When a single source based crude oil feeder ‘difficult-to-pig’ pipeline runs through a highly sensitive marine national park, the Operator is challenged with the dilemma of how to assure the integrity of the pipeline with the limited options that are available. After ten (10) years of service, in 2015, an Indian Operator chose to assess the time dependent threat of internal corrosion on their difficult-to-pig offshore (SPM) to onshore (Tank Farm) crude oil pipeline by utilizing the NACE SP0208-2008 Standard for Liquid-Petroleum Internal Corrosion Direct Assessment (ICDA). This methodology was already recommended by ASME B31.8S as one (1) of the three (3) options for assessing integrity of a pipeline. Only a year earlier, in 2014 – the Indian regulators, Oil Industry Safety Directorate (OISD) had also brought the technique of ICDA within its regulatory framework for Operators as a credible option to assess integrity of pipelines that are difficult to pig and/or un-piggable. This paper discusses on the findings of the ICDA program that forced the Operator to accelerate their integrity program for the subject pipeline and perform specialised In-line Inspection (ILI) in 2018. The paper also compares the results obtained from the non-intrusive predictive based ICDA program Vs. the ILI measured data. This paper will be useful for Operators to understand the complementary nature of ICDA with ILI and provide guidance on how combination of these two (2) pipeline integrity tools not only identify the locations at which internal corrosion activity has already occurred but also answers the questions on why it occurred and how would it be mitigated? The Operator managed to assure the integrity of their “difficult-to-pig” pipeline by timely utilisation of the integrity validation tools of ICDA and ILI. By doing this they were able to prevent the occurrence of any catastrophe that may result in an environmental, and subsequently an economic disaster.

Pipeline integrity is essential for reliable pipeline operations, for preventing expensive downtime and failures resulting in leaking or spilling oil / gas content to the environment. Leaks can cost industries millions of dollars in loss of energy, while increasing emissions, creating safety hazards, and lowering the reliability of operations. Valves and piping systems can fail in a number of ways. Pipelines are widely used for transportation of fluids like oil & natural gas over long distances to the power plants, public supplies and various industries due to safety, efficiency and low cost. High pressure pipelines are generally buried below the ground level for safety, economic and environmental purposes. For smooth and safe operation of pipeline, there are some associated facilities underground as well above ground facilities like Valves, IJ, Fittings, Launcher & Receiver known as pipeline system. To maintain the integrity of the pipeline system, these facilities need periodic maintenance for their effective operability up to their design life. Valves are one the critical component of the pipeline system and failure of it may cause serious hazard and reduce the control over the various parameters like flow & pressure in the pipeline. Shutting down to repair the leak means a loss in associated industry’s production leading to revenue loss. Darod - Jafarabad Pipeline (DJPL) is one the Natural Gas Pipeline laid by Gujarat State Petronet Limited (GSPL) to transport natural gas in the coastal region of Saurashtra in Gujarat. DJPL is a 212 KM long pipeline with 10 nos. of SV stations. There was leakage observed from bolted body of Ball Valve installed at Intermediate Pigging Station (IPS) and SV-6 of DJPL and these valves are butt welded and in upstream side which need shutdown of pipeline for maintenance or replacement. Maintenance of valve becomes critical, if there is gas leakage from valve body and the pipeline operation cannot be obstructed due to commitment with downstream customers. In such a situation, Stopple-in is the method to isolate the valve without obstructing / shutting the flow in the pipeline. The valves were in upstream side wherein replacement of valve was done by Stopple-in and Cross plugging method. However, gas leakage was from valve body so that hot work (i.e. pipe cutting) for stopple-in was also a challenge. To arrest the leak from bolted section of valve body, sealant injection methodology was adopted. Before applying this technology on high pressure live pipeline, GSPL insisted to perform the demonstration on prototype arrangement. This prototype was manufactured in the way that it has a manmade leakage point. After sealant injection in the system to arrest the leak, system was kept under high pressure of 55 Bar(g) for 24 hours. During demonstration, system sustained the pressure without any failure at leakage point. After successful demonstration, said methodology applied on leakage valve installed on high pressure line without any shutdown to arrest the leak.

