NITROGEN PROVIDES SAFETY FOR LINE DRYING PROJECT

Following hydrostatic testing and water drainage from three sections of ethylene pipeline at the Gulf Oil Corp. olefin plant near Mont Belvieu, Texas, Nitrogen Oil Well Service Co. undertook the job of cleaning and dewatering the lines. For such jobs, squeegee pigs inserted into the line at approximately 100 ft spacings are blown through the line with nitrogen to remove all standing water plugs, excess moisture on the pipe wall, and any debris accumulated in the pipe section. Abrasive pigs follow, cutting weld slag, mill scale, and any hard deposits on the pipe wall. Successive scouring pigs are run until they come out clean and unscored. Nitrogen is then blown through the line until dew-points tests indicate that the line is dry. Liquid nitrogen is delivered in 2000 gal tanks on trucks. Nitrogen delivery into the pipe is at less than 3000 cu ft/min at less than 10,000 psi.

• Corporate Authors:

  Gulf Publishing Company

  Box 2608
  Houston, TX  United States  77001
• Publication Date: 1971-3

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 44
• Serial:
  • PIPE LINE INDUSTRY
  • Volume: 34
  • Issue Number: 3

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cleaning; Construction; Pipeline safety; Pipelines
• Old TRIS Terms: Pipeline cleaning; Pipeline construction
• Subject Areas: Construction; Maintenance and Preservation; Marine Transportation; Pipelines; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00056326
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: American Petroleum Institute
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 15 1974 12:00AM