Pre-Emptive Pigging Design
Pre-Emptive Pigging Design
(OP)
I'm working on a pipeline design where a single pipe will transport several different products. The pipeline is 8" in diameter and approximately 4000 feet long. There is some debate on whether or not pigging will be required in order to reduce the amount of contamination from product to product. I have been advised that pre-emptively designing the pipeline with 3X or 4X elbows will adequately allow for pigging and retrofitting with a pig catcher / launcher is all that will be required if, indeed, the line needs to be pigged.
While I've been working in the chemical industry for over a decade, I have very little pigging experience. Are there any other factors or considerations I should be taking into account here?
Thanks for your help.
While I've been working in the chemical industry for over a decade, I have very little pigging experience. Are there any other factors or considerations I should be taking into account here?
Thanks for your help.





RE: Pre-Emptive Pigging Design
I don't know if DOT applies to your situation but it might be worth a look.
RE: Pre-Emptive Pigging Design
O'Connor, Neil
Hygienic Pigging Systems, USA
1775 Mentor Ave
Cincinnati, OH 45212
(513) 731-6005
www.HPSpigging.com
RE: Pre-Emptive Pigging Design
David
RE: Pre-Emptive Pigging Design
With no other information, I would say go with 5D elbows. That being said, if you ever envision the need for doing any intelligent pigging, you would need to check with manufacturers for the radius thier pigs can traverse and design the pig traps accordingly (with the proper distances bewteen the barrels and your kicker/drain lines.
Greg Lamberson
Consultant - Upstream Energy
Website: www.oil-gas-consulting.com
RE: Pre-Emptive Pigging Design
Thanks again.
RE: Pre-Emptive Pigging Design
A couple of other general suggestions or tips - put a minimum of one pig length of straight run pipe between bends, outlets, and valves; keep internal diameters consistent, if you have tees, put bars on them; your launcher and receiver will be designed differently.
If you are going use spheres, the tees should be designed with constant internal diameter, oversized tee and a slotted outlet. The slotted outlets should be as short as possible, but provide a minimum of 75% of the outlet line cross-section area. This will allow sufficient flow area, minimize the pressure drop and minimize bypassing.
Greg Lamberson
Consultant - Upstream Energy
Website: www.oil-gas-consulting.com
RE: Pre-Emptive Pigging Design
RE: Pre-Emptive Pigging Design
If no inspection pigs will ever be run *, use spheres and 1.5 D bends.
* Beware that gathering systems regulations stand a good chance of revision and it just might be that internal inspection may be required in the future.
BigInch
-born in the trenches.
http://virtualpipeline.spaces.msn.com
RE: Pre-Emptive Pigging Design
If you will be doing any batching with shperes, might want to look at automating the process by using spheres preloaded
into magazines. They can then be automatically inserted into the pipeline when required.
Greg Lamberson
Consultant - Upstream Energy
Website: www.oil-gas-consulting.com