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Risk Analysis of Instrument Tubing Failures along with its Mitigation Path

Article · January 2016

DOI: 10.26634/jfet.12.1.8207

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 ARTICLE
RISK ANALYSIS OF INSTRUMENT TUBING FAILURES ALONG WITH ITS
MITIGATION PATH
By

ANAND SRIVASTAVA * SHEIKH RAFIK MANIHAR AHMED **

* Project Management, Fluor Daniel India Pvt. Ltd., Gurgaon, India.
** Control Systems Engineer, Fluor Daniel India Pvt. Ltd., Gurgaon, India.

ABSTRACT
This paper explains the various causes of an instrument tubing failure, risk involved and the mitigation path to avoid such
incidents in plants. These impulse tubings are employed/installed to measure pressure, flow and levels in a system and/or
equipment. Corrosion on tubing fittings, incorrect installation (either due to poor workmanship or non compliance of
installation/process hookup), use of incorrect tools, faulty or ignored nuts & ferrule compression fittings, inadequate
design tubing support systems, mishandling & improper storage of tube and its fitting are some of the root causes. These
lead to a number of problems, including safety issues, plant breakdown, costly regulatory agency fines, higher
maintenance cost, energy loss and environmental hazards. The risk involved in an instrument tubing failure relates to
process safety hazards, such as loss of containment due to crack in the affected tubing that leads to fugitive emissions,
fires, explosions and other employee safety issues. The most serious problems occur when instrument tubing and its fitting
component fails causing leakage of process fluid such as gasoline, oil, gas or other volatile, corrosive fluid (sulphur
compounds) or toxic gases (such as H2S). These can cause fires, explosions or other serious safety hazards such as toxic
chemical, gas leakage or acid spraying onto field craft. Generally, tubing failure cases are noticeable in areas such as
booster stations, turbine driven pumps, compressors systems, tubing connection for pressure, flow transmitters & pressure
gauge, areas where vibrations are present such as pipe racks (with air coolers), and platforms of vibration sources
(turbine or diesel generator). The paper details out the possible reasons, hazards and suggested mitigation path to
achieve improved availability.
Keywords: Instrument Tubing, Pitting Corrosion, Crevice Corrosion, Vibration, Process Hookup Installation, Leakage Test
Agent, Compression Fitting.

INTRODUCTION products and serious environmental safety. The effects of

Oil & gas, petrochemicals, chemicals, and power
generation industries extensively employs the uses of
instrument tubing in process instrumentation, chemical
inhibition, impulse lines, and utility application over a
range of temperatures, pressures and flow. Instrument
tubing and tube fitting failures have been observed
across upstream, midstream and downstream. Process
fluid & hydrocarbon release incidents occur in process
plants during the life cycle, i.e. pre-commissioning,
commissioning, startup, warranty period and normal
operation, due to instrument tubing and tube fitting
failures. These incidents cause production losses,
downtime, breakdown of facility/unit, contamination of
instrument tubing and tube fitting failures can be viewed
in terms of life cycle cost (capex and opex),
management costs, serious environmental safety
hazards and increased risk to field the operator in a plant.
These incidents signify the need for a suboptimal
installation /process hookup, detailed engineering design
of tubing support system, skilled workmanship and
improved control measure of instrument tubing and tube
fitting failures to avoid the liability of high downtime costs
and serious safety hazards risk on plant, due to failure of
instrument tubing and compression tube fittings. The
major contributing factors to various failure of tubing,
tubing connection and its fittings are categorized as,

