criteria. In this case, the minimum insertion into
the pipe flow must be no less than 6 inches.
Injection quill length Injection quills must Field verification of pipe diameter and quill length to be
be the correct confirmed before installation by operations, process
length engineer, inspection and maintenance.
Quill metallurgy Alloy C-2000 (UNS Alloy 400 (UNS N04400) shall not be used for inhibitor
N06200), Alloy B-2 service. Any existing stainless steel quills should be
(UNS N10665) or replaced at the next T&I.
Alloy 625 (UNS
N06625)
Quill installation PMI Positive Materials Identification of the injection quill
must be performed on site to verify metallurgy.
Central with the Location of quill tip shall be proved after installation and
pipework before startup by radiography. A permanent record of
the radiograph shall be retained by the plant.
Filming Amine (Corrosion Inhibitor)
Filming amine is added to provide a protective film, or barrier, between the metal
surface and corrosive liquids.
Injection rates are typically set to add the chemical at 3 - 5 ppm based on total overhead
naphtha rate. Filming amine should normally not be injected in concentrated form. The
product is injected into the overhead line through a quill with a naphtha slipstream with a
dilution between 50 and 100 naphtha to 1 inhibitor. Typically, naphtha dilution is
provided to help the dispersion, at the injection point, and to dilute the concentrated
filming amine that may be corrosive to injection equipment.
Design Basis
The filming amine shall be injected through an injection quill with naphtha to
distribute the filming chemical. This method will fully disperse the filming
amine into the overhead stream and will prevent neat chemical injection
which can be corrosive at elevated temperature.
In order to have a good filming amine injection the following items shall be
consider in the system design:
• All process-wetted parts, including the injector pipe with a quill tip or
nozzle, are constructed of Alloy C2000 (UNS N06200), Alloy B-2 (UNS
N10665) or Alloy 625 (UNS N06625).
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• The filming amine mixing tee should be as close to the injector as
possible.
• The mixing tee should be horizontal to or above the top of the injection
pipe to insure free uniform flow of the filming amine.
• The filming amine mixing tee and the chemical and naphtha lines
should be supported on adjacent structures to avoid placing excessive
strain on the chemical injector pipe and packing gland.
• Both the naphtha line and the filming amine line shall have a check
valve to insure proper flow.
• The Y-Strainer must be installed in the naphtha slip stream line and it
is preferred for the filming amine line. The Y-Strainer shall be located
near the injector to prevent mill scale or other solid contaminates from
fouling the injector pipe or nozzle.
• The injector should be installed in the top or side of the horizontal
section of overhead line, not the bottom.
• Using austenitic stainless steel type 316 (UNS S31600) or better
materials for the naphtha and filming amine line to the injector is
recommended.
Injection Locations
The filming amine will typically be injected at several other locations in

addition to the crude and vacuum unit overhead, refer to SABP-A-016 and
SABP-A-025, including but not limited to:
• Fractionation Columns in Catalytic Reformer units

• Fractionation Columns in Visbreaker units
• Debutanizer in Hydrocrackers
For crude distillation units (CDU/VDU), the filming amine is typically injected
immediately downstream of the neutralizer separated by minimum space of
5D if possible. However, Ras Tanura Refinery injects filming amine upstream
of fin fans.
Page 39 of 58

Requirements for Filming Amine Injection System
The detailed design of filming amine injection system is shown in the Library
Drawing DB-950179-001. Table 4 summarizes the filming amine injection
requirements; refer to SABP-A-025, Appendix I, for Vacuum Unit locations.
Refinery must have current as-built quill detailed design drawings which also
specify the quill materials of construction. These drawings should be up-to-
date and signed-off.
Table 4: Corrosion Inhibitor Injection Requirements for Crude Atmospheric Tower Overhead

