Glossary of Process Piping Terminology

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Absorption Recovery of liquid hydrocarbons from a gas stream in a gas absorption
plant. The wet gas stream enters the absorber vessel at the bottom and
rises to the top, encountering a stream of lighter fraction absorption oil
travelling downward over bubble cap trays. The oil absorbs the heavier
liquid hydrocarbons from the wet gas stream.
Absorber vessel (tower) A vertical pressure vessel used to recover heavier hydrocarbon fractions
from a mixture of mainly lighter fractions.
Accumulator A pressure vessel used to collect and temporarily store liquids in a
continuous process system.
Acid gas A hydrocarbon gas containing hydrogen sulphide and/or carbon dioxide,
both of which are acidic when dissolved in water.
Actuator A device which actuates a valve by remote control. Actuators may be
pneumatic, hydraulic or electric
Adsorption The adhesion, in an extremely thin layer by the molecular attraction of
the molecules of gases or liquids to the surfaces of solid bodies with
which they are in contact.
Aftercooler A heat exchanger used to reduce the heat in a gas discharged from a
compressor.
Air cooler A form of heat exchanger which uses air as the cooling medium. The
process fluid flows through a series of tubes that are cooled by an air
stream flowing over them. The air stream is produced by large fans
mounted above the unit for induced draft, or below for forced drafted.
Also known as a Fin Fan.
Alloy A composition of two or more metals
Ambient (temperature) The temperature of the atmosphere surrounding an object.
Amine A liquid compound (amino nitrogen) generally used in water solution to
remove hydrogen sulphide and/or carbon dioxide from gas and liquid
hydrocarbons.
Anchor A pipe support fixture used to restrain pipe rigidly at a fixed point.
Annotation Text in the form of notes and labels, added to a drawing.
Annulus The space between the production tubing and the casing in a well.
Associated gas Natural gas found in association with oil, either dissolved in the oil or as
a cap of free gas above the oil.
Associated liquids Liquid hydrocarbons found in association with natural gas.

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Autoclave A pressure vessel in which reactants or materials are held under
controlled conditions of temperature and pressure.
Back pressure Pressure which creates resistance against the flow of fluid.
Bar Metric unit of pressure equal to approximately one atmosphere.
Barrel (bbl) Unit of volume measure for petroleum products. 1bbl=158.97litres or 42
US gallons or 0.159m
3

Barrel nipple A very short piece of pipe, threaded its entire length. Not normally
permitted in process piping systems.
Battery limit A line shown on drawings to define the limits of on-plot and off-plot
areas.
Bellows A corrugated piping device designed for absorbing expansion and
contraction of a piping system.
Bend A fitting fabricated from pipe material, with a radius usually of three or
five times the pipe diameter, and used to join two pipes together at an
angle of less than 180
o
.
Bevel A weld preparation on the ends of pipe and fittings.
Blanket gas A gas phase maintained in a vessel or tank containing liquid to protect
the liquid against air contamination, to reduce the hazard of detonation
or to maintain pressure of the liquid. The source of gas is external to the
vessel or tank.
Blank off Close with a blind flange.
Bleed valve A valve used to slowly drain off gas or liquid. Also known as a drip valve.
Blending Intimate mixing of the various components in the preparation of a
product to comply with a specific specification.
Blind flange A flange without a centre opening, used for closure of a mating flange.
Not to be confused with Blank Flange, which is a flange without bolt
holes.
Block valve Valve used to isolate one section of a piping system from equipment or
another piping system, or section of a system.
Blowdown system A discharge piping system connected to pressure vessels, boilers etc.,
for depressurisation or removal of material.
Blow-out Preventer (BOP) Device installed at the wellhead during drilling operations to prevent
escape of pressure from the drill hole.

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Boiler A pressure vessel in which water is heated to generate steam.
Bottleneck Section of a process plant, which, due to inadequate design or changed
process conditions, is restricting the output of the plant.
Bottoms The heavy hydrocarbon fractions remaining at the bottom of a
fractionating tower after lighter fractions have been distilled off, or which
collects at the bottom of a tank or vessel during storage.
Branch
A pipe diverging from a main pipe run, usually at 90
0
.
Break flange A pair of flanges installed for disconnection of a piping system.
Break out Disconnect one part of a piping system from another, usually at a joint.
e.g., a flange or a union
Bubble cap An inverted cup with a notched or slotted periphery to disperse the
vapour in small bubbles beneath the surface of the liquid on the bubble
plate in a distillation tower.
Bubble point The temperature at a specified pressure at which the first stable vapour
forms above a liquid.
Bubble tower or column A tower or column designed to carry out fractional distillation of
hydrocarbon fluids. Rising vapours in the tower pass through slotted
bubble caps carried on trays, and come into contact with condensate
flowing around the caps. The liquids flow down from one tray to another
via downcomers. The lighter more volatile fractions in the downflowing
condensate are vapourised by the heat from the rising vapour, enriching
the vapour. The heavier less volatile fractions in the rising vapours are
condensed , enriching the liquid, which flows down the tower. This
vapourising and condensing is a continuous process and enables a draw
off of a set range of products from various draw off nozzles at tower
trays.
Bull plug A nipple, one end threaded, the other end rounded and closed. Used to
close off the end of a line.
Bund (dike) An embankment or wall, usually of earth, rock or concrete or
combinations of all three, surrounding one or more liquids storage tanks
to form a containment basin capable of holding tank contents should a
rupture occur. Volume of containment varies according to local codes
and statutory regulations.
Butane (C
4
H
10
) A mixture of gaseous paraffins, mainly normal butane and iso butane. A
constituent of LPG.
Bypass Valved piping arrangement that permits full or partial flow around an item
of equipment, valve arrangement or piping system.
Cable tray A light structure that provides continuous support for electrical cables.