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August - October 2016 1
 ARTICLE
·Tubing Installation.
·Inadequate design of tubing support system.
·Quality of components.
·Storage/mishandling of tube and its fittings.
·Corrosion reactive environment.
1. Scope of the Study
This paper provides the complete study about the risk
involved in instrument tubing and tube fitting failures,
cause of instrument tubing failures, typical area of tubing
failures and the mitigation plans for protecting them. One
can have an overview about this phenomenon and can
also think upon the solutions to avoid that.
2. Need of the Study
The expanding use of the instrument tubing in potential
industrial enviroment requires detailed engineering
design for clamp support of improved control measures
to avoid accountability of high breakdown costs and
safety hazardous, due to failure of instrument tubing and
its fitting components. Incorrect, improper process
hookup installation, wrong selection of tube material, use
of incorrect tools, faulty or ignored nuts and ferrule
compression fittings, inadequate design of piping and
tubing clamp support systems, improper storage and
mishandling of tube and its fitting, poor system design can
lead to a number of problems, including safety related
problems, plant breakdown, costly regulatory agency
fines, maintenance cost, energy loss and environmental
responsibility. The proposed different mitigation plans is
considered useful and cost effective for the protection
and prevention of instrument tubing and its fitting
conmponents from unusual failures. In this paper, the
authors have mentioned the reason which may or may
not apply to all the instruments, but this paper will serve as
a food for thought to challenge traditional installations
and mitigation paths. The mitigation paths suggested
may attract cost and feasibility for those should be
assessed with respect to life cycle cost.
3. Reasons for Instrument Tubing and Tube Fitting Failures
There can be a numbers of factors, which influence the
instrument tubing and tube fitting failures in process
industries as discussed as follows,
2 i-manager’s Journal on Future Engineering & Technology, Vol. 12 ·
3.1 Use of Insufficient Torque/Improper Tools
Use of improper or nonstandard pre-assemble tools may
affect the compression tube fittings and instrument
tubing that, results in leakage of tube fittings. Insufficient
torque applied for the tightening of components of
compression tube fittings [3] (such as ferrules, nuts and
tube) fails to properly compress the ferrule around the
tube. It can lead to subsequent process fluid leakage.
Manual bending of tube while during instrument tubing
fitting in construction plant creates abrades across the
bending area.
3.2 Excessive Tightening of Compression Tube Fittings
Compression tube fitting style is the most common type of
tubing fittings for process instrumentation as well as in
chemical inhibition, impulse line, hydraulic lines and utility
application, which uses a compressible ferrule [3] to
perform the task of sealing fluid pressure. Sometimes
instrument tubing failure may be caused by the excessive
tightening of components of compression tube fittings.
Excessive tightening of the compression fitting nuts,
causing over-compressed ferrule results in damage of
the tube body. It can lead to subsequent process fluid
leakage.
3.3 Mounting of Instruments on Vibration Source
Vibration/pulsation is the major contributing factor to
various tubing related failures. Excessive vibration causes
the impulse line connected between process measuring
instruments and the pipe line header to crack and allow
leakage of process fluids as shown in Figure 1. For
example - If an instrument tube connected between a
stationar y remote mounted process measuring
instruments (such as pressure) on a pump discharge line.
This arrangement can lead to instrument tubing and tube
fittings failures, due to inadequate design of tubing
support system and inability to absorb the vibration
stresses [10]. Sources of vibration/pulsation in process
plants are booster stations, turbine driven pumps,
compressor systems [11], area where vibration are
present (such as pipe racks with air coolers and platforms
of vibration sources), irrespective of whether the pump is
operating or not and that all pumps are coupled through
the discharged pipeline.
No. 1 ·
August - October 2016
 ARTICLE
3.4 Use of Nonstandard Leak Test Agent
Instrument tubing and compression tube fitting failures
are also noticeable, during pneumatic testing of impulse
line and tube fittings in operating plant. The use of
nonstandard leak test agent (such as washing powder or
caustic soda) invokes corrosive reaction of tubing
material, during pneumatic testing of tube and
compression tube fittings in operating plant. The use of
nonstandard leakage test agent, which gets settled near
the location where fitting bites the tubing and
compression ferrules. Thus nonstandard gets agent (such
as Sodium Hydroxide (NaoH) and Sodium carbonate
(NaCo3)) accelerating the corrosion chemical reaction in
the presence of moisture or water vapors with tube body
and compression tube fitting materials.
3.5 Improper Storage/Handling of Tube
Improper storage and mishandling of the instrument
tubing and compression tube fittings during installation is
another important factor, which influences the instrument
tubing and compression tube fittings performance.
Dragging of instrument tubing from receiving dock to the
point of installation in fabrication yards or across any
surface (such as trucks beds, shelves, storage racks, the