There are some issues and concerns that need urgent attention. Chief among these are delays in securing multiple clearances, lack of well-defined market potential, entry barriers, deficient pipeline connectivity and uncertainty regarding domestic gas supply. The challenges during the reward of license revolve around issues affecting project Internal Rate of Return (IRR), project investment rate of return, market exclusivity, gas allocation, gas availability issues, logistic and manpower issues. With the formation of PNGRB, the safety practices and guidelines were looked into and framed. But once allocation process is over and operation is in progress, there are still several challenges that are being faced as: • Safety Management • Space Constraint for CNG station facilities • Queue Management • GIS for CGD network • Third party damages • Coordination with other utility Companies • Compliance of emission norms • Equipment Availability • Customer satisfaction (Services, Metering, billing) • Threat of alternate energy solutions • Embrace digital technology in conjunction with analytics intervention. • Compliance of stringent targets by the ministry. For IGL, being into the operation at the capital of the nation the major concern with CGD is safety, customer friendly operation and on-time solutions. This paper will discuss in detail the work adopted by IGL to cater the problem of space constraint, queue management and external threats. Apart from this, it also covers the various technologies and automation strategies adopted towards safety system, metering, billing, equipment availability etc. CGD companies must embrace digital technology in conjunction with analytics intervention to enjoy technology renaissance. It will help in achieving improvements and address issues in PNG, CNG and management of assets, among others. Emphasis will be given to provide a few such initiatives in detail, mentioned above, such as the pilot project going for HCNG plant, SCADA system for online monitoring of equipment, GIS system for pipeline integrity, automation of safety system and customer satisfaction.

Contaminants such as CO 2 , H 2 S and O 2 in liquid and gas pipelines in the presence of water create an aggressive environment conducive to internal corrosion. During pipeline operations, solids deposition, water accumulation, bacterial activities and improper chemical inhibition aggravate the internal corrosion attack. For assessing the threat of internal corrosion the industry has only three integrity validation tools at its disposal. These are Pressure Testing, In Line Inspection (ILI) and Internal Corrosion Direct Assessment (ICDA). To enhance pipeline integrity for piggable and non-piggable pipelines, NACE International published a variety of Standard Practices for the ICDA protocols for predicting time-dependent internal corrosion threats for various products in both offshore and onshore in sweet or sour service. All ICDA protocols are a structured, iterative integrity assessment process, consisting of the following four steps: Pre-assessment, Indirect Inspection, Detailed Examination and Post-assessment. Most importantly, unlike ILI and pressure testing, all ICDA standards require a mandatory root cause analysis and a go forward mitigation plan to arrest the corrosion processes being encountered . This paper reviews one case study; LP-ICDA for three (3) “piggable” refined product pipelines from the Jetty to the onshore marketing terminal. This paper will be useful for the pipeline operators to provide guidance on not only identifying the locations at which internal corrosion activity has occurred but also look into how the operators used the ICDA program to better manage their asset.

With ever increasing energy demands, approximately 90 million barrels of oil per day and 3314 billion cubic meters of gas per year are consumed around the world [1]. To meet such huge energy demands a complicated and vast network of offshore and onshore production and distribution pipelines is necessary. Pipelines connect areas that are relatively rich in resources with areas that are demand-hungry but poor in resources. They play a central role in providing to the energy needs of businesses and public, forming the veins and arteries of the Oil and Gas industry. These pipelines are susceptible to damage, both internal and external based on the type of product in the pipeline and the environment in the vicinity of the pipeline i.e. offshore or onshore. The damage to the pipeline needs to be identified and the significance of the damage clearly defined. The inline inspection (ILI) tools help to identify the damage and record the extent and type of damage. Inability to prioritize the damaged areas and carry out necessary intervention to at least curtail the damage may occasionally lead to calamitous consequences. One such example is of a 30-inch Liquid pipeline failure that occurred in Michigan on July 25, 2010. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported that the corrosion fatigue cracks that grew and coalesced from corrosion defects resulted in the rupture and prolonged release from the 30-inch oil pipeline [2]. This failure resulted in a revenue loss of approximately $16 million and estimated costs of $767 million for regulatory and professional support in connection with the clean-up operations. Condition assessment of the pipelines as part of the pipeline integrity management system is the primary means through which such catastrophic pipeline system failures could be prevented. This paper presents the methodology that is adopted for “Integrity Assessment” of the pipelines.

