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 Considerations

Whether it be removing impurities, purging product from a pipe-train pr restoring flow, pipeline poly pigs, along with other pipe pigging systems are used.  The reason for pigging, the make and design of the system coupled with the conditions of the pipe all play a role in determining how to proceed.

Just like a plunger inside a syringe, product purging pigs need to fit tightly in their pipes. Pigging systems designed to remove inches or more of caked on debris can have different characteristics than those designed to remove loose sand and gravel. Pipes with an immense about of build up may need a succession of pigs, each with an increasing diameter, to thoroughly complete the job.

Anything that might lead the pig astray, such as obstructions like  valves or tree branches, or differences in pipe diameter,  must be accounted for and dealt with.

A system that has never been pigged before, or one that needs to be re-mapped before some other project, might use a radio transmitting smart pig called "Sherlock Pig".  Sherlock can be passed through the system to give a corrected view, showing any differences between reality and paper.

Led by General Manager  Roger M Cimbora, Sr., Professional Piping Services, Inc. has the experience and knowledge to select the right pigging system to get your system back to peak performance.