Filter Y-Strainer The Y-Strainer must be installed in the naphtha slip
stream line and it is preferred for the filming amine line.
The Y-Strainer should be installed immediately before
mixing, but at a location that it can easily be serviced,
that is, easily accessible from an existing platform. This
will reduce the problem with quill blockage by
preventing mill scale or other solid contaminates from
fouling the injector pipe or nozzle.
Corrosion Inhibitor Oil dispersible film Typical. Presently used in all Saudi Aramco crude
Type former unites. An option is to evaluate water soluble products
co-injected with the water wash.
Injection rate 3 to 5 ppm of total Typical for normal operations. Depends on product
naphtha product used.
and naphtha reflux
Injection location After 1st elbow Typical. Most Saudi Aramco crude units inject corrosion
inhibitor downstream of the 1st elbow, if the outlet pipe
is installed at the top of the crude column, and
downstream of the neutralizing amine injection point.
Ras Tanura primary injection point is at the fin fans.
Secondary injection at the fin fans may be appropriate
for refineries with flow distribution problems.
> 5 pipe diameters Rule-of-thumb (if possible).
from neutralizer
injection
> 5 pipe diameters Strongly preferred to achieve proper mixing and to
from downstream avoid erosion-corrosion on downstream elbow (if
elbow. possible).
Slip stream 100 naphtha to Dilute inhibitor in naphtha stream. Flow measurement
1 inhibitor on inhibitor and naphtha streams essential. 100 mesh
screens required. The naphtha stream can be taken
from the reflux or other similar source.
Installation of a The slip stream line should be fitted with a flowmeter for
flowmeter positive flow indication and appropriate restriction
orifice.
Injection orientation Injection point with naphtha to be top side of line if entering on a horizontal
portion of line.
Co-current with the The quill should be installed in the pipe so that the hole
process stream flow of the quill faces the fluid downstream.
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Mixing Tee The mixing tee Mixing Tee should be located at an elevation above the
should be as close injection point. The mixing tee should be horizontal to or
to the injector as above the top of the injection pipe to insure free uniform
possible flow of the neutralizer.
Naphtha and filming Piping from and Using austenitic stainless steel type 316L (UNS
amine lines and including the mix S31603) or better tubing material is recommended.
fittings metallurgy point with naphtha This tubing is clean and more resistant to corrosion
shall be a than carbon steel that is commonly used.
compatible material Alloy 400 (UNS N04400) shall not be used for inhibitor
service.
Quill design Retractable Mandatory. Allows maintenance on-stream.
Inject in center 1/3 Preferred to inject in the center of the stream to ensure
of the stream even distribution away from pipe walls. In large systems
it may be impossible to obtain a quill that can be
retractable, i.e., removed on-line and meet these
criteria. In this case, the minimum insertion into the pipe
flow must be no less than 6 inches.
Injection quill length Injection quills must be the correct length. Field
verification of pipe diameter and quill length to be
confirmed before installation by operations, process
engineer, inspection and maintenance.
Quill metallurgy Alloy C-2000 UNS Alloy 400 (UNS N04400) shall not be used for inhibitor
N06200), Alloy B-2 service. Any existing stainless steel quills should be
(UNS N10665) or replaced at the next T&I.
Alloy 625 (UNS
N06625)
Quill installation PMI Positive Materials Identification of the injection quill
must be performed on site to verify metallurgy.
Central with the Location of quill tip shall be proved after installation and
pipework before startup by radiography. A permanent record of
the radiograph will be retained by the refinery.
Water Wash in Refining Units
Water washing has been practiced in many refinery process units as a means of
preventing formation or removing fouling salt deposits and to dilute corrosives, often in
column overhead systems, hydrotreater reactor effluent systems, and in the overhead of
some fractionators. For hydroprocessing units, refer to API RP 932-B and SABP-Z-031.
Design Basis for Water Wash Rates
Most water washes have been continuous. Intermittent washing has been
used in some applications for periodic removal of salt deposits. Low water
wash rates can be more harmful than beneficial. The water rate must be high
enough so that the bulk of the water does not flash at system conditions when
injected. Because many of the salt deposits encountered in refining
processes are hygroscopic, inadequate water washing can lead to severe
Page 41 of 58

localized corrosion in certain circumstances. The water wash rate must be
sufficient to maintain at least 25% of the total water injected as liquid water.
Typically, for a crude unit overhead, a wash water rate of 4 to 6% of total
naphtha stream volume is needed to meet this 25% liquid water requirement.
Injection Locations
Many refinery process units have used water wash as a corrosion control
method. The following are list of the water wash injection locations which are:
• Crude unit atmospheric column overhead piping system

• Water is usually injected in the overhead piping to help quench and
scrub the overhead vapors, dilute acids formed, and keep any salts or
acids from accumulating in the system, refer to SABP-A-016.
• Hydroprocessing unit reactor effluent cooling trains
• Ammonia and hydrogen sulfide gases, generated during hydrotreating,
combine to form ammonium bisulfide salts as the reactor effluent
stream cools down.
• To prevent plugging of exchanger tubes, water is injected upstream of
the salt formation temperature (upstream of the effluent coolers) to
remove ammonium chloride or ammonium bisulfide deposits and to
dilute aqueous condensates containing these salts.
• Catalytic reforming unit
• The typical injection point has been located upstream from the point in
the pretreater reactor feed/effluent exchangers where the temperature
allows deposition of ammonium chloride.
• Water is injected on a continuous or intermittent basis to remove
accumulations of ammonium chloride salts.
• Fluid catalytic cracking unit (FCCU) light ends recovery unit
• Water wash is typically injected upstream of the fractionator overhead
condenser and upstream of interstage cooler to reduce corrosion by
dilution of the contaminants, such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and
cyanide.
• Conditions in FCCU light ends recovery units have been conducive to
hydrogen blistering, hydrogen induced cracking (HIC) and stress-
oriented hydrogen induced cracking (SOHIC) problems due to the
hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and cyanide formed by the catalytic
cracking reaction.
Page 42 of 58

Requirements for Water Wash Injection System
The detailed design of the water wash injection system is shown in the Library
Drawing DB-950176-001. Table 5 summarizes the water wash injection
requirements. Refinery must have current as-built quill detailed design
drawings which also specify the quill materials of construction. These
Table 5: Water Wash Injection Requirements for Crude Atmospheric Tower Overhead

