Pipeline pre-commissioning is the process of proving the ability of a

pipeline Pipeline may refer to: Electronics, computers and computing * Pipeline (computing), a chain of data-processing stages or a CPU optimization found on ** Instruction pipelining, a technique for implementing instruction-level parallelism within a s ...

and

piping Within industry, piping is a system of pipes used to convey fluids (liquids and gases) from one location to another. The engineering discipline of piping design studies the efficient transport of fluid. Industrial process piping (and accomp ...

systems to contain product without leaking. This product may be liquid, gaseous or multiphase

hydrocarbons In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons are examples of group 14 hydrides. Hydrocarbons are generally colourless and hydrophobic, and their odors are usually weak or ...

water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as ...

steam Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporizat ...

, CO₂, N₂,

petrol Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organic c ...

aviation fuel Aviation fuels are petroleum-based fuels, or petroleum and synthetic fuel blends, used to power aircraft. They have more stringent requirements than fuels used for ground use, such as heating and road transport, and contain additives to enhance ...

etc.
Pre-commissioning
ref> is the series of processes carried out on the pipeline before the final product is introduced. The process during which the pipeline is made "live" i.e. the product is put in the pipeline, is called pipeline commissioning or start-up. Despite being seen as an offshoot, or minor part of the business for the larger oil service companies, the pipeline pre-commissioning industry possesses quite a large portfolio of services including, but not limited to the following services: Pipeline Cleaning – this is carried out by pushing

pigs The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus ''Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus ...

gel pigs A gel is a semi-solid that can have properties ranging from soft and weak to hard and tough. Gels are defined as a substantially dilute cross-linked system, which exhibits no flow when in the steady-state, although the liquid phase may still di ...

through the pipeline to remove any debris buildup or corrosion. Pipeline Gauging – this is carried out to prove the dimensional quality of the internal diameter of the pipeline. Pipeline Filling (Flooding) – which can be carried out by propelling pigs through the pipeline with water or free flooding with water (normally for smaller or unpiggable pipelines).

Hydrotesting A hydrostatic test is a way in which pressure vessels such as pipelines, plumbing, gas cylinders, boilers and fuel tanks can be tested for strength and leaks. The test involves filling the vessel or pipe system with a liquid, usually water, whi ...

– this is a process by which the pipeline in question is pressure tested to a predefined pressure above the operating design pressure of the pipeline.

Dewatering Dewatering is the removal of water from a location. This may be done by wet classification, centrifugation, filtration, or similar solid-liquid separation processes, such as removal of residual liquid from a filter cake by a filter press as p ...

– this involves pushing pigs through the pipeline propelled by a gas to remove the water prior to start-up. Other services include vacuum drying, degassing, pneumatic testing, barrier testing, leak testing, decommissioning to mention but a few. On the pipeline process pre-commissioning side, there are various services such as chemical cleaning, helium leak detection, bolting, hot oil flushing, pipe freezing, foam inerting etc... Other services include valve testing, umbilical testing, hot tapping, leak metering, riser annulus testing.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pipeline Pre-Commissioning Pipeline transport Pipelines