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Carbon black An almost pure form of finely divided carbon produced from hydrocarbon
gas or liquid. Used in rubber products, paint and printing ink products.
Carbon steel An iron based alloy. Primarily the carbon content determines grades of
carbon steel.
Carbon dioxide (CO
2
) A heavy, colourless gas which will not support combustion, and forms
carbonic acid when dissolved in water.
Carbon monoxide (CO) An odourless, colourless gas resulting from incomplete combustion of
carbon.
Casing Steel pipe placed in gas or oil well. As drilling proceeds, casing pipe is
progressively added to the well bore to prevent the walls from collapsing,
and to provide a means for producing hydrocarbons should the well be
successful.
Casinghead Gas Unprocessed natural gas produced from a reservoir containing oil. It
contains heavier hydrocarbons and is usually produced under low
pressure from a casing head on the well.
Catalyst A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction while itself
remaining practically unchanged.
Catalytic cracking A cracking process in which a catalyst is used to promote cracking
reaction.
Catalytic reforming A process in which the reforming reaction is promoted by a catalyst.
Bund (dike) An embankment or wall, usually of earth, rock or concrete or
combinations of all three, surrounding one or more liquids storage tanks
to form a containment basin capable of holding tank contents should a
rupture occur. Volume of containment varies according to local codes
and statutory regulations.
Butane (C
4
H
10
) A mixture of gaseous paraffins, mainly normal butane and iso butane. A
constituent of LPG.
Bypass Valved piping arrangement that permits full or partial flow around an item
of equipment, valve arrangement or piping system.
Cable tray A light structure that provides continuous support for electrical cables.
Carbon black An almost pure form of finely divided carbon produced from hydrocarbon
gas or liquid. Used in rubber products, paint and printing ink products.
Carbon steel An iron based alloy. Primarily the carbon content determines grades of
carbon steel.

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Carbon dioxide (CO
2
) A heavy, colourless gas which will not support combustion, and forms
carbonic acid when dissolved in water.
Carbon monoxide (CO) An odourless, colourless gas resulting from incomplete combustion of
carbon.
Casing Steel pipe placed in gas or oil well. As drilling proceeds, casing pipe is
progressively added to the well bore to prevent the walls from collapsing,
and to provide a means for producing hydrocarbons should the well be
successful.
Casinghead Gas Unprocessed natural gas produced from a reservoir containing oil. It
contains heavier hydrocarbons and is usually produced under low
pressure from a casing head on the well.
Catalyst A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction while itself
remaining practically unchanged.
Catalytic cracking A cracking process in which a catalyst is used to promote cracking
reaction.
Catalytic reforming A process in which the reforming reaction is promoted by a catalyst.
Cathodic protection (CP) Buried steel piping can be protected from galvanic corrosion by the
attachment of buried sacrificial anodes, usually made of zinc. Corrosion
then tends to take place in the anodes instead of the pipe. Other
methods of CP can be provided by the use of ground current and electric
voltage.
Cavitation (in pumps) The rapid collapse of vapour bubbles that can cause erosion of pump
impeller and casing, vibration, noise and loss of pump performance.
Cellar deck A deck level on an offshore platform. Usually this deck is the closest
deck to sea level.
Certified drawing A final print issued by a vendor showing equipment data and dimensions
which will be maintained when the item is manufactured. This is the print
against which final checking of piping layout drawings are carried out.
Choke valve A valve containing an orifice, installed in a line to restrict and control the
flowrate of fluids. Adjustable chokes have a conical needle and seat with
which to vary the rate of flow.
Classified area The term Classified refers to areas defined by a Fire Protection Code
such as NFPA as having potential for fire and/or explosion.
Claus Process A process to convert Hydrogen sulphide into elemental sulphur by
selective oxidation

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Cleanout connection A branch connection on a pipe or a nozzle on a vessel, used for access
to cleanout waste material and debris.
Co-generation The simultaneous production of electricity and steam from a single
process, requiring less fuel than separate production.
Cold Cutting The cutting of any pipeline with a hacksaw, pipe cutter, powered
hacksaw, or any other non-sparking device.
Cold spring Cold spring is the intentional deformation of piping during assembly to
produce a desired initial displacement and stress. Cold spring is
beneficial in that it serves to balance the magnitude of stress under initial
and extreme displacement conditions. When cold spring is properly
applied there is less likelihood of overstrain during initial operation;
hence, it is recommended especially for piping materials of limited
ductility. There is also less deviation as-installed dimensions during
initial operation, so that hangers will not be displaced as far from their
original settings.
Cold Tapping The welding of a branch connection to a line in service and then drilling
the parent line after it has been depressurised, purged, blocked and
opened to atmosphere.
Commingling Producing oil and gas from two or more reservoirs at different depths.
Companion flange A mating flange supplied by a vendor, to match a non- standard flange
attached to an item of equipment.
Compressor, centrifugal A continuous flow, low pressure ratio compressor with a rotating
impeller, in which gas is compressed by centrifugal force. This type of
compressor is non-positive displacement and may be single or
multistage design.
Compressor, reciprocating A positive displacement compressor which uses reciprocating action to
develop high pressure.
Condenser A heat exchanger in which a vapour stream transfers heat to a cooler
water or air stream, causing the vapour to condense.
Condensate (Hydrocarbon) Light hydrocarbon liquids condensed from hydrocarbon gases and
containing little or no methane or ethane.
Contactor A vessel in which two or more substances are brought together for the
purpose of effecting a change in nature to one of the substances.
Continuation drawing A drawing on which information is continued from a previous drawing,
the continuation line usually being defined by a matchline.
Control station Piping arrangement of control valve, block valves and fittings to control
the flow or pressure of a piping system or the liquid level in a vessel.

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Cooler A heat exchanger used to cool process fluids.
Cooling tower A structure in which a stream of water, which has been heated by
circulation through a piping system, is cooled by contact with a counter
flowing stream of air.
Cooling water Water used to cool process equipment or fluids.
Corrosion Corrosion of metal pipe or equipment may occur through chemical
reaction with the internal conveyed fluid or external environment, or by
galvanic action (see Galvanic corrosion). Factors affecting rate and
degree of corrosion are the pipe or equipment material, presence of air
or water, the nature and concentration of the conveyed fluid,
temperature and length of exposure.
Corrosion allowance The additional thickness of metal to allow for internal corrosion, and in
excess of the thickness calculated for strength.
Corrosion inhibitor Chemicals injected into a pipe or equipment to reduce the rate of
corrosion.
Corrosion monitor A mechanical device mounted to the side of a pipeline, through which a
metal strip (a coupon) is inserted to monitor the rate of corrosion in the
line, and the effectiveness of corrosion inhibitors.
Crack A term used to indicate the slight opening of a valve to enable a small
amount of fluid flow.
Cracking A process in which a hydrocarbon feedstock is subjected to a high
temperature for a short period of time in order to increase the yield of
lighter fraction products at the expense of heavier fractions. A catalyst
may be present, and this reduces the temperature required to perform
cracking and allows greater control over the reaction.
Crude oil Unrefined liquid hydrocarbon. Crude oil varies in chemical makeup and
is measured according to API gravity, from heavy to light.
Cryogenic Plant A gas processing plant using very low temperatures (usually below
minus 50
o
C) to produce natural gas liquid products.
Cut A Hydrocarbon fraction.
Davit The small crane at the top of a column, used to lift or lower equipment
and column internals.
Day tank A storage tank sized to contain enough fuel for approximately one days
supply.
Deaerator An item of equipment used for removing air or other non-condensable
gases from a process stream or from steam condensate.

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Debottleneck Increase production capacity by redesigning or removing a section of a
process plant acting as a restriction on plant production.
Debutaniser A fractionator designed to separate butane (and more volatile
components if present) from a hydrocarbon mixture.
Decoking The removal of the coke build up in hydrocarbon furnace tubes by
injection of steam and air into the tubes.
Deflection The amount that a pipe sags between support points.
Degasser A vessel used to remove unwanted gas from a fluid.
Dehydrate To remove water from a fluid.
Demethaniser A fractionator designed to separate methane (and more volatile
components if present) from a hydrocarbon mixture.
Demineralised water Water from which all forms of dissolved minerals have been removed.
Demulsify To separate an emulsion e.g., oil and water, into its individual
components.
Depropaniser A fractionator designed to separate propane (and more volatile
components if present) from a hydrocarbon mixture.
Desiccant A drying agent used in a dehydrator to remove water and moisture from
a hydrocarbon stream. The dessicant may be liquid e.g., glycol, or solid
e.g., silica gel. A dessicant may also be used to remove moisture from
air.
Desiccator An apparatus for removing water or other liquid from a process fluid or
chemical, using chemicals, heat or vacuum.
Dewpoint The temperature at any given pressure at which liquid condenses from a
gas or vapour.
Diameter Nominal (DN) Abbreviation for pipe size in metric.
Differential pressure The difference in the pressure of a fluid when measured at two different
points on a piping system. e.g., either side of a filter separator.
Dike See bund
Direct fired heater (or vessel) A heater in which the temperature of fluids is increased by the addition
of heat supplied by a flame. The flame is applied direct to the fluid
container.
Distillate The product obtained by condensing, in a vessel separate to the boiling
vessel, the vapours produced when a liquid is boiled.

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Distillation The process of separation of material based on the relative volatility of
the components (or fractions). Simple distillation involves heating a liquid
until vapour is formed, then drawing off the vapour which is condensed
and collected as one fraction. Fractional distillation-see Bubble tower
Double extra strong A Manufacturers weight designation that defines a wall thickness of pipe
and fittings.
Double block and bleed A three valve configuration common in shut off applications. Two main
shut off valves (block valves) operate on the main process line to stop
flow. Then a third bleed valve to a vent can be opened to relieve
pressure or remove the process fluid from the region between the two
block valves.
Downcomer The vertical plate in a trayed tower via which liquid flows down from one
tray to another. Each downcomer on a tower is directly opposite to the
downcomer immediately above it.
Drain hub A funnel fitted in a floor, collecting waste liquids and connected to an
atmospheric pressure drainage system.
Dripleg A vertical pipe leg connected in a vapour piping system, used for
collection and removal of condensing liquids or liquid slugs via a manual
drip valve or automatic drain trap. Commonly used in steam systems
and hydrocarbon flare systems.
Drum A pressure vessel used to hold and temporarily store process fluids in a
continuous process system.
Dry gas A gas that does not contain water or heavier fractions that may be easily
condensed under normal atmospheric pressure.
Dual completion A well completed to produce from two separate reservoirs.
Dummy leg A pipe support fixture, fabricated form pipe and welded to an elbow.
Effluent Waste liquid, gas or vapour that results from petroleum or chemical
processing.
Egress A continuous and unobstructed way of exit travel from any point in a
building or structure to a public way. Means of egress consists of three
parts: the way of exit access, the exit, and the way of exit discharge.
Ejector A device, that uses the partial vacuum, created by passing a fluid under
pressure through a venturi, to suck in fluid via a branch pipe located at
the narrowest point on the venturi.
Elbow, long radius An elbow with a radius equal to one and a half times the pipe diameter.
Elbow, short radius An elbow with a radius equal to one pipe diameter.

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Erosion The wearing away of the internal surfaces of a piping system by the
conveyed fluids or extraneous material such as sand in the fluid.
Ethane (C
2
H
6
) A hydrocarbon of the paraffin series.
Expansion Loop A piping configuration designed to absorb expansion and contraction of
a piping system.
Explosion door A door specifically designed to blow out in an explosion, to minimise
chances of major structural failure. Used on equipment such as
hydrocarbon furnaces, they perform a duty similar to that of a safety
relief valve in piping system.
Extra strong A Manufacturers weight designation which defines a wall thickness of
pipe and fittings.
Extruded nozzle A hot formed nozzle made in a pipe or vessel wall.
Extruded outlet header An extruded outlet header is a length of pipe in which one or more
outlets for branch connection have been formed by extrusion, using a
die or dies to control the radii of the extrusion.
Fail close A condition wherein the valve closing component moves to a closed
position when the actuating energy source fails.
Fail open A condition wherein the valve closing component moves to an open
position when the actuating energy source fails.
Feedstock Crude oil, natural gas liquids, natural gas or other materials used as raw
ingredients for making gasoline, or other refined products or chemicals.
Female end The end of a pipe or fitting which is threaded or plain inside, for a male
end to be connected to it.
Field 1. A construction or plant site.
2. A geographical formation from which oil or gas is produced.
Field fabrication Fabricated in the field as opposed to shop fabricated. Also known as
Field run.
Field fit weld A weld made in the field to erect piping spools or fittings and requiring
cutting of the pipe or spools to correct dimensions prior to welding.
Field weld A weld made in the field to erect piping spools or fittings, and not
requiring any cutting.
Filter A vessel containing a porous media through which a fluid is passed to
remove extraneous material in it.

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Fin fan See Air cooler.
Firewater A separate water supply dedicated solely to the firewater system.
Fitting Components such as elbows, tees, flanges, reducers, etc., used to
connect pipe and equipment.
Flag Identify or draw attention to an item on a drawing or document by means
of an identifiable symbol or a note.
Flame arrestor A device connected in a pipeline to prevent a flame front from moving
down the line.
Flare system A system for discharging gas through a control valve or pressure safety
valve (PSV) from a pressurised system to the atmosphere. The
discharge is sent to a flare tower and may be continuous or intermittent.
The discharge IS ignited.
Flare tower (Flare stack) A single or multiple arrangement of stacks located away from the
process area of a plant or platform, to which flare and blowdown
systems are connected, for burning of waste process gases.
Flash The process that occurs when vapours are emitted suddenly from a
liquid. When the pressure on a liquid is lowered, with or without the
addition of heat, flashing may occur.
Flash drum The vessel in which flashing occurs.
Flashpoint The temperature at which the vapour given off by a flammable
substance will ignite momentarily in air, in the presence of an ignition
source. Highly flammable liquids have low flashpoints.
Flat face flange A flange in which the face mounted to the mating flange is completely
flat. Usually used only on low pressure ratings, these flanges cannot
normally be bolted to a raised face flange due to possible flange
overstressing and distortion.
Floating Bal (valve) A full ball positioned within the ball valve that contacts either of two seat
rings and is free to move toward the seat ring opposite the pressure
source when in the closed position to effect tight shutoff
Flow, concurrent Two materials passing through a system and flowing in the same
direction.
Flow, countercurrent Two materials passing through a system and flowing in opposite
directions.
Flowline Piping carrying well fluids from the Xmas tree to the production
manifolds or first process vessel.
Fluid Any material that will flow, including liquids, gases and powders.

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Fluid service A general term concerning the application of a piping system,
considering the combination of fluid properties, operating conditions, and
other factors which establish the basis for design of the piping system.
a) Category D Fluid Service - A fluid service in which all the following
apply:
I. The fluid handled is nonflammable, nontoxic, and not damaging
to human tissues as defined in ASME B31.3 para. 300.2.
II. The design gage pressure does not exceed 150 psi (1030 kPa).
III. The design temperature is from - 20F (-29C) through 366F
(186C).
b) Category M Fluid Service - a fluid service in which the potential for
personnel exposure is judged to be significant and in which a single
exposure to a very small quantity of a toxic fluid, caused by leakage,
can produce serious irreversible harm to persons on breathing or
bodily contact, even when prompt restorative measures are taken.
c) High Pressure Fluid Service - a fluid service for which the owner
specifies the use of ASME B31.3 Chapter IX for piping design and
construction.
d) Normal Fluid Service - a fluid service pertaining to most piping
covered by ASME B31.3, i.e., not subject to the rules for Category D,
Category M, or High Pressure Fluid Service, and not subject to
severe cyclic conditions.
FPSO Floating production, storage and offloading facility.
Formation pressure The pressure exerted by the fluids in the formation. Also known as the
shut-in pressure.
Formation water Water produced from a hydrocarbon reservoir.
Fraction One component of a hydrocarbon mixture. Each fraction has a different
boiling temperature range. Also known as a cut.
Fractionate Separate out the single fractions from a hydrocarbon mixture, usually by
distillation.
Fractionation column See Bubble Tower.
Free water Water produced with oil and which separates freely within a short space
of time in a knock-out drum.
Full face gasket A flat gasket made from mineral fibre, rubber or plastic, installed
between two flat face flanges. The gasket contains holes for the flange
bolts to pass through.
Galvanic corrosion Corrosion caused by the contact of different metals that are not isolated,
in the presence of a liquid that can conduct electricity.

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Galvanising Hot-dip or electroplate coating of metal with zinc.
Gas Injection The injection of natural gas into a reservoir to maintain or increase the
reservoir pressure or reduce the rate of decline of the reservoir pressure.
Gas lift The injection of hydrocarbon gas into an oil reservoir via a well for the
purpose of increasing both formation pressure and the recovery of oil
from the formation.
Gas metal - arc welding (GMAW) An arc-welding process which produces coalescence of metals by
heating them with an arc between a continuous filler metal (consumable)
electrode and the work. Shielding is obtained entirely from an externally
supplied gas, or gas mixture. Some variations of this process are called
MIG or C0
2
welding.
Gas tungsten - arc welding (GTAW) An arc-welding process which produces coalescence of metals by
heating them with an arc between a single tungsten (nonconsumable)
electrode and the work. Shielding is obtained from a gas or gas mixture.
Pressure may or may not be used and filler metal may or may not be
used. Sometimes called TIG welding.
Gas welding A group of welding processes wherein coalescence is produced by
heating with a gas flame or flames, with or without the application of
pressure, and with or without the use of filler material
Gas reinjection The reinjection back into a reservoir, of the gas produced with the liquids
from a well, for the purpose of storing the gas for later production from
the reservoir.
Gathering system The network of pipes that collect gas from producing wells, or from
separation plants and carry the gas to a processing plant.
Gauge A device for measuring temperature, pressure, flow or level.
Gland An adjustable sleeve contained in a stuffing box, used to form a seal
around a shaft or stem, and tightened against a compressible packing to
prevent leakage.
Glycol dehydrator A process vessel, known as a contactor, in which water is removed from
a wet hydrocarbon gas. Lean (water free) glycol is put into contact with
the wet gas in the contactor to absorb the water from the gas.
Glycol regenerator A processing unit designed to remove water from rich (water laden)
glycol to produce lean glycol to be recycled through the glycol contactor.
The unit includes a reboiler to heat the glycol, a small distillation tower to
recover the water, and filters to clean the glycol.

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Grade Ground elevation. Site works for process plants are, where possible,
designed on a nominally flat site. The nominal grade elevation is usually
set at 100.000 metres elevation (EL.100.000m). If the site has a number
of levels, the highest level is usually chosen as grade elevation EL.
100.000m. Site drainage levels are usually designed using the nominal
grade elevation as the high point of finished paving. The advantages of
choosing 100.000m as the nominal grade elevation are twofold; firstly,
any portion of the installation that lies underground will have a positive
elevation; secondly, the rounded figure of 100.000m provides an easy
reference point for design, construction, maintenance and operations
personnel when working with plant elevations.
Green field project A project to design and construct a new plant on a new site, as opposed
to an addition or modification to an existing plant. Sometimes known as
a grass roots project.
Grout The thin layer of concrete poured between the underside of an
equipment baseplate and the top of its concrete foundation.
Guide A pipe support fixture designed to direct the thermal movement of a
pipeline in a particular direction.
Header A pipe serving as a main supply or return line, with a number of
connecting supply or return branches along its length.
Heat affected zone That portion of the base material which has not been melted, but whose
mechanical properties or microstructure have been altered by the heat of
welding, brazing, soldering, forming, or cutting.
Heat treatment Terms used to describe various types and processes of heat treatment
(sometimes called post-weld heat treatment) are defined as follows:
(a) annealing - heating to and holding at a suitable temperature and then
cooling at a suitable rate for such purposes as: reducing hardness,
improving machinability, facilitating cold working, producing a desired
microstructure, or obtaining desired mechanical, physical, or other
properties.
(b) normalizing - a process in which a ferrous metal is heated to a
suitable temperature above the transformation range and is
subsequently cooled in still air at room temperature.
Heat exchanger A vessel in which heat is exchanged between two fluids as they flow
through the vessel but are kept completely separate. The most common
heat exchanger is the shell and tube type.
Heavy ends The highest boiling point components of a mixture of hydrocarbons.
(pentane, hexane, heptane, octane)
Heptane (C
7
H
16
) A saturated hydrocarbon of the paraffin series and one of the heavy
ends in a hydrocarbon mixture.

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Holding tank Tank used for temporary storage of liquids pending further processing.
Hot tapping A method of adding a branch connection to a pressurised line without
removing the line from service. The hot tapping procedure includes the
branch fitting attachment weld, hydrostatic test and drilling of the parent
pipe.
Hydrate A solid material resulting from the combination of a hydrocarbon with
water under pressure.
Hydrocarbons A compound containing only hydrogen and carbon, varying from gas at
ordinary temperatures, but changing to liquid and then solid state with
increasing molecular weight. These are the principal constituents of
petroleum.
Hydrogen sulphide A compound of sulphur and hydrogen. Poisonous, colourless and
inflammable with pungent odour.
Hydrostatic test A test carried out by applying hydraulic pressure for a specified length of
time , in accordance with an applicable code, to a pipeline filled with
water while checking for leaks and observing how well the pressure is
maintained.
Indirect fired heater A heater used to increase the temperature of a fluid by (or vessel) the
transfer of heat from another fluid that is heated by a flame in the same
vessel . The flame is contained within a firetube or tubes.
Instrument air Moisture and oil free compressed air used to operate pneumatic
instrumentation devices.
Insulating flange A pair of flanges fitted with a special gasket and plastic fittings to
separate the metal parts of the flanges and studbolts and thereby
prevent the flow of electric current across the flanges. They are used in
cathodic protection systems and are sometimes installed between
dissimilar metal flanges, to prevent galvanic (electrolytic) corrosion.
Insulating gasket set The gasket and plastic fittings installed on an insulating flange.
Intercooler A heat exchanger used to cool gas between stages on a multistage
compressor.
Interface 1. The contact surface at the boundaries between liquids.
2. The point at which the responsibility for engineering, procurement or
construction of a project is transferred from one engineering
discipline to another, or from one project group to another.
Intrinsically safe A condition in which any spark or thermal effect is incapable of causing
ignition of a mixture of flammable or combustible material in air under
prescribed conditions.

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Invert level The elevation of the bottom internal surface of a pipe, usually buried.
Jacking screw A screw installed in orifice flanges and in some flanges carrying line
blinds, for holding apart the flange set while an orifice plate or line blind
is installed or removed. Sometimes installed in ring joint flange sets for
breaking the joint. One screw is installed in each flange, placed 180
o
apart.
Jacket The steel structure supporting an offshore oil or gas platform.
Joule-Thomson Effect The change in gas temperature which occurs when gas is expanded at
constant enthalpy from a higher pressure to a lower pressure. The effect
for most gases at normal pressure, except hydrogen and helium, is a
cooling of the gas.
Joule-Thompson valve A special valve designed to reduce the temperature of a gas when the
gas is expanded at constant enthalpy from a higher pressure to a lower
pressure.
Kill (a well) To pump heavy drilling fluid (mud) at high pressure into a well to control
a threatened blowout or to prepare a well for workover operations.
Kill system The piping system that connects the mud pumps to a well for injection of
kill fluids.
Knockout drum (pot) A pressure vessel through which a stream of wet gas is passed in order
to slow down the fluid flow, and allow the liquid to drop out of the gas
and collect in the vessel.
Laminar flow The smooth and orderly flow of a fluid when travelling below the critical
velocity.
Lay down area The area of a plant reserved for temporary storage of materials during
plant maintenance activities or construction.
Lean gas 1. The residue gas remaining after recovery of natural gas liquids in a
gas processing plant.
2. Unprocessed gas containing little or no recoverable natural gas
liquids.
Lean oil Absorption oil from which all absorbed hydrocarbons have been
removed.
Level controller An instrumentation device used to control the liquid level in a tank or
vessel by sensing the level, and actuating a control valve which
regulates the amount of liquid entering or leaving the storage unit.

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Level indicator An instrumentation sensing device connected to tank or vessel,
designed and calibrated to give a visual indication of liquid level on a
recorder chart or dial.
Level gauge An instrumentation device consisting of a glass tube inside a metal cage,
mounted on a tank or vessel to enable visual monitoring of liquid level by
observing the liquid surface level in the tube.
Light ends The lower boiling components of a mixture of hydrocarbons. (carbon and
hydrogen atoms, methane, ethane, propane, butane)
Line blind A spectacle blind, spade or spacer.
Line pipe Steel or plastic pipe used for construction of pipelines.
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) Natural gas, primarily methane, liquefied under low temperature and
high pressure to make the gas easier to transport and store.
Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) Light hydrocarbons, gaseous at atmospheric pressure and temperature,
maintained in a liquid state by pressure to enable storage and handling.
LPG is essentially butane or propane.
Main The principal section of a pipeline.
Make-up water Water added to restore the quantity of fluid in a system to the operating
volume.
Male end The end of a pipe or fitting which is threaded or plain outside, for a
female male end to be connected to it.
Malleable iron A ductile cast iron.
Manhole A flanged opening through the top or side of a tank or vessel through
which a person can enter.
Manifold A section of header pipe or a chamber having a series of branches in
close proximity to each other.
Manufacturers weight A pipe wall thickness series designated as Standard weight (STD), Extra
Strong (XS) and Double extra strong (XXS). This system of pipe wall
thickness preceded the ANSI system of schedule weights and is still in
use today.
Matchline The boundary line at which one drawing terminates and another drawing
continues.
Material take-off (MTO) An estimate of material quantities, taken from a drawing.

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Mechanical joint A joint for the purpose of mechanical strength or leak resistance, or both,
in which the mechanical strength is developed by threaded, grooved,
rolled, flared, or flanged pipe ends; or by bolts, pins, toggles, or rings;
and the leak resistance is developed by threads and compounds,
gaskets, rolled ends, caulking, or machined and mated surfaces.
Mercaptans A group of pungent smelling organic sulphur compounds which occur in
some crude oils. They are removed from petroleum products due to their
odour and corrosiveness and are added to natural gas to give it an
identifiable odour.
Meter prover A device used to check the accuracy of a pipeline metering system.
Methane (CH
4
) The lightest hydrocarbon of the paraffin series.
Mist extractor A metal accessory attached inside an oil/gas separator at a gas nozzle,
to remove moisture or condensable hydrocarbons from the gas stream.
The liquids condensed on the extractor are removed from the separator
with other separated liquids.
Mitre Two or more straight sections of pipe matched and joined in a plane
bisecting the angle of junction so as to produce a change in direction.
MMCMD Million cubic metres per day.
Monel A corrosion, abrasion and heat resistant material of mainly copper and
nickel.
Naphtha A flammable and highly volatile liquid hydrocarbon distilled from
petroleum.
Natural Gas Gaseous form of petroleum consisting of mixtures of hydrocarbon gases
and vapours, predominantly methane (approx. 80%), ethane, propane,
butane, pentane and hexane, all belonging to the paraffin series. Natural
gas may also contain water vapour, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide
and nitrogen. Also referred to as Casinghead Gas, it can be classified as
wet or dry depending on the proportion of gasoline constituents it
contains.
Net positive suction head Required NPSH is a term used with pumps to describe the required
(NPSH) Measure of the pressure drop of a liquid from the inlet of a pump to the
eye of the impeller. Required NPSH of a pump is a characteristic
determined by the manufacturer during testing. The available NPSH is a
measure of the net system pressure available i.e., internal pressure plus
static head, minus liquid vapour pressure and system pressure losses
such as friction loss.
Nipple A short length of pipe, with threaded or plain ends.

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Nipolet A nipple and weldolet forged as one item.
Nominal pipe size (NPS) Abbreviation for pipe size in inches, followed, when appropriate, by the
specific size designation number without an inch symbol.
Non-return valve A valve which permits flow in one direction only.
Non rising stem A valve stem which rotates but does not rise through the handwheel
when the valve is opened.
Nozzle A pipe protrusion from an equipment item, to which piping or
instrumentation is connected. Nozzles may have any type of end
connection. e.g., flanged, screwed, buttweld etc.
Off-plot The plant area outside or between the on-plot areas.
Olefins Basic chemicals made from oil or natural gas liquids feedstocks;
commonly used to manufacture plastics and gasoline. Examples are
ethylene and propylene.
On-plot A plant area containing a process unit or part of a process unit. On-plot
areas are defined by battery limits. There may be more than one on-plot
area in a plant.
Onsite Within the construction job site.
Offsite External to the construction job site.
Orifice plate A flat disc with a precision hole at the centre, used to provide a pressure
difference either side of the plate which can be measured to calculate a
rate of flow.
Orifice flanges A special pair of flanges between which an orifice plate is mounted.
Overheads The vapours produced from the distillation process in a distillation tower
and discharged at the top of the tower.
Packaged equipment Equipment supplied in an assembly complete with all the piping,
electrics and instrumentation necessary for the equipment to operate.
The assembly may be mounted on a skid or other structure prior to
delivery.
Packed tower A fractionation or absorption tower filled with packing designed to give
the required contact between the rising vapours and the descending
fluid.
Paraffin wax A beeswax type solid, tasteless and odourless wax composed entirely of
hydrocarbons and extracted from light paraffin distillates of hydrocarbon.

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Petrochemical A chemical manufactured from natural gas or petroleum, or raw
materials derived from natural gas or petroleum.
Petroleum A natural occurring material consisting essentially of solid, liquid and
gaseous hydrocarbons.
Pickling Immersion of piping or pipe spools in dilute acid to remove scale and
oxides from the internal surfaces.
Pig A scraping tool that is propelled through a pipeline to clean out
accumulations of scale, wax and extraneous material from the inside
walls of the pipe. The pig may be propelled through the line by the flow
of product in the line, or by flushing water.
Pig launcher An assembly of piping, valves and an entry hatch for insertion of the pig
into the launcher. The pig is mounted through the entry hatch, into the
launcher barrel, and then launched into the pipeline by opening valves to
apply pressure behind the pig.
Pig receiver Similar to a pig launcher, but designed to receive the pig at the end of
the pipeline.
Pipe A pressure-tight cylinder used to convey a fluid or to transmit a fluid
pressure, ordinarily designated "pipe" in applicable material
specifications. Types of pipe, according to the method of manufacture,
are as follows:
a) Electric resistance-welded (ERW) pipe.
b) Furnace butt welded pipe, continuous welded pipe.
c) Electric fusion welded (EFW) pipe.
d) Submerged-arc welded (SAW) pipe.
e) Seamless (SMLS) pipe.
f) Spiral welded pipe.
Piperack The structure which supports the yard piping running between
processing units, and to and from storage units. The piperacks are the
main arterial systems of a plant.
Plant air Compressed air used in a process plant for driving air operated tools.
Not used for operating instruments.
Platform A term used to describe an offshore oil or gas facility.
Platforming Reforming various gasoline components to higher octane ratings in the
presence of a platinum catalyst and hydrogen.
Polymerisation The combining of identical molecules to form complex molecules or
polymers.

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Potable water Drinking quality water.
Preheating The application of heat to the base material immediately before or during
a forming, welding, or cutting process.
Pressure drop The loss of pressure which occurs when a fluid flows from an area of
small volume to an area of larger volume, resulting from friction.
Pressure relief valve A valve that opens at a preset pressure, to relieve excess pressure
within a vessel or pipeline.
Pressure vessel A container designed to retain fluid at a pressure substantially greater
than atmospheric pressure.
Process unit An area whose boundaries are designated by the engineering design
within which reactions, separations, and other processes are carried out.
Examples of installations which are not classified as process units are
loading areas or terminals, utilities plants, bulk plants and tank farms
and storage yards.
Produced water Brines that flow or are lifted to the surface with oil.
Propane(C
3
H
8
) A paraffin hydrocarbon gas and a main constituent of LPG.
Production manifold The piping header to which the flowlines from a series of wells are
connected, and which connects to the production processing equipment.
Pump, centrifugal A pump in which the incoming liquid is forced into a rotating impeller.
The resulting centrifugal force creates a rise in pressure and forces the
liquid out of the pump discharge in a smooth non-pulsating flow.
Pump, reciprocating A positive displacement pump in which a piston moves back and forth
inside a cylinder, sucking liquid into the cylinder through the suction
valve on the intake stroke, and expelling the liquid through the discharge
valve on the discharge stroke. These pumps operate at a lower speed
than centrifugal pumps and cause pulsation in both the suction and
discharge piping.
Pump, rotary A positive displacement pump which uses a system of rotating gears,
cams, screws or vanes to move a liquid.
Pup A short piece of pipe between two fittings.
Raised face flange A flange in which the face mounted to the mating flange is raised 2mm
or 7mm depending on the flange rating.
Raised face gasket A flat gasket, usually of spiral wound construction, installed between two
raised face flanges. The gasket sits inside the flange bolts.

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Reactor A vessel in which a catalyst creates a chemical reaction to change the
molecular structure of the process fluid.
Recycle Return of part of a process stream to a point upstream from where it was
removed, to enhance recovery or control.
Reflux The part of the fractional distillation tower overheads that is returned to
the tower to assist in making a more complete separation into the
desired fractions.
Reflux Accumulator Normally a horizontal vessel, and normally does not have any internal
parts. Used to collect and transmit back to the fractionation tower the
fraction that is processed by that tower.
Reforming A process in which hydrocarbon feedstocks are subjected to high
temperatures and pressures with the object of changing their chemical
structure to increase their octane rating.
Reinforcing pad A metal collar welded around a vessel nozzle or pipe branch in order to
reinforce the opening area. They are also welded around support
connections to piping to reinforce the connection.
Reinforcing saddle U shaped piece of metal which provides reinforcement for pipe supports.
Restraint A pipe support device used to restrain pipe from lateral or axial
movement.
Relief valve A valve designed to open at a preset pressure to relieve overpressure in
a pipe, vessel or tank.
Rich gas Gas feed to a gas processing plant for liquids recovery.
Rich oil The oil leaving the bottom of an absorber. It consists of the lean oil plus
the absorbed constituents.
Rig The derrick and associated equipment for an oil and gas drilling unit.
Ring gasket See raised face gasket.
Ring main A closed piping loop through which fluid is constantly circulated and
drawn off in a series of branches.
Ring type flange A flange in which the gasket face contains a groove to mount a ring type
gasket. Usually used in high pressure services (ASME CL900 and
higher) to obtain a leak tight joint.
Ring type gasket A circular metal gasket of oval or octagonal section installed between
ring type flanges.

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Ring type joint The joint formed by the assembly of two ring type flanges, a ring type
gasket and a bolt set.
Riser A vertical pipe which rises from the sea floor to a deck on an offshore oil
or gas platform.
Rotating equipment Equipment incorporating a rotating shaft. e.g., pumps, compressors.
Rupture disk A metal diaphragm mounted between flanges on a vent line. The
diaphragm has a specific breaking pressure and is designed to fail
before the safety limits of the piping system have been reached. Also
known as a Bursting disk.
Saddle U shaped piece of metal that provides support for horizontal vessels.
Sand trap (Desander) A mechanical device mounted in a gas flowstream, to remove fine sand
particles contained in the gas when produced from the field formation.
Saturated Liquid Liquid that is at its boiling point or is in equilibrium with a vapour phase
in its containing vessel.
Schedule A measure of the wall thickness of pipe.
Scraper See Pig
Scrubber A pressure vessel through which fluids are passed to remove liquids and
extraneous solids.
Seal weld The weld applied to a screwed joint after the joint has been tightened.
Often used to seal a leaking joint, this type of weld is subject to stress
cracking and crevice corrosion and is often prohibited on piping carrying
hydrocarbons or high pressure fluids.
Seamless Seamless pipe and fittings are formed from a solid billet without welding.
Separator A pressure vessel used to separate the liquid and gas components of a
multi-phase fluid. The gas is drawn off the top of the vessel and the
liquids level is controlled by level instrumentation.
Shell The outside wall of a tank or vessel.
Shoe A pipe support fixture attached to a horizontal insulated line, to lift the
insulation clear of the supporting steelwork.
Shielded metal-arc welding
(SMAW)
An arc welding process which produces coalescence of metals by
heating them with an arc between a covered metal electrode and the
work.

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Submerged arc welding (SAW) An arc welding process which produces coalescence of metals by
heating them with an arc or arcs between a bare metal electrode or
electrodes and the work.
Shop fabrication Fabricated in a shop as opposed to field fabricated.
Shut-in pressure The pressure which is exerted at the wellhead when the well is shut in.
Also known as the reservoir or formation pressure.
Skirt The lowest portion of a vertical vessel which extends from the base
foundation to the vessel bottom head.
Sleeper Low elevation concrete pier used to support piping run at grade.
Slide plate A metal plate upon which equipment or pipe support base plates are
placed. The equipment or piping can then slide across the plate as
thermal expansion or contraction occurs. The slide plate may be
equipped with thin strips of material such as Teflon to reduce the co-
efficient of friction and thus aid sliding.
Snuffing gas (steam) An inert gas (or steam) that is injected into a combustion chamber to
suppress fire.
Sour (oil or gas) A crude oil or hydrocarbon gas containing appreciable amounts of
sulphur or sulphurous compounds and mercaptans.
Spacer A plate with a hole in the centre approximately equal to the internal
diameter of a pipe, and installed between flanges to permit flow.
Equivalent to the open end of a spectacle blind. Interchangeable with a
spade.
Spade A solid plate installed between flanges to isolate flow. Equivalent to the
closed end of a spectacle blind. Interchangeable with a spacer.
Sometimes known as a line blind.
Spectacle blind A plate in the shape of the number eight, installed between flanges. One
end is open to permit flow, the other end closed to isolate flow.
Sometimes known as a spectacle plate or figure 8 plate. Usually limited
in use to plates weighing less than about 50kg.
Spool An assembly of pipe and fittings detailed on a piping fabrication
isometric.
Stabilise The process of separating light gases from petroleum liquids to leave the
liquid in a stable state, with little vapourisation taking place, and suitable
for storage and transport.
Standpipe A vertical pipe mounted on the side of storage container (vessel or tank)
on which level instruments are mounted to monitor and control the
container liquid level.

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Standard weight (STD) A Manufacturers weight designation which defines a wall thickness of
pipe and fittings.
Steam tracing Tubing, wrapped around a pipe, through which steam is passed to keep
the line contents at a desired temperature.
Stet Do not change. Leave as is.
Still A vessel in which hydrocarbon distillation takes place.
Storage tank A tank in which liquids are stored at or near atmospheric pressure.
Strainer, cone A conical strainer in which the cone, comprised of a perforated plate and
sometimes wire mesh, is attached to a plate mounted between flanges.
This type of strainer is usually temporary and requires a removable
spool to enable removal of the strainer. They may be installed upstream
of pumps, compressors and some types of heat exchangers.
Strainer, Y type An in-line strainer with a diagonal leg, orientated vertically down,
containing a removable strainer basket for capture of extraneous matter
as fluids flow through it.
Street elbow A threaded elbow, female one end, male the other end. Not normally
permitted in piping systems.
Stress corrosion Corrosion caused and accelerated by the presence of stress.
Stripper A tower in which absorbed constituents are stripped from the absorption
oil. This term is applied to towers using a stripping medium, such as
steam or gas.
Sub header Branch header feeding to or from a larger header.
Suction line The inlet pipe to a pump or compressor.
Sulphur A non-metallic element, lemon-yellow in colour. Sometimes known as
Brimstone, it emits sulphur dioxide when burnt.
Sump A vessel or tank at the lowest level of a drainage system, used to
accumulate liquids and solids for later removal.
Supercheck To carry out an additional quality check or audit on drawings or
documents previously subjected to a full check procedure.
Surge tank (or vessel) A tank or vessel through which fluids are passed to smooth out
fluctuations in flow and eliminate pressure surges.
Swage A reducing pipe nipple used on pipe sizes DN50 and below, to reduce
from one pipe size to smaller size.

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Sweet (oil or gas) A crude oil or hydrocarbon gas containing little or no sulphur or
sulphurous compounds or mercaptans.
Tack weld A weld made to hold parts of a weldment in proper alignment until the
final welds are made.
Tail gas Exhaust or waste gas.
Tank farm An area of a refinery or processing plant that is set aside for the storage
of liquids or gaseous products in storage tanks or vessels.
Test separator A pressure vessel used to separate and measure the gas and liquid
phases of a fluid flowing from a well.
Thermal cracking A cracking process in which the cracking reaction is effected purely by
applying heat, a catalyst not being utilised.
Thermal movement Expansion or contraction of a piping system due to change in
temperature of the piping material or the fluid in the line.
Thermal reforming Reforming without using a catalyst to promote the reaction.
Thermal stress Stress caused by the non-uniform distribution of heating or cooling in a
piping system.
Topsides The facilities comprising structure, equipment, piping, HVAC, electrical,
instrumentation, accommodation facilities etc., placed on top of the
supporting jacket on an offshore oil or gas platform.
Tray The tray is the principal internal component of a trayed tower and is the
area in a tower where liquid/vapour contact takes place. There are a
number of designs, such as single and double pass bubble cap trays,
sieve or perforated trays. Tray design is carried out by process
engineers.
Tri-ethylene glycol A liquid chemical used as a dehydration medium in the removal of water
from a gas stream.
Trim 1. Valve trim - internal valve parts such as stems, disks, packing,
seatings etc.
2. Vessel trim - attachments to a vessel that are not part of a piping
system with a line number. e.g., instruments, vessel vents and drains,
spare nozzles etc.
Trunnion A pipe support fixture, fabricated from pipe or steel plate and attached to
a vertical pipeline, to support or restrain a pipe in a vertical direction.
Tube bundle The inner piping of a shell and tube heat exchanger, through which a
fluid is passed to exchange heat with the fluid passing through the shell.

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Turbo-expander A device which converts part of the energy content of a gas or vapour
stream into mechanical work by expanding the gas or vapour through a
turbine.
Turbulent flow The erratic, non-linear flow of a fluid when travelling above the critical
velocity.
Unbalanced piping system Stresses cannot be considered proportional to displacement strains
throughout a piping system in which an excessive amount of strain may
occur in localized portions of the system (an unbalanced system).
Unbalance may result from one or more of the following:
a) Highly stressed small size pipe runs in series with large or relatively
stiff pipe runs.
b) A local reduction in size or wall thickness, or local use of material
having reduced yield strength.
c) A line configuration in a system of uniform size in which the
expansion or contraction must be absorbed largely in a short offset
from the major portion of the run.
Unbalance should be avoided or minimized by design and layout of
piping systems, particularly those using materials of low ductility.
Union A coupling device that allows pipes to be joined together without being
rotated.
Vent Discharge of waste or unwanted gases.
Vent system A system for discharging gas through a control valve or pressure safety
valve (PSV) from a pressurised system to the atmosphere. The
discharge is sent to a vent stack and may be continuous or intermittent.
The discharge is NOT ignited.
Vendor Company or organisation that supplies equipment or material.
Vendor print Drawing supplied by a vendor.
Vortex breaker A mechanical device placed inside a vessel or tank, over a liquids outlet
nozzle, to prevent vortex formation.
Waterflood One method of secondary recovery, in which water is injected into an oil
reservoir to force additional oil out of the reservoir and into the well.
Wet gas A gas containing heavy hydrocarbon fractions which may be easily
condensed.
Wildcat well A well drilled into a formation where no oil or gas production exists.
Withdrawal space Space reserved for removal of equipment or equipment internal
components. e.g, exchanger tube bundles, strainer baskets.

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Workover Carry out one of a number of remedial or maintenance operations on a
well to correct a production problem or increase production.
Xmas tree The device mounted on the top of a well, used to control the flow of
fluids in a producing well and containing isolating and control valves,
pressure and temperature gauges and connections for mounting of the
flowlines for production of fluids.
Yard piping The principal piping runs of a process plant, carried on the piperacks,
and connecting process units, and storage and utility areas.