Source Overhead receiver Recycle water from the overhead receiver is the most
common source.
Quality O2 <20 ppb Required. Oxygen in wash water results in major
corrosion damage.
Total dissolve solids (TDS) typically are in the region of
TDS
160 ppm in Saudi Aramco operations. Low figures are
preferable but not controllable.
Tramp amines Avoid the presence of tramp neutralizing amines if at all
possible. Neutralizers introduced with the wash water
help to control overhead receiver pH but do not help
control pH in the first condensing drops of acid in the
overhead, if condensation occurs upstream of the water
wash.
Injection location Should be based on For Crude unit: Preferred location is immediately
dew point downstream of the second elbow after the crude
location/deposit column if the outlet pipe is installed at the top of the
forming location crude column.
Injection rate 5 % volume of Target is to maintain at least 25% of the injected water
overhead naphtha in the liquid phase after injection, so that solids may be
washed through the system and the condensing
hydrochloric acid diluted. This water wash rate may not
be achievable with undersized or poorly designed
overhead receivers.
Measurement and Accurate measurement and control of wash water flow is essential especially
control in locations where on water feed is used to supply different parts of the
system, such as the overhead and the fin fans.
Nozzle orientation Co-current with the Orient spray nozzle to spray downward along center
process stream line of vapor line
flow.
Nozzle metallurgy Alloy C-276 (UNS Corrosion resistant alloys such as Alloy C-276 (UNS
N10276) or Alloy N10276) or Alloy 625 (UNS N06625) are the materials
625 (UNS N06625) of choice for this service but only available in batches of
25 or more from the manufacturer. Austenitic stainless
steel type 316L (UNS S31603) and type 316F (UNS
S31620) have been used as a less desirable alternative
in crude unit overhead systems. Rabigh Refinery uses
Alloy 600 (UNS N06600).
Page 43 of 58

Chloride Injection
There are differences in operation between semi-regenerative and continuous catalytic

reformers. The differences are related to the amount of chloride injected, to replace
chloride lost from the catalyst during the run and maintain catalyst activity, and whether
the chloride is injected continuously.
Older reformer units use fixed bed reactors in series. Typically, four reactor beds are
used in a cascade arrangement. These units are referred to as semi-regenerative
catalytic reformers. Removing one bed at a time from service and physically opening
the reactor and removing and replacing the catalyst achieve regeneration of this type of
process.
Continuous Catalyst Regeneration (CCR) platforming is another catalytic reforming

process which is operated fairly dry to minimize stripping chlorides from the catalyst and
forming hydrochloric acid that is very corrosive. In CCR, the catalyst is continuously
withdrawn from the reactor then regenerated, activated and fed back to the stacked
reactor bed.
The chloride content of the catalyst must be kept in the range that is provided by the
catalyst supplier to maintain good catalyst activity and selectivity.
To maintain chloride on the catalyst at an optimum level as per catalyst supplier

recommendations (determined by catalyst sampling), and a moisture level in the recycle
gas (determined by on line recycle gas moisture analyzers), it is necessary to
continuously inject a solution of chloride, methanol, and reformate as a dilution agent.
The injection rate of each chemical required is expressed as ppm wt% of material active
ingredient based on the unit feed rate.
Design Basis
The injection quill and as much of the related piping and valves as possible
have often been fabricated from Alloy 600 (UNS N06600), which has
sufficient nickel content to make it immune to chloride stress corrosion
cracking.
Injection locations
• Fixed Bed Naphtha Reforming Units (Semi-Regenerative Catalytic

Reformers)
• In Semi-Regenerative Catalytic Reformers, solution of chloride is
injected continuously ahead of the reactors to replace chloride lost
from the catalyst during the run and maintain catalyst activity.
• Sometimes methanol is added to maintain minimum water in the
recycle gas.
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• Catalyst life is improved if a small amount of water is present but not
enough water to wash chlorides off the catalyst.
• Continuous Catalyst Regeneration (CCR) Platformer
• In the CCR Platformer, solution of chloride is injected in the platformer
feed line.
• Chloride is also injected to CCR regenerator in chlorination zone to
keep the proper activity of the platformer catalyst base function.
• The injection of chloride, from the chloride storage tank, serves both
platformer startup and CCR normal operation.
Requirements for Chloride Injection System
Table 6 summarizes the chloride injection requirements. Refinery must have

current as-built quill detailed design drawings which also specify the quill
materials of construction. These drawings should be up-to-date and signed-
off.
Table 6: Chloride Injection Requirements

Injection location Ahead of the The chloride is continuously injected
reactors in semi-
regenerative
catalytic reformers
In the platformer The chloride is continuously injected
feed line of the first
heater
Downstream from The chloride is continuously injected to avoid any
the heaters possible buildup of chloride in the heater tubes
In the chlorination The chloride is continuously injected to keep the proper
zone of CCR activity of the platformer catalyst base function
regeneration tower
Between the CCR The chloride is intermittently injected during start-up.
Combined Feed
Exchangers
Nozzle insertion Inject centerline of The injection nozzle for chloride solution should be
the pipe extended to the centerline of the pipe to assure proper
mixing and to protect against localized corrosion.
Nozzle metallurgy Alloy 600 Austenitic stainless steel shall not be used for this
(UNS N06600) service since this alloy has been very susceptible to
chloride stress corrosion cracking.
Alloy 600 (UNS N06600) has sufficient nickel content to
make it immune to chloride stress corrosion cracking.
Page 45 of 58