floor and the ground of any plant) produce abrades and
create burr on the outside of the tubing.
These burred, abraded and out of round instrument
tubing cannot be fitted with the internal diameter of ferrule
or the body bore properly and causes leakage of process
Figure 1. Damaged Instrument Tube, due to Adequate Support System [9]
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fluids. This is especially important for gas services. The Low
density gases such as helium, Argon and Hydrogen
cannot be sealed with damaged tubing. Improper
storage of instrument tubing in open warehouse or area
including moistures, high or variable relative humidity,
elevated temperatures or corrosive vapors invoke the risk
of corrosion on tube metals and also accelerates the
formation of metallic film.
3.6 Inadequate Design of Tubing Clamp Support
Systems
Commonly ignored factor for failures of the instrument
tubing and compression tube fittings are the inadequate
design of tubing clamp supports system to address
vibration challenge. The improper design of tubing clamp
supports the remote mounted pressure gauges
/transmitters installed at discharge of vibration sources,
results in failure of the instrument tubing and compression
tube fittings, due to transmission of vibration/pulsation
from tap header to the tubing fittings at pressure
gauges/transmitters. It can lead to leakage of process
fluids in environment. Generally, across industries
installation hookups are based on service, however these
should also address nearby vibration.
3.7 Corrosion
Corrosion is a serious problem that leads to the
deterioration of the instrument tubing wall and
compression tube fittings which results in corrosion
induced tubing failures in a matter of months. Many of the
August - October 2016 3
 ARTICLE
Figure 2. Corroded Instrument Tube [1] & [4]
industrial process or during different process reaction of
the plant, reactive gases are released which contains
Sulfide and Chloride and other corrosive compounds.
These industrial corrosion reactive gases combined with a
high or variable relative humidity and in the presence of
salt mist or saliferous environment (near offshore or marine
application) can generate harsh environment. This harsh
corrosive environment accelerates the corrosive
chemical reaction of tubing wall and also invokes the
formation of metal film. Formation of galvanic and
crevice corrosion [1] frequently occur between instrument
tubing and tube support system (as shown in Figure 2) due
to accumulation of water/ sea water between instrument
tube and tubing clamp on wall. Crevices and spaces exist
between tubing and tube supports, in tubing clamps,
between adjacent tubing runs, and underneath
contamination and deposits that may accumulate on
tubing surfaces as shown in Figure 3.
Galvanic corrosion is also an important reason for failures
of instrument tubing and compression tubing fittings [2].
Generally, all metals have a property of specific relative
potential. When two dissimilar metals of different
properties come in contact in the presence of high or
variable humidity and elevated temperature, which
implies that, substantial amount of moisture condensate
on the tube and at the fitting materials. The presence of
moisture in between dissimilar metals accelerate the
flows of low electric energy from metal having the higher
4 i-manager’s Journal on Future Engineering & Technology, Vol. 12 ·
potential to the metal having lower potential. The results of
this galvanic action are the corrosion of the metal with
higher potential. Mostly, galvanic corrosion occurs
between tubing material and tubing support system (as
shown in Figure 3) due to accumulation of water, salt-mist,
sea water or condensation of moisture. Corrosion and
slow process clubbed with other factors like support
system design, tightening of ferrule compression fittings
increases the risk of instruments tubing and compression
fittings failures.
4. Risk and Factors Involved in Instrument Tubing and
Tube Fitting Failures
Incorrect improper process hookup installation, wrong
selection of tube material, faulty or ignored nuts & ferrule
compression fittings, poor system design can lead to a
number of problems, including safety related problems,
plant breakdown, costly regulatory agency fines,
maintenance cost, energy loss and environmental
hazards.
4.1 Process Safety Problem
Risk involved in an instrument tubing failure relates to
process safety and environmental hazards, such as loss of
containment due to crack in the affected tubing that
leads to fugitive emissions, fires, explosions and other
safety and environmental issues. The most serious
problems occur when instrument tubing and its fitting
component fails causing the leakage of process fluid
No. 1 ·
August - October 2016
 ARTICLE
Figure 3. Corroded Instrument Tube
such as gasoline, oil, gas or other volatile, corrosive fluid
(Sulfide or chloride Compounds) or toxic gases (such as
H2S). These can cause fires, explosions or other serious
safety hazards such as fatality due to toxic chemical, gas
leakage [7].
4.2 Facility Breakdown
Risk involved in an instrument tubing failure relates to
breakdown or sometimes even causing shutdown of the
process, which can result from the breakdown of process
safety mentioned or simply from having to shutdown a
pipeline and production facilities in order to replace
incorrectly installed broken fatigue tube and damaged
equipment.
4.2.1 Safety Related Breakdown
There can be a number of causes of subsequent facility
breakdown, including fire suppression activities [8],
released process containment manifesting, line
shutdown, personnel evacuation and eventually having
to rebuild or repair the lines, replacement equipment, etc.
4.2.2 Non-Safety Related Breakdown
When an impulse line or instrument tubing failure causes
an instrument to fail, even if there is no release of process
fluid or serious safety issues. But still, breakdown can occur
as a result of the process needing to shutdown in order to
replace significant damage instrument & equipment.
i-manager’s Journal on Future Engineering & Technology, Vol. 12 ·
No. 1 ·
Instrument tubing failure rarely affects other instrument or
equipment of the process to fail, although instrument
tubing failure is usually an indication that there is a
problem. In most of the cases, skilled plant worker will
simply replace the effected tubing with new one and
move on. When another tubing failure occurs, the plant
worker will do the same, until the main cause of the failure,
such as a misaligned pump, causing the plant to
shutdown the line, resulting in more costly, unplanned
breakdown and major maintenance time.
4.3 Typical Area
Generally, tubing failure cases are noticeable in areas [6]
such as,
·Booster stations, turbine driven pumps and
compressors system.
·Harsh corrosion reactive plant environment (Waste
gas treatment and Sulfur handling Area).
·Tubing connection for pressure, flow transmitters and
pressure gauges.
·Area where vibration is present such as pipe racks
(with air coolers), platforms of vibration sources
(turbine or diesel generators), and reciprocating
compressors [11].
·The location, where an instrument tubing connects
August - October 2016 5
 ARTICLE
between the stationary object and vibrating objects
(such as instrument air tubing installed between air
compressor and pneumatic valve actuators).
4.4 Mitigation Path
In this section, the authors suggest the mitigation paths for
instrument tubing in process instrument, chemical
inhibition, impulse line, hydraulic lines, and utility
application over a wide range of temperature, pressure
and flow. There are some important mitigation plans that
considered as the most useful and cost effective to
prevent, minimize or control the risk of tubing related
failures and also to avoid the risk of corrosion and
chemical attack.
4.5 Use of Proper Tools
Most of the instrument tubing assemblies in process plant
failed at nut and ferrule compression fittings, due to the
application of non-standard pre-assemble tools for
tightening of compression fitting assemblies [5] such as,
·Insufficient tightening of the compression tube fittings
that fails to properly compress the ferrule and tube
connection.
·Due to faulty or ignored nuts and ferrule compression
fittings.
·Excessive tightening of the compression fittings nuts,
causing over compressed ferrule.
All these problems can be overcome by the proper use of
standard tools as per the manufacture standard. These
are,
·Use of proper torque wrench, tube cutting tools (Not
Hacksaw), tube bending tools, and standards pre-
assemble tools.
·Use of standard no-go gap gauges for gap
inspection to ensure sufficient pull-up upon initial
installation.
·Ensure that the tubing rests firmly on the shoulder of
the tube fitting body before tightening the nut.
·Focused tool box talk to the craft before performing
the work. The talk should explain about possible
hazards of incorrect usage of tools.
·Use certified and skilled fitter.
6 i-manager’s Journal on Future Engineering & Technology, Vol. 12 ·
·Do not reuse fitting components (such as ferrules, nuts
and tube body) components from different
manufactures.
4.6 Leak Test Agent
The use of nonstandard leak test agent (such as washing
powder or caustic soda) invokes corrosive reaction of
tubing material, during pneumatic testing of tube and
compression tube fittings. This corrosive reaction of
instrument tubing and compression fittings clubbed with
vibration causes failure of instrument tubing. These
nonstandard leak test agent is stagnated in the gap
between tube, nuts and compression ferrules. These
nonstandard agent (such as Sodium Hydroxide NaoH and
Sodium Carbonate NaCo3) accelerates the corrosion
chemical reaction in the presence of moisture or water
vapors with tube body and compression tube fitting
materials and start the formation of metal film. The
application of proper leak test agent (such as snoop
liquid leak detector) as per the manufacture standard
avoids acceleration of unusual formation of corrosion
layer. The leak test agent contains noncorrosive and
nonflammable formula, and also corrosion inhibitor for
added protection.
4.7 Proper Handling & Storage
Proper handling and safe transportation of the instrument
tubing and compression tube fittings during installation of
tube lines avoids abrades, burrs on the outside of the
tubing from receiving dock to the point of installation in
fabrication yards or across any surface (such as trucks
beds, shelves, storage racks, the floor and the ground of
any plant). These burred, abraded and out of round
instrument tubing cannot be fitted with the internal
diameter of ferrule or the body bore properly and causes
leakage of process fluids. Appropriate storage of
instrument tubing is to be maintained in controlled
atmosphere to avoid the risk of corrosion on tube metals
and also accelerates the formation of metallic film.
4.8 Jacketed or Shielding of Tubing
The jacketing around the instruments tubing [1] offers
reliable prevention or protection from the risk of corrosion
and chemical attack of corrosive fluids and also meets
No. 1 ·
August - October 2016
 ARTICLE