Integrity management of pipelines is a systematic, comprehensive and integrated approach to proactively counter the threats to pipeline integrity. Pressure testing, in-line inspection and direct assessment methods are used to verify the integrity of a buried pipeline. The Paper Discuses Direct Assessment Methodologies for Hydrocarbon Non Piggable Pipelines. Advantages and Disadvantages of Direct Assessment methodology and DA Protocols. The DA process accomplishes this by utilizing and integrating condition monitoring, effective mitigation, meticulous documentation and timely structured reporting processes. DA is a structured, iterative integrity assessment process through which an operator may be able to assess and evaluate the integrity of a pipeline segment. TIME DEPENDENT THREATS INEVITABLY LED TO NUMEROUS FAILURES WITH A COMMON DEFINING MECHANISM OR SOURCE – CORROSION. This Paper will focus on internal, external and stress corrosion cracking direct assessment along with pre and post assessment, quality assurance, data analysis and integration, and remediation and mitigation activities. This paper will discuss some of the regulatory requirements for Pipeline Integrity Management System.

Contaminants such as CO 2 , H 2 S and O 2 in water-wet liquid and gas pipelines create an aggressive environment conducive to facilitating internal corrosion. During pipeline operations, solids deposition, water accumulation, bacterial activities and improper chemical inhibition aggravate the internal corrosion attack. For assessing the threat of internal corrosion, the petroleum industry currently has only three integrity validation tools at its disposal. These are Pressure Testing, In-line Inspection (ILI) and Internal Corrosion Direct Assessment (ICDA). To enhance pipeline integrity for piggable and non-piggable pipelines, NACE International has developed and published a variety of industry consensus Standard Practices for the ICDA protocols to predict time-dependent internal corrosion threats for various petroleum products in both offshore and onshore under sweet or sour environments. These NACE International ICDA Standards include: • SP0206-2006 “ICDA Methodology for Pipelines Carrying Normally Dry Natural Gas (DG-ICDA)” [1] • SP0208-2008 “ICDA Methodology for Liquid Petroleum Pipelines (LP-ICDA)” [2] • SP0110-2010 “Wet Gas ICDA Methodology for Pipelines (WG-ICDA)” [3] • Multiphase flow (MP-ICDA) is under development with TG-426 and will be released in 2013. • Process Piping (PP-ECDA, Above Ground) is in its early stages of development with the release not likely before 2015. • Process Piping (PP-ECDA, Buried) is in its early stages of development with the release not likely before 2015. • Process Piping (PP-ICDA) for various service environments is in its early stages of development with the release not likely before 2015. All ICDA protocols are a structured, iterative integrity assessment process, consisting of the following four steps: Preassessment, Indirect Inspection, Detailed Examination and Postassessment. Most importantly, unlike ILI and pressure testing, all the ICDA standards require a mandatory root cause analysis and a go forward mitigation plan to arrest the corrosion processes being encountered. This paper reviews the following case studies: LP-ICDA for a crude oil pipeline and WG-ICDA for a high pressure gas pipeline with free water and condensate. ICDA is applicable for dry gas systems too but due to limiting length of this paper, the dry gas case study is not detailed. This paper will be useful for the pipeline operators to provide guidance in identifying locations at which corrosion activity has occurred, is occurring, or may likely occur in the future under a series of pre-defined operating conditions.