Antifoulant Injection
Fouling deposits can degrade the operation of refinery process units in several ways:
restricting fluid flow, reducing heat transfer rates, shortening service life, and
compromising product quality. While fouling can be found throughout the refinery, the
most common problem area includes Condensate Fractionation Unit.
Fouling deposits can consist of inorganic materials, such as iron sulfide corrosion by-
products, and organic materials, such as agglomerated asphaltenes, thermally
degraded polymer, and coke. Deposits often contain a complex mixture of organic and
inorganic materials.
An antifoulant is a chemical additive which may be injected into a process stream at low
concentration to prevent the buildup of deposits on downstream tube/shell exchangers.
Because of the variety of complex mechanisms which contribute to an overall fouling
problem, no single balanced formulation is effective for all fouling cases. Consequently,
each fouling problem is highly individual and dependent on many variables such as
experience on similar operating units, unit history, stream characterization, deposit
analysis, and/or laboratory screening. The use of antifoulants is often a matter of
experimentation to establish which compound is most effective. Then, the success of
an antifoulant application depends largely upon properly selecting the right antifoulant
for the fouling problem at hand and determining what dosage level is required to
maintain fouling control.
DB-950175-001 shows a library drawing for antifoulant injection systems.
Design Basis
The injection quill should be made from austenitic stainless steel type 316L
(UNS S31603) pipe.
Injection Locations
Common applications of antifoulants have included preheat exchangers and

furnaces in desalted crude, atmospheric bottoms, coker feed, or
hydroprocessing unit services. Treatment of FCCU slurry circuits, fuel gas
lines, pyrolysis gasoline, coker and FCCU light ends, and lube extraction
solvents has sometimes been performed depending on plant operations.
Requirements for Antifoulant Injection System
The detailed design of the antifoulant injection system is shown in the Library
Drawing DB-950175-001. Table 7 summarizes the antifoulant injection
requirements. Refinery must have current as-built quill detailed design
drawings which also specify the quill materials of construction. These
Page 46 of 58

Table 7: Antifoulants Injection Requirements

Injection rate Initial feed rate should be determined For example: 10 ppm of Heavy
by experience with similar situations aromatic Naphtha, Naphthalene
or laboratory testing. chemical was found to be optimum
Ongoing feed rates and performance injection rate for Condensate
verification should be determined by Fractionation Unit.
monitoring heat transfer coefficients
or fouling factors across critical heat
transfer equipment.
Injection location Preheat exchangers and furnaces in For example: downstream of
desalted crude, atmospheric bottoms, condensate preflash drum at
coker feed, hydroprocessing unit condensate fractionation unit at Ras
services Tanura Refinery
Fouling Overall heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop can be used as values in
measurement and quantitative evaluation of heat exchanger fouling.
control
Quill design Retractable Mandatory. Allows maintenance on-
stream.
Inject in center 1/3 of the stream Preferred to inject in the center of the
stream to ensure even distribution
away from pipe walls. In large
systems it may be impossible to
obtain a quill that can be retractable,
i.e., removed on-line and meet these
criteria. In this case, the minimum
insertion into the pipe flow must be no
less than 6 inches.
Injection quill length Injection quills must be the correct
length. Field verification of pipe
diameter and quill length to be
confirmed before installation by
operations, process engineer,
inspection and maintenance.
Quill orientation Co-current with the process stream The quill shall be installed in the pipe
flow so that the hole of the quill faces the
fluid downstream.
Quill metallurgy The injection nozzle should be made from austenitic stainless steel type 316L
(UNS S31603) pipe
Upstream Facilities and Gas Plant Chemical Injection
Management of corrosion, scale formation, oxygen content and microbial populations,

are essential in oil and gas production and processing systems. In addition, demulsifier
chemical is used in the GOSPs to assist in water-oil emulsion breaking/separation.
Page 47 of 58

The injection of the inhibitor is a standard practice to control internal corrosion and scale
build-up in carbon steel equipment and piping. This strategy has been shown to be very
successful and cost effective.
Design Basis
Standard two-inch high pressure access fittings and injection quills are commonly used
in GOSPs, oil & gas processing facility and gas plants for injecting typical oilfield
treatment chemicals. High pressure access fittings are designed to permit safe,
relatively easy insertion and retrieval of injection quills as well as other devices (such as
coupons or monitoring equipment) while under full operating pressure.
This type of injection quill can be removed for cleaning while system is under pressure.
The injection components, other than the access fitting body, shall be made from
austenitic stainless steel type of 316L (UNS S31603) or better and shall be suitable for
sour service and meet all sour service requirements of SAES-A-133, NACE
MR0103/ISO 17945 or NACE MR0175/ISO 15156, as applicable.
Access fittings for injection must be installed in straight run pipe. The fitting must not be
installed closer than a minimum of two pipe diameters downstream of a bend, valve or
reducer and there must be a minimum run of 5D of straight pipe downstream of the
fitting before a bend, reducer, etc. When more than one access fitting is installed in one
location, the fittings must be separated by a minimum of 1.0 m (3 ft). In order to operate
the retriever, a minimum of 300 mm (12”) clearance is required around the access fitting
body and a minimum of 2,500 mm (8 ft) above or to the side of the pipe for top and side
mounted fittings.
Check valves are required immediately upstream of the shut-off valve at the fitting. The
shut-off valve should be austenitic stainless steel type 316L (UNS S31603) and after
installation onto the nipple must be seal welded in accordance to Saudi Aramco welding
procedures. Positive shut-off valve required such as gate, needle or ball.
Short nipples and shutoff valves must be rated for sour service and they should be
identifiable (grade and rating) as per SAES-L-105. All valves installation and seal
welding should be as per SAES-L-110, Section 9.
If a chemical injection fitting is not in service, the solid plug, injection nut and quill shall
be extracted, the quill must be removed from the injection nut and a solid stainless steel
pipe plug installed in its place. This prevents service fluid from migrating up the quill
through the hollow injection nut and contacting and possible corroding the threaded
nipple installed in the access fitting body tee. Prior to re-installing the plugged injection
assembly into the access fitting the upper and lower O-rings shall be replaced.
Injection Locations
Page 48 of 58