the plant requirement. It also provides a protection directly affected from the salt-mist, sea water, and
against mechanical drags, abrades, impacts, stresses, moisture, saliferous and corrosive environment.
abrasions, and insulates the instrument tubing fluids from 5. Detailed Engineering Design for Clamp Supports
ambient environment. Jacketed tubing provides
5.1 Option - 1
protection from sea water application causing pitting
It is widely used in industries. The demerit being that the
corrosion of the exposed tubing materials or crevice
pump discharge line vibrates at a different frequency and
corrosion in the gap between the tubing and supports.
the station is fixed. Thus Point A as shown in Figure 4
The extrusion of thermoplastic or polyurethane coatings
becomes vulnerable for a failure as ferrule is biting the
on the tubing is an economical attractive solution for
tubing. The possible solutions can be options 2 & 3 as
instrument tubing to prevent chemical reaction.
follows.
Jacketed tubing is a cost effective solution for instrument
5.2 Option - 2
tubing of less resistant alloy, which are highly exposed and
It is well known and widely used as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 4. Option-1:Clamp Support System

Figure 5. Option-2 direct mounting on Pipeline

Figure 6. Option-3 Clamp support system

i-manager’s Journal on Future Engineering & Technology, Vol. 12 ·

No. 1 ·
August - October 2016 7
 ARTICLE

5.3 Option - 3
In this arrangement as shown in Figure 6, the support is
taken from the discharge line so that the entire
downstream system inclusive of tapping point and
instrument vibrate at the rate of same frequency.
Conclusion
The expanding use of the instrument tubing in potential
industrial environment requires detailed engineering
design for clamp support of improved control measures
to avoid accountability of high breakdown costs and
safety hazardous, due to failure of instruments tubing and
its fitting components. The proposed different alleviation
path finds it useful and cost effective for the protection of
instrument tubing and its fitting components from unusaul
failures. In this paper, the authors mentioned the reason
which may or may not apply to all the instruments, But this
paper will serve as a food for thought to challenge
traditional installations. The mitigation paths suggested
may attract cost and feasibilty that should be assesed
with respect to life cycle cost.
References
[1]. Gerhard Schiroky, Anibal Dam, Akinyemi and Charlie
speed, (2013). “Pitting and crevice corrosion of offshore
stainless steel tubing”. Offshore Magazine.
[2]. Steve Mullen, (2002). “Appropriate practices avoid
tube fitting failures”. Oil & Gas Journal.
[3]. “An installer's Pocket guide for Swagelok”, Tube fittings,
M S - 1 3 - 1 5 1 , S w a g e l o k , R e t r i e v e d f r o m w w w.
swagelok.com.
[4]. Instrument Tubing Fitting Installation Manual, Bulletin
4200-B4, Parker, Retrieved on February, 2006, from
www.parker.com.
[5]. ISA-RP42.00.01-200, “Nomenclature for Instrument
Tube Fittings”, ISA- The Instrumentation Systems, and
Automation Society, ISBN: 1-55617-784-4.
[6]. “Mechanical Integrity of Tubing”, AIChE Technology
Alliance Center for Chemical Process Safety, Issue No:
002.
[7]. “Instrument Tubing Failure: Resulting in a Serious Injury”,
ENFORM: The Safety Association for Canada's Upstream
Oil and Gas Industry, Issue #: 10-2011.
[8]. Andrew Fortunka, (2006). “The Trouble with Tubing
Fittings”. Stantec Consulting.
[9]. “Vibration and Stainless Tubing Failure”. Retrieved from
https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=3NzDkc0NHAc.
[10]. K.C. Upreti, Dwaipayan Banerjee, (2013).
“Preventing Small Bore Piping/Tubing Failures in
Reciprocating Compressors”, ASME Turbo Expo 2013:
Turbine Technical Conference and Exposition, ISBN: 978-
0-7918-5520-1.
[11]. Brian C. Howes, Chris B. Harper, “Vibration Related
Failures of Small-Bore Attachments”. Beta Machinery
Analysis Ltd., Calgary, AB, Canada, T3C 0J7.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Anand Srivastava is working in Project Management at Fluor Daniel India Pvt. Ltd., Gurgaon, India. He has over thirteen years of
professional experience in Project Management, FEED, Detail Engineering & Design, Procurement, Field Engineering, Proposal
Development and Construction for Oil & Gas, Petrochemical and Chemical Projects. His earlier stint was with Indian Oil & Gas
major as a Lead Instrumentation Manager. The present is with EPC Giant delivering Integrated Engineering, Procurement,
Fabrication, Construction, Maintenance and Project Management Solutions to clients globally.

Sheikh Rafik Manihar Ahmed is a Control Systems Engineer at Fluor Daniel India Pvt. Ltd., Gurgaon, India. He has over 3 years of
professional experience in instrumentation FEED, Detailed Design and Engineering, Procurement, Inspection and Field
Engineering in the Onshore/Offshore Gas Plant, Oil & Gas, Petrochemical and Chemical Projects. He has published many books &
research papers in International and National Journals in the field of Electronics, Robotics and Automation.

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No. 1 ·
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