Pipeline Repair

ABC Company
ABC Chemical Complex
Engineering Specification

ABC Chemical Complex 1

 Pipeline Repair
 PURPOSE
– Provides repair guidelines on above ground and
buried pipelines.
 GENERAL
– When a pipeline is determined to be leaking, an
immediate temporary repair will be made to
insure public safety, minimize damage to
property, and avoid damage to the environment.

ABC Chemical Complex 2

 Pipeline Repairs
 REFERENCES
– API 1104
» Welding of Pipelines and Related Facilities
– API 1107
» Pipeline Maintenance Welding Practices
– ASME B31.8
» Gas Transmission and Distribution Piping Systems
– ASME B31.4
» Liquid Transportation Systems for Hazardous
Chemicals and Hydrocarbons
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 Pipeline Repair
 DEFINITIONS
– CGI: Combustible Gas Indicator
– HVL: Highly Volatile Liquid
– LEL: Lower Explosion Level
– MAOP: Maximum Allowable Operating
Pressure
– MSDS: Material Safety Data Sheet

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 Pipeline Repair
 Consult MSDS for the pipeline product
during a pipeline repair. Determine
personal protective equipment specific to
the chemical and request from person in
charge of the repair.
 The following table summarizes the
minimum required safety equipment for
pipeline repairs.

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  Material or Chemical  Safety Equipment
– Ethylene – Fire extinguisher
– Hydrogen – Combustible Gas Ind.
– VCM Vapors – Fire Retard. Clothing
– VCM Liquids – Eye goggles
– Kerosene – Ear plugs
– Ethylene Dichloride – Full or air face mask
– Natural Gas – Slicker suits and boots
– Non-Sparking Tools

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 Pipeline Repair
– Check for gas presence prior to welding in or
around an area containing flammable gas or
liquids.
– Maintenance craftsman have the final authority
for work to be performed.
– Post warning signs at the entrances of the right-
of-way during repair work.

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 Pipeline Repair
 PROCEDURE
– Leak Repairs
» Leak Classification
» Pinpointing the Leak - Aboveground Gas and HVL
» Pinpointing the Leak - Underground Gas and HVL
» Excavation
» Precautions
» Preliminary Failure Analysis
» Initial Leak Arrest

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 Pipeline Repair
– Methods of Repair - Corroded Areas
» Repair, if possible, by cutting out a cylindrical pipe
section and replacing it with a pipe of equal or
greater design strength.
» Do not weld on hydrogen or ethylene pipelines
before shutdown/purging operations are complete.
» Acceptable repairs on a pipeline during operation:
 Weld a nipple over a small leak and install fitting.
 Install a leak clamp over a corrosion pit.

 Use a patch with rounded corners for pipe with <40K

SMYS.
 Repair with full encirclement welded split sleeve.

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 Pipeline Repair
– Leak Repair - Cracks or Tears
» Replace a cylindrical section containing the crack or
tear with an equivalent pipe section.
» Reduce the pressure to 20SMYS equivalent or less if
the line cannot be removed from service.
 Determine the pipe condition by visual and NDE methods.
 Stop welding or heating operations on the pipe.

 Drill the ends of the crack and test by NDE

 Repair with a full encirclement welded split sleeve.

 Request Unit Manager approval to return to service.

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 Pipeline Repair
– Leak Repair - Gouges, Grooves, and Dents
» Repair by cutting out a section of the pipeline
containing the defect and replace with a new section
of equivalent or higher strength and composition.
» Reduce pressure to 20%SMYS or less if line cannot
be removed from service. Use one of the following
methods for repair:
 Install a full encirclement welded split sleeve.
 Repair with installation of a full encirclement welded hot
tap sleeve providing the entire defect can be removed with
the hot tap coupon.

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 Pipeline Repair
 RECONDITIONING OF PIPE
– Pipelines that cannot be removed from service
» Repair with replacement of an equivalent section.
» Repair cracks in welds by grinding and rewelding.
» Repair small corroded areas by weld metal overlay.
» Repair small pitted areas with a welded patch.
» Repair large corroded area with a full encirclement
welded split sleeve.
» Repair all gouges or grooves deeper than 10% wall
thickness. Use a full encirclement welded sleeve.

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 Pipeline Repair
» Repair dents deeper than 1/4” on pipe to NPS 12 or
more than 2% greater than NPS 12.
» Repair dents that affect the curvature of the pipe
with removal of a cylindrical section containing the
defect and replacement with an equivalent section.
» Repair dents not meeting the above restrictions by
filling the dent with a hardenable material and
installing a full encirclement welded split sleeve.

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 Pipeline Repair
– Initial Inspection
» Determine soundness of the pipe adjacent to the
defect prior to work
» Inspect external surface of the pipe by one of the
following methods:
 Inspect exterior of pipe visually aided by a pit gage.
 Use magnetic particle inspection if cracking is suspected.

 Determine pipe wall thickness with ultrasonic testing.

 Use radiographic inspection as required for definition.

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 Pipeline Repair
– Welding
» Check for hardness on hydrogen lines and maintain
a hardness equal to or less than BHN 235.
» Welding Procedures
 Perform all weld repairs by Company employees using
Company Welding Procedure Specification (WPS) 1.2.
 Perform all weld repairs by Contract employees using
Company-approved welding procedures provided by the
Contractor.

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 Pipeline Repair
» Welder Qualifications
 Use Company welding procedure for qualification of
Company employees to make weld repairs.
 Use Contractor welding procedure (Company approved)
for qualification of Contract employees to make repairs.
» Burn through control
 Burn through during welding is not expected when
welding parameters do not exceed 20 volts and 100
amperes, if the remaining wall thickness is greater than
0.320 inches (See ASME/ANSI B31.8, paragraph
851.43f). Welding performed outside these limits must be
approved by the Plant Engineer.

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 Pipeline Repair
– Coating Repair
» Repair pipe coating damaged during pipeline repair
activities in accordance with the original coating
manufacturer’s recommendations.
» Hydrotest pipe replacement sections to 1.5 times
MAOP prior to installation. Hold for one hour.
» Test all field welds with 100% NDE coverage using
the best method for the weld configuration.
» Grade and repair weld defects in accordance with
API 1104 and API 1107 requirements.

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 Pipeline Repair
– Documentation
» Include the location of the leak, location class, grade
of the leak, and action taken when writing leak
reports.
» Add repair reports to the original equipment file, the
inspection file, and the DOT coordinators file.
» The DOT Coordinator shall determine if the leak is
classified as an incident that requires reporting to the
regulatory authorities.

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