The following is a list of some of the chemical types and their typical injection locations
in upstream facilities and Gas Plants:
• Corrosion Inhibitor; refer to SABP-A-018

• GOSP production/test header
• Trunk lines/flow lines with high water cut
• GOSP Wasia wash water line
• GOSP LPPT/IPPT/HPPT gas compressor discharge lines
• GOSP dry gas line to NGL
• GOSP disposal water header
• GOSP wash water supply
• GOSP fire water supply
• Disposal water line in the 3-Phase Separators (Plant 429 of Abqaiq
Plants)
• Gas out line from De-Ethanizer to Gas Plant (Plant R-57 of Abqaiq
Plants)
• Suction line of the inter-stage/after coolers in NGL Plant (All NGL
Plants in Abqaiq Plants)
• Off-gas from the De-Ethanizer reflux drum to Gas Plant (Plant 462 of
Abqaiq Plants)
• Off-gas from the De-Ethanizer surge drum to condenser (Plant 462 of
Abqaiq Plants)
• Off-gas from stripper feed drum to De-Ethanizer or Gas Plant (Plant
462 of Abqaiq Plants)
• NGL line (QA-10) to Ras Tanurah Refinery (Plant 462 of Abqaiq
Plants)
• Total off-gas line to De-Ethanizer feed chiller (Plant 462 of Abqaiq
Plants)
• Suction line of stripper overhead cooler (Plant 499 of Abqaiq Plants)
• Overhead gas line (Plant 334 of Abqaiq Plants)
• Discharge of condensate shipper pump (Gas Plants)
• Downstream of the gas wellhead christmas tree (Gas Plants)
• Ethane “C2” injection well (only during the reproduction in some of the
Gas Plants)
• Sour/Sweet wet gas flowlines
• Scale Inhibitor; refer to SABP-A-018
• GOSP production/test header
• GOSP disposal water header
• IPPT/HPPT crude oil out stream in some GOSPs
Plants)
• Discharge of Condensate Shipper Pump (Gas Plants)
• Oxygen Scavenger
Page 49 of 58

Plants)
• Biocide Injection
Plants)
• Demulsifier Injection; refer to SABP-A-018
• Production Manifold
• GOSP test header
• Dehydrator/Desalter inlet
• Upstream of 3-Phase Separators (Plant 429 of Abqaiq Plants)
Requirements for Chemical Injection System in Upstream Facilities and Gas

Plants
The typical design of the chemical injection point is shown in the Library Drawing DA-
950035-001 “2-Inch high Pressure Access System Chemical Injection and Corrosion
Monitoring”. The following Table 8 summarizes the chemical injection requirements in
upstream facilities and Gas Plants.
Table 8: Chemical Injection Requirements

Injection rate As communicated by the Area Corrosion Engineer
Access fitting Install in straight run pipe
design The fitting must not be installed closer than a minimum of two pipe diameters
downstream of a bend, valve or reducer
There must be a minimum run of 5D of straight pipe downstream of the fitting
before a bend, reducer, etc.
The fittings must be separated by a This is required when more than one
minimum three (3) feet access fitting is installed in one
location
A minimum of 300 mm (12”) radial This is required in order to operate
clearance is required around the the retriever
access fitting body and a minimum of
2,500 m (8 ft) is required above or to
the side of the pipe for top and side
mounted fittings, respectively.
Quill design The style of the injection quill should have a scarf cut instead of a plain open
end
Inject in center 1/3 of the stream The recommended injection location
is the center of the pipe to ensure
even distribution away from pipe walls
and for more homogeneous mix to
take place in the pipe.
12 o’clock position
Injection quill length Injection quills must be the correct
length. Field verification of pipe
diameter and quill length to be
Page 50 of 58

confirmed before installation by
operations, process engineer,
inspection and maintenance.
Quill orientation For liquid-phase stream, the quill To ensure proper positioning of the
should be installed in the pipe so that quill cut in the pipe, the solid plug
the angled face of the quill faces the should be permanently marked to
fluid downstream. While for mixed show orientation. One of the
and vapor phase stream, the angled recommended field practices is to
face of the quill should face the fluid permanently mark the long side of the
upstream as shown in Figure 6 & 7. quill with a straight line using a file,
small hacksaw cut or waterproof paint
marker.
Quill metallurgy The injection quill should be made Pipe and not tubing shall be used to
from austenitic stainless steel type fabricate the quill. The quill material
316L (UNS S310603) material. should be suitable for sour service
and meet the requirements of SAES-
A-133, NACE MR0103/ISO 17945 or
NACE MR0175/ISO 15156, as
applicable.
Steam Generator Chemical Injection
Chemical treatment of water inside the steam generators is necessary to prevent

