Defect Assessment in Pipelines

Organized in association with Penspen Integrity

13 October, 2011
7:30am	Registration & coffee
8:00am-5:00pm	Course
14 October, 2011
8:00am-4:45pm	Course

"Through this required program...an operator must evaluate all defects and... develop a schedule that prioritizes the defects for evaluation and repair."
—from the Final DOT Rule:
Pipeline Integrity Management in High Consequence Areas

Many transmission pipelines are now over 20 years old. This is "middle aged" in pipeline terms, and even the best designed and maintained pipeline will become defective as it progresses through its design life. Therefore, operators need to be aware of the effect these defects will have on their pipeline, and — more importantly — be able to assess their significance in terms of the continuing integrity of the pipeline. The increasing use of high-technology maintenance (for example, intelligent pigs) is helping pipeline owners to assess the condition of their lines, and if these modern maintenance methods are combined with modern defect-assessment methods, they can provide a very powerful, and cost-effective, tool. This course will present the latest defect-assessment methods to pipeline engineers and managers. These methods will range from simple, quick, assessment methods, to the more-detailed —fitness for purpose— analysis. The course is highly interactive and takes the form of lectures, workshops, and case studies.

Course Objectives

The course will cover methods available to assess the significance of defects detected in onshore and offshore pipelines. It will introduce simple analytical methods used to assess internal and external corrosion, dents and gouges, cracks (e.g. SCC), weld defects, and fatigue. The course is unique as it is a holistic approach to defect assessment, and it ensures the student appreciates all aspects of the subject, including repair and risk management.

Who Should Attend

Pipeline engineers, designers and service professionals who are involved with the maintenance, inspection, and repair of pipelines.

Course Notes

All delegates will receive a detailed set of lecture notes totaling more than 700 pages, providing an invaluable reference document.

Continuing Education Units

Upon completion of the course, participants will be eligible to receive 1.4 Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

Lecturer

Roland Palmer-Jones is a consultant in the Newcastle office of Penspen Integrity. He has 22 years' experience in the oil and gas industry and has an excellent understanding of pipeline integrity issues, having worked on many diverse pipeline-integrity-related projects for onshore and offshore oil and gas pipelines around the world. These have included general integrity reviews, thermal buckling analyses, pipeline life assessment based on internal inspection results, detailed stress analyses of pipeline construction defects, assessment of the suitability of repairs for the repair of internal corrosion, reviewing inspection and maintenance procedures for operating pipelines beyond code limits, and auditing the design and operation of high pressure gas transmission pipelines.

Course Program

DAY 1

Introduction to Basic Pipeline Engineering Principles

Basic pipeline design principles
Stresses in pipelines
Routing of pipelines
Basic pipeline operating and maintenance parameters
Maintenance and inspection methods

Introduction to Pipeline Defects - Why Pipelines Fail

How safe are pipelines?
How often do they fail?
What causes pipelines to fail?
Pipeline risks
History of pipeline defect assessment

Introduction to Fracture Mechanics (handouts and notes only, no lecture)

Basic theory
Brittle & ductile fracture
K, J, and CTOD

Understanding Fatigue (handouts and notes only, no lecture)

Fundamental Pipeline Defect Failure Relationships

Why pipeline defects fail
Fundamental failure relationships
Explanation of key parameters

How to Assess Corrosion Defects

Introduction to basic theory
Background, strengths and weaknesses
Methods to assess corrosion
ASME B31.G and RSTRENG methods
DNV, BG, etc., methods
Interacting defects
Universal curves for assessing corrosion defects.

Workshop: Corrosion Assessment using Fitness for Purpose

DAY 2

How to Assess Gouges

Introduction to basic theory
Methods to assess gouges
Additional problems and concerns with gouges

How to Assess Dents

Introduction to basic theory
Methods to assess dents
Methods to assess dents containing gouges
Rock dents
Problems with fatigue loadings

How to Assess Cracks

Basic theory
The problems with cracks in pipelines
Stress corrosion cracking (low and high pH)

How to Assess Weld Defects

Welds in pipelines
Assessing defects in pipeline girth welds
Assessing non planar defects in welds
The EPRG girth weld defect guidelines
Fatigue design of girth welds

Setting Intelligent Pig Inspection Levels

Pigs - where they came from and what they can do.
Basic theory
Magnetic, ultrasonic pigs - their accuracy and limitations.
What pigs can detect
What operators want to detect
Setting intelligent pig inspection levels

Workshop: Setting Intelligent Pig Inspection Levels

Fracture Propagation and Arrest (handouts and notes only, no lecture)

Why fractures propagate
Brittle and ductile propagation
Fracture arrest
Calculating toughness requirements

Pipeline Repair and Rehabilitation

Repair and rehabilitation strategy
Response to discovering defects
What are the cost implications?
Types of repair and rehabilitation methods
Grinding
Weld deposition
Shells (including epoxy-filled)
Composite wraps
Cut outs
Mechanical clamps/connectors
Time to repair

Risk and Integrity Management and Analysis

What is risk and risk analysis?
Risk management around the world
Risk management in the USA
Risk management methods - API 1160 and ASME B31.8
Baseline and direct assessment - discussion item
Integrity Management Programs
Prioritisation schemes

Workshop: Setting Priorities

Organized by:

Sponsors:
	Gold Sponsor
Supported by: