Pipeline corrosion inspection
Pipe support tool enhances inspection programme
When a European gas terminal was built, external pipe
corrosion was thought unlikely to be an issue production
from the offshore gas fields was expected to decline before
problems arose. However, the discovery of new gas fields
encouraged the terminal operator to extend the gas plants life.
To demonstrate the plants integrity, the inspection and
maintenance team reviewed the 5000 pipe sections on the
plants asset register and identified approximately 25,000
pipe supports that required further inspection. The
conventional way to check for external corrosion at these
lay-on pipe supports was a lift-and-inspect method a
time-consuming and costly process that involved a risk
assessment to examine the consequences of mechanical
failure when a pipe was raised off its support. It was at this
stage that the operator came to Shell Global Solutions for
help. After some test runs, the operator decided to use
Shell Global Solutions pipe support tool (PST).
Significant savings and reassurance
The PST is an effective hand-held screening instrument that
uses ultrasonic waves to identify pipe metal wall loss in hidden
areas under pipe supports. This innovative tool has helped the
gas terminal operator to streamline corrosion assessment under
thousands of pipe supports and has provided an overview of
the integrity of the pipework at the terminal. The operational
cost savings can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars
over several years, as costly system or plant shutdowns are no
longer necessary for the inspection process.
Another key benefit is improved operator safety. By using
this non-destructive technology on-stream, there is no need
to raise the pipelines off their supports for inspection, and
thus the hazards of lifting potentially corrosion-weakened
pipes have been eliminated.
The PST is just one of Shell Global Solutions offerings
for advanced inspection and maintenance management.
Methodologies such as the Shell risk-based inspection
(S-RBI) methodology, and advanced inspection tools that
include the PST and the pulsed eddy current (PEC) tool are
available to help customers develop a reliable and
systematic approach to achieving optimised inspection
and maintenance programmes.
Shell Global Solutions consultants have substantial
experience in maintaining, upgrading and extending
the life of gas and LNG plants and have successfully
supported the preparation and implementation of these
projects. Using their extensive experience in asset integrity
management, our consultants can help customers with
data gathering, categorising and interpreting inspection
results, and prioritising maintenance.
The pipe support tool can help determine
the integrity of your piping at support
locations and enhance plant reliability
A step change in pipe corrosion
inspection at support locations
The PST is placed on top of the pipe directly above the
support. Two probes symmetrically straddle the area under
test. The source probe transmits an ultrasonic beam at an
angle through the steel of the pipe,which results in the
propagation of a wave around the pipe by simple
reflection between the inner and outer walls (Figure 1).
When wall loss is encountered, the wave transmission is
hindered. This results in a decrease of the signal amplitude
at the receiver probe that directly relates to the metal loss.
The current PST can inspect pipes ranging from 3 to
18 inches in diameter. The semi-quantitative assessment
provides three categories of wall loss: category 1 indicates
less than 30% wall-thickness loss, category 2 indicates
30 to 50% wall-thickness loss and category 3 shows losses
of over 50% of wall thickness. An optional fit-for-purpose
module is available to assess whether corrosion-damaged
pipework can be retained in use at its original scheduled
rating under normal conditions. This helps customers prioritise
preventive actions, and the repair or replacement of supports.
Source Receiver
No corrosion Corrosion
Figure 1: A wave is propagated around the pipe by simple
reflection between the inner and outer walls.
As most of our plants have 5000 or
more pipe supports, it is impossible to
perform extensive intrusive inspections
in a timely manner. Shell Global Solutions
PST enables us to address the most
vulnerable areas for corrosion within the
plant, namely under pipe supports. The
tool provides the technology to determine
pipework condition by non-intrusive
inspection. Net benefits are estimated to
be in the order of $900,000 for the
inspection of 5000 supports.
Principal materials and corrosion engineer, Shell Expro
The PST has enhanced our entire
inspection programme. From now on,
pipe corrosion inspection fits into our
daily maintenance schedule. We are
delighted with the way the tool has worked,
which is why we have extended the licence
contract for another 12 months. We have
replaced pipework that previously we may
not have identified as having a problem.
We are preventing corrosion from
becoming an expensive problem later on
by dealing with it now. What is important
is that we are continually improving the
integrity of the plant.
Equipment inspection specialist, gas terminal
Please contact Shell Global Solutions for further information
Shell Global Solutions International BV
Tel: +31 70 377 2470
Shell Global Solutions (Singapore) (Pte) Ltd
Tel: +60 6384 8803
Shell Global Solutions (US) Inc.
Tel: +1 281 544 8844
Email us at shellglobalsolutions@shell.com
Or visit our website at www.shellglobalsolutions.com
Shell Global Solutions is a network of independent technology companies in
the Royal Dutch/Shell Group. In this data sheet, the expression Shell Global
Solutions is sometimes used for convenience where reference is made to these
companies in general, or where no useful purpose is served by identifying a
particular company.
This document is intended for general information purposes only and does not
in any way constitute an offer to provide specific services. Some services may
not be available in certain countries or political subdivisions thereof.
All the quotations in this document have been reproduced with the kind
permission of our customers.
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