February 15, 2010
7:30am	Registration & coffee
8:00am-5:00pm	Course
February 16, 2010
8:00am-4:45pm	Course

Pigging and In-line Inspection

The use of in-line tools for inspection and cleaning is accepted as essential for the safe and profitable operation of all pipelines. Now, Regulations require internal inspections using geometry pigs for detecting changes in circumference and MFL or ultrasonic pigs for determining wall anomalies, or wall loss due to corrosion in onshore pipelines in the US. Offshore, pipeline operators wage a constant battle for flow assurance against paraffin, hydrate, and asphaltene formation in deepwater lines, and pigging technology combined with chemical treatment is their primary weapon. The Pigging and In-line Inspection Course is designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to all aspects of utility and in-line inspection pigging. Led by four of the most experienced, independent experts in this field today, the course will be conducted as a workshop, and attendees will be actively encouraged to participate. The course content will be fully illustrated, with actual pigs and models being used to aid understanding and help overcome any language difficulties. Comprehensive course notes will be provided, which will form a valuable source of reference afterwards.

Who should attend

The course is especially designed for project managers, engineers, maintenance and technical personnel responsible for pipeline integrity assurance, flow assurance, corrosion control, and safety.

Course Notes

Included with the course fee is a detailed set of lecture notes and the reference handbook Pipeline Pigging Handbook, 3rd Edition, by J. Cordell and H. Vanzant (272pp - a $125 value) providing invaluable reference documents after the course.

Continuing Education Units

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

Lecturers

Dr. Tom Bubenik is Director of Integrity Solutions at DNV Columbus (formerly CC Technologies). He has more than 20 years of experience in pipeline integrity assessments, in-line inspection tools and their capabilities, direct assessment techniques and methodologies, field data collection, and the impact of defects and inspection on pipeline operations and maintenance. Dr. Bubenik's research experience covers inspection technologies for pipelines, analysis tools for corroded and damaged pipelines, and repair techniques for pipelines. He also has extensive experience related to in-line inspection of natural gas pipelines including design and operation of inspection vehicles and analysis and interpretation of inspection data.

Pam Moreno

Gary Smith is president of Inline Services, a Houston-based company specializing in pigging equipment and services. He has 27 years experience in the pipeline pigging industry, working in services such as commissioning and maintenance of pipelines as well as with designing and manufacturing pigging equipment.

George Williamson has over 22 years of Operations, maintenance and Integrity Management experience. He is a registered professional engineer, NACE certified corrosion and cathodic protection specialist, and certified pipeline integrity specialist.

Course Outline

DAY 1

Pigging for Operation and Maintenance

Pigging during construction
Pigging during operation
Utility Pigs
Cleaning pigs
Sealing pigs
Gauging pigs
Dual diameter pigs
Magnetic cleaning pigs
Designing a Pipeline for Pigging
Pig traps and pigging stations
Location and tracking devices

In-line Inspection (ILI) Tools - Theory, Performance, and Detection Limits

Metal loss In-line Inspection
Other In-Line Inspection Tools
Crack detection pigs
Mapping
Geometry and bend-detection pigs
Wax deposition measurement
Spanning pigs
Semi-intelligent pigs

DAY 2

Designing and Implementing an In-line Inspection (ILI) Program

Selecting an ILI Tool
Specific Design Considerations for Running ILI Tools
Launch and Receive trap design
Bends, tees, and valves
Issuing an Inquiry
Schedule requirements

Preparation for ILI

Controlling Operational Parameters During the Inspection Run
Strategy for Contract Development and Negotiations
Developing a good specification
Contingency Planning for a Stuck Pig
Offshore risers
Onshore flowlines, gathering system main sections or laterals

Post In-line Inspection Issues

Quality Assurance Check of the Data

Development of Protocols for Response

Prioritization of the Dig Plan

US regulatory requirements
Criteria for corrosion-caused metal loss
Criteria for dents

Validation of Results:

Planning and preparation for field NDE
Comparison between ILI, field NDE and actual:
- Corrosion
- Dents - effects of re-rounding
Establish level of confidence

Fitness for Purpose: Assessment

Assessment of defects
Establish long-term integrity management program
Incorporation of results in risk programs
Potential Repair Consideration

Organized by:

Supported by:
			Gold Sponsors
			Silver Sponsor
			Business Center Sponsor