scaling and corrosion in the steam generator and its associated condensate system.
Scaling in steam generators is caused by impurities being precipitated out of the water
directly on heat transfer surfaces or by suspended matter in water settling out on the
metal and becoming hard and adherent. Scaling in steam generators will result in
excessive fuel consumption due to loss of heat transfer and may also cause localized
overheating. This can lead to tube failure. The first preventative measure for scaling is
to supply good quality water as make–up feed water.
Feed water also contains dissolved gases such as oxygen or carbon dioxide. These
gases in the presence of water and metal can cause corrosion. Oxygen attack is one of
the most common causes of corrosion inside steam generators. Oxygen attack can
cause damage to economizers, steam drums, mud drums, boiler headers and
condensate piping. A deaerator removes most of the oxygen in feed water; however,
trace amounts are still present and can cause corrosion-related problems. Oxygen
scavengers are added to the feed water, preferably in the deaerator storage section, to
react with the trace amounts of oxygen not removed by the deaerator.
Corrosion can also occur from excessive alkalinity of excessive pH of the boiler water.
This caustic attack is most likely to occur under scale or deposits, where very high local
concentrations of hydroxide can build or in zones where insufficient cooling.
Page 51 of 58

Neutralizing Amines are high pH chemicals that intended to react with trace levels of
carbon dioxide in the condensate system. Being alkaline, neutralizing amines also raise
the pH in the condensate system, which aids in reducing corrosion rates.
Design Basis
Chemicals used in steam generator systems are best injected neat, to avoid batch
preparation errors and to minimize the size of the dosing pumps. Most water treatment
vendors supply chemicals in semi-bulk tanks of 1000 liter capacity. The use of semi-
bulk tanks avoids the need for day tanks.
Refer to SABP-A-021 for Desalination Plants, SABP-A-026 for Cooling Water Systems,
SABP-A-028 for Reverse Osmosis Systems, and SABP-A-029 for Boilers.
Injection Locations
The optimum injection locations are indicated in Figure 11.
Figure 11: Optimum Injection Points for Steam Generator Chemicals
Chemical Dosage Control
Chemical injection system requires continual operator attention to make sure that the
correct dosage rate is being injected in the system. Adjustments to the volume of
chemical injected should be made to maintain the dosage rate set point. The operator
should visually check the condition of the chemical pumps, tanks and piping in a daily
basis. Maintaining the optimum chemical dosage to process streams and monitoring
the effect on corrosion rates are extremely important in corrosion control. Failure to do
so would result in surprises and unplanned equipment failures. Plant operators should
check the chemical injection rates twice per shift.
Page 52 of 58

Frequent field visits and spot-checks should be conducted by the Area Corrosion
Engineer to ensure strict adherence to the chemical injection procedures. The intent of
the spot checks is to bring to the attention of the operations organizations the
deficiencies in the chemical dosage rates, chemical injection pumps, type of chemicals
used and similar issues.
Monthly status reports should be issued by the Area Corrosion Engineer and sent to the
Operations Foreman, highlighting the monthly spot check deficiencies noted and the
required course of action. Tracking of chemical consumption and adherence to
established injection targets is an Operations responsibility. Operations staff should
highlight the deficiencies up through their organization on a daily basis. Follow-up visits
by the Corrosion Engineer should be made to observe the implementation of
recommendations. In addition to the periodic reports, more formal chemical injection
system review meetings and audits are recommended to be conducted regularly. The
frequency of review meetings and audits depends on the corrosivity and history of the
plant piping and equipment system, and has to be determined for each specific case
and chemical.
The success of the effective chemical injection program ultimately revolves around the
ability of operations personnel, process and corrosion engineers to interact and
effectively communicating targets, objectives, and problems.
Strict adherence to this procedure allows the plant operations staff to reliably and
accurately optimize the chemical injection rate. This level of chemical dosage control
can significantly reduce the need for maintenance, lower the risk of unexpected failure
and further reduce operation and maintenance costs by assuring adequate dosage of
the chemical is injected in the plant piping and equipment.
Chemical Injection Effectiveness
The most important aspect of the chemical obviously is its performance and
effectiveness. Therefore, regular corrosion monitoring to obtain trended data are the
only means to ensure that chemical injection is effective. Inspection is also used
periodically to ensure the integrity of plant piping and equipment. The monitoring and
recording of all available parameters, including flow rates, and chemical consumption, is
required to ensure that the chemical treatment program is operated and managed
correctly.
Corrosion monitoring is used to confirm that inhibition is actually controlling the

corrosion to an acceptable rate. Monitoring can:
• Detect of compliance conditions
• Provide plant operators with sufficient reaction time to implement remedial
actions such as:
• Repair of injection equipment
Page 53 of 58

• Change of operating procedures
• Change of chemical dosage rate
The following data should be collected to assist in system performance evaluation:

• Corrosion monitoring data such as:
• Iron counts (regular chemical analysis to provide trends)
• Corrosion coupons
• On-line monitoring probes
• Chemical injection data
• Inhibitor residuals
• Process Parameters (in-direct measure of corrosion) such as:
• Flow rate
• Fluid chemistry
• Water cut
• Temperature
• Pressure
• pH
• Gas composition
• System upsets
• Chemical cost
• Maintenance record
• Inspection data including but not limited to:
• Periodic ultrasonic surveys
• RT
• MPI
• PT
• Instrument scraping runs for pipelines
Reliance on data from a single corrosion monitoring method is not recommended.
The aim should be to use data from at least two types of technique to obtain consistent
information; for example, on-line corrosion monitoring, weight loss coupons, and iron
counts. Appropriate sampling equipment location is also crucial for the determination of
the system corrosivity.
Data from the monitoring activities outlined above should be gathered together and
correlated with relevant process data and other information. The trended data should
enable out-of-compliance conditions to be detected and for the appropriate corrective
actions to be taken or for repairs to be completed before the operation or integrity is
compromised. The main goal of overall process system condition monitoring, should be
to detect out of compliance conditions very early after their occurrence and to correct
the condition and return the system to compliance before there would be enough
damage to the system to warrant repair.
Page 54 of 58

Strategies for Chemical Optimization
Regular monitoring and adjustments are typically needed to optimize the performance
of the costly chemicals due to operational conditions changes. The chemical
optimization activity concentrates on injecting the correct amount of treatment chemical
into a system or specific piece of equipment under the current process conditions, to
achieve the result anticipated from the application of the chemical. The chemical
requirement is driven by factors such as water cut, water volume, flow regime, and
condition of the equipment. However, the ultimate measure of whether or not enough
chemical is used can only be determined by consideration of other factors such as
corrosion monitoring data and/or the amount of active corrosion detected by the OSI
program, results of inspections during T&Is and process variables changes.
The correlation between the inspection data and the corrosion monitoring data allows
the corrosion monitoring data to be interpreted with better confidence to manage the
chemical injection program in an efficient manner.
Information from corrosion monitoring and inspection activities should be collated and
gathered together to help in the chemical optimization. This information should also
include relevant process conditions and chemical inhibition data. Typically, the data
gathered should include:
• Process conditions, highlighting any changes.
• Visual observations
• Corrosion monitoring data
• Weight loss coupons.
• Electrical Resistance (ER) probes.
• Linear polarization resistance (LPR) probes
• Inspection data covering
• Ultrasonic inspection data (OSI data)
• Radiographic (X-ray) inspection data
• T&Is inspection reports
• Leak History
• Instrument scraping results for pipelines
• Corrosion and failure analysis reports
Not all inspection and monitoring systems are required and/or applicable for any
particular facility and their use will be dependent on the type of corrosion
process/material damage that is anticipated. It is not intended that this Best Practice
document provides a detailed description of the different techniques which can be found
elsewhere.
The usual monitoring tools for chemical optimization are corrosion coupons, Linear
Polarization Resistance (LPR), electrical resistance (ER) probes and iron counts.
Weight loss coupons provide a check on LPR and ER results and identify the onset of
Page 55 of 58

pitting but do not usually give specific information about weld corrosion. The probes are
often installed on a side or top stream of the main production line, for measuring
corrosion rates. LPR measurement can provide a relatively faster response than ER
probes where both of them are used to detect general corrosion. The main difficulty
with this approach is that flow and corrosive conditions in the side or top stream can be
different from those in the main lines. This is particularly true in the case of localized
corrosion. The localized corrosion can be as crevice or pitting caused by water
accumulation at the bottom of the line. In addition, the duration of the chemical injection
optimization study is often not long enough to ensure that stable corrosion conditions
have been established.
Chemical optimization requires faster methods so on-line corrosion monitoring should

be utilized to aid the plant engineers and operators in optimizing the corrosion inhibitor
required. On-line corrosion monitoring will allow the operators to vary the injection rates
of chemicals as flow conditions fluctuate. The corrosion rate can be monitored hourly
as the chemical inhibition levels varied and a maximum allowable corrosion rate can be
set and acted upon by the operators. Moreover, On-line corrosion monitoring permits
the operators to have a closer look at the corrosion characteristics of the plant piping,
and to determine the extent of temporary corrosion protection afforded by the residual
corrosion inhibitor after the chemical inhibition pumps are switched off.
Lab analysis for the process should be taken periodically to lead for good monitoring
and chemical optimization as well as protection the system.
Chemical optimization study should be run over an extended period of weeks/months.

The optimization study results should be promptly evaluated. This should be a joint
activity with the lead taken by the Corrosion Engineer assisted by the Process Engineer,
inspection personnel and vendor's experts.
Records of injection dosage compared to site deliveries, storage and purchase

information can often reveal discrepancies and identify causes of poor performance.
Quality Control of Chemicals
Chemical injection inhibitors are typically not pure chemicals. Many of the ingredients
that are used for the formulation of these chemicals are side stream products having
some degree of variation from batch to batch. These chemicals undergo a multitude of
laboratory and field tests before they can be injected in the operating units.
SAES-A-205 “Oilfield Chemicals” and SAES-A-208 “Water Treatment Chemicals”

establish requirements for selection, quality assurance, quality control, and first-fill
purchase of oilfield and water treatment chemicals. The purpose of these standards is
to implement a program that results in the cost-effective purchase and performance of
oilfield and water treatment chemicals.
Page 56 of 58

Document Summary
14 October 2021 Major revision
18 November 2015 Minor revision
1 July 2007 New Saudi Aramco Best Practice.
Page 57 of 58

Appendix A
INSPECTION UNIT
Chemical Injection Point Datasheet
(Injection Point Number: Title)
1. Receiving Stream Description
Unit Description
Line Number P & ID No.
Receiving Stream Phase G L G/L Line Size (inch)/Schedule
Operating Temperature
Line Metallurgy
(°F)
Operating Pressure (psi) Corrosion Rate (mpy)
Upstream Equipment Downstream Equipment
Flow Rate (BPD or Normal:______________ Min:________________ Max: ____________
MMSCF/D) Optimum:___________
2. Injection Stream Description
Injection Phase G L G/L Line Size (inch)/Schedule
Operating Temperature
Line Metallurgy
(°F)
Operating Pressure (psi) Corrosion Rate (mpy)
Normal:______________ Min:________________ Max: ____________
Injection Rate (GPD) Optimum:___________
Type of Injection Continuous Intermittent (Frequency:_____________________ )
Back Flow Prevention Check valve Other (Specify:____________________________ )
3. Injection Hardware
45o Bevel Quill Spray Nozzle Normal elbow Small Circular
Injection Point Type Hole
Injection Origin (From) Top Bottom Side of Horizontal Pipe Side of Vertical Pipe
Direction of Injection Injection Face the Fluid Upstream Injection Face the Fluid Downstream
Injection Tube Metallurgy
Flow Measurement
Flow Control System
System
Name of Vender (if any)
Bend Tee Reducer Orifice Other
Nearest Pipe Change is (Specify:_______________ )
Distance
4. Chemical Data
Generic Description
Injection Purpose
Supplier
Product Name
Injection Start Date
(m/d//yr)
5. Injection Point Inspection
Isometric Sketch No.
Inspection Interval
Inspection Technique
Last Inspection Date
Next Inspection Date
6. Note: Attach any available information/sketch/P&ID related to this injection point.
Page 58 of 58

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Best Practice 14 October 2021

Previous Revision: 18 November 2015 Next Revision: 14 October 2031

Saudi Aramco: Company General Use

Saudi Aramco: Company General Use

Saudi Aramco: Company General Use

Paragraph Number Change Type

NACE Publication 34109

Saudi Aramco: Company General Use

Paragraph Number Change Type

- 4.2 New New section with Definitions

4 5 Modification Changed the title of Section 5

5.1 6.2 Modification Change the section title to

5.4.3 6.5.3 Modification Limit the use of Alloy 400

Saudi Aramco: Company General Use

Paragraph Number Change Type

12.4 13.4 Addition Added a reference to API RP

Saudi Aramco: Company General Use

Conflicts and Deviations

Saudi Aramco References

Saudi Aramco Engineering Procedures

SAEP-20 Equipment Inspection Schedule

SAES-A-112 Meteorological and Seismic Design Data

Saudi Aramco: Company General Use

31-SAMSS-009 Positive Displacement Pumps - Controlled Volume

DA-950035-001 2” High Pressure Access System - Chemical Injection and

SABP-A-016 Crude Unit Corrosion Control

Saudi Aramco: Company General Use

00-SAIP-07 Positive Material Identification Requirements

American Petroleum Institute

ASME B16.9 Factory-Made Wrought Buttwelding Fittings

NACE MR0103/ISO 17945 Materials Resistant to Sulfide Stress Cracking in

MSS SP-97 Integrally Reinforced Forged Branch Outlet Fittings - Socket

Saudi Aramco: Company General Use

Be: Baumé is a scale used to measure the density of various liquids.

CCR: Continuous Catalyst Regeneration

CHB: Chemical Hazard Bulletin.

CRA: Corrosion Resistant Alloy

ER: Electrical Resistance

GOSP: Gas Oil Separation Plant

Saudi Aramco: Company General Use

IPPT: Intermediate Pressure Production Trap

LPPT: Low Pressure Production Trap

LPR: Linear Polarization Resistance

MSDS: Material Safety Data Sheet

MPI: Magnetic Particle Inspection

NGL: Natural Gas Liquids

OSI: On-Stream Inspection

PMI: Positive Material Identification

PT: Penetrant Inspection

PWHT: Post-Weld Heat Treatment

QA/QC: Quality Assurance/Quality Control

RSS Report: Refinery Shift Superintendent Report

RT: Radiography Test

T&I: Test & Inspection

TDS: Total Dissolved Solids

RVL: Restricted Vendor List, generated by Saudi Aramco

Catalyst: A material that aids or promotes a chemical reaction between other

Chemical Hazard Bulletin (CHB): CHB is an internal company document (available in

Fouling: Accumulation of deposits in condensers, exchangers, etc.

Saudi Aramco: Company General Use

Chemical Injection Technology

A chemical injection philosophy depends primarily on the fluid composition, fluid

Retrievable Chemical Injection Systems