Gas and Oil Industry Pipeline Pigging

The gas and oil industry use pigging to clean and inspect their pipelines, typically using the more advanced ‘smart pigs’ capable of detecting corrosion and leaks which can be explosive and dangerous to the environment. Pigging has been used for many years to clean large diameter pipelines in the oil industry. 

These industries, especially gas processing plants, often integrate pigging stations along their piping system. They are usually co-located with compressor stations or sited independently along the pipelines. Pigging operations are generally included in the project plans of interstate gas pipeline projects and are considered to a part of the pipeline system, therefore they aren’t allowed to be separate and oversight of these stations falls to pipeline companies, utilities and oil and gas operators per FERC or the Federal Energy Regulation Commission.

If you have questions about gas or oil pipeline and the regulations set in place by FERC, contact the experts at Professional Piping Services today. Their experienced and knowledgeable staff will help you find the answers to keep your system up to code and operating at its peak.

Pipeline Pigging for Maintenance.

Developing a pipeline pigging maintenance schedule helps keep your pipeline in top shape, at full flow and may give you an early alert to a pending rupture or leak. Pipeline Poly Pigs can be used in a variety of pipe materials including stainless steel, concrete, PVC, aluminum, glass and more, moving product ranging from wastewater and storm water to fuel and lubricating oils.

When performing routine pipeline maintenance with poly pigs, data can be collected for future reference including pig speed and inertia, location and depth of any damage or variation in pipe wall thickness and indications of intrusion or debris. This data helps determine the correct sequence of pigs to be used for cleaning. By keeping a complete record of each run, a history can form so that the pipeline owner or manager can gauge the rate of change and act accordingly.

Another advantage of beginning a pigging regiment is that during the initial session, you can have the system mapped or re-mapped with a smart pig to ensure or correct the accuracy of any diagrams you may have of your system. Knowing the location, diameter and condition of each leg of the system and any valves can expedite future preventative maintenance or repairs.

Professional Piping Services Inc. can help assess your pipeline, recommend a pigging regime and perform the pigging with skill and professionalism.

Professional Piping Services Inc. has been in the industry for decades and the owner, Roger M Cimbora, Sr.,  is a trusted expert in the field, serving on committees, acting as an instructor,leading seminars and writing papers on the topics of piping system rehabilitation, cleaning and evaluation .