Managing the integrity of pipeline system is the primary goal of every pipeline operator. To ensure the integrity of pipeline system, its health assessment is very important and critical for ensuring safety of environment, human resources and its assets. In long term, managing pipeline integrity is an investment to asset protection which ultimately results in cost saving. Typically, the health assessment to managing the integrity of pipeline system is a function of operational experience and corporate philosophy. There is no single approach that can provide the best solution for all pipeline system. Only a comprehensive, systematic and integrated integrity management program provides the means to improve the safety of pipeline systems. Such programme provides the information for an operator to effectively allocate resources for appropriate prevention, detection and mitigation activities that will result in improved safety and a reduction in the number of incidents. Presently GAIL (INDIA) LTD. is operating & maintaining approximately 10,000Kms of natural gas/RLNG/LPG pipeline and HVJ Pipeline is the largest pipeline network of India which transports more than 50% of total gas being consumed in this country. HVJ pipeline system consists of more than 4500 Kms of pipeline having diameter range from 04” to 48”, which consist of piggable as well as non-piggable pipeline. Though, lengthwise non-piggable pipeline is very less but their importance cannot be ignored in to the totality because of their critical nature. Typically, pipeline with small length & connected to dispatch terminal are non-piggable and these pipelines are used to feed the gas to the consumer. Today pipeline industries are having three different types of inspection techniques available for inspection of the pipeline. 1. Inline inspection 2. Hydrostatic pressure testing 3. Direct assessment (DA) Inline inspection is possible only for piggable pipeline i.e. pipeline with facilities of pig launching & receiving and hydrostatic pressure testing is not possible for the pipeline under continuous operation. Thus we are left with direct assessment method to assess health of the non-piggable pipelines. Basically, direct assessment is a structured multi-step evaluation method to examine and identify the potential problem areas relating to internal corrosion, external corrosion, and stress corrosion cracking using ICDA (Internal Corrosion Direct Assessment), ECDA (External Corrosion Direct Assessment) and SCCDA (Stress Corrosion Direct Assessment). All the above DA is four steps iterative method & consist of following steps; a. Pre assessment b. Indirect assessment c. Direct assessment d. Post assessment Considering the importance of non-piggable pipeline, integrity assessment of following non piggable pipeline has done through direct assessment method. 1. 30 inch dia pipeline of length 0.6 km and handling 18.4 MMSCMD of natural gas 2. 18 inch dia pipeline of length 3.65 km and handling 4.0 MMSCMD of natural gas 3. 12 inch dia pipeline of length 2.08 km and handling 3.4 MMSCMD of natural gas In addition to ICDA, ECDA & SCCDA, Long Range Ultrasonic Thickness (LRUT-a guided wave technology) has also been carried out to detect the metal loss at excavated locations observed by ICDA & ECDA. Direct assessment survey for above pipelines has been conducted and based on the survey; high consequence areas have been identified. All the high consequence area has been excavated and inspected. No appreciable corrosion and thickness loss have observed at any area. However, pipeline segments have been identified which are most vulnerable and may have corrosion in future.

Knowing the real condition of your asset is a must for every owner. Standard NDT methods as RT, UT, MT, PT, and ET are well known to screen the integrity of pipelines. An aspect that is known as well is that each NDT technique has his proper working area. All NDT techniques have their inherent limitations; therefore more and more advanced NDT (ANDT) techniques are created to replace conventional techniques and supplementary fill in the voids where the conventional techniques are limited. Vinçotte is a global player in developing advanced NDT systems for both Pre-service and In-service pipeline examination. Our goal is always creating inspection solutions providing a greater flexibility while keeping a high quality level. In this paper several ANDT techniques (corrosion mapping, mechanized UT weld inspection, 3D laser,..) in relation to the structural integrity will be described.