There are many technologies used to help maintain the United States' two million plus miles of pipelines. Perhaps the most critical of these devices is the one who shares its name with a dirty farm animal - the pig. These Pipeline PIGs range in size from just a few inches up to being as wide as a fully grown tree by seven feet tall - or however big they need to be to fit securely and snugly inside a pipe. They are made from gel, plastic, metal or foam. Some PIGs are simple scrapers, while others are adorned with scrubbing wire brushes and are affectionately known as ‘porcupine’ PIGs. The more sophisticated group of PIGs are known as ‘smart’ PIGs due to the fact they carry instruments that gather data and images from inside the pipeline, giving operators the opportunity to visually pinpoint trouble spots. All types of debris can build up in a pipeline. Corrosion is simply a fact of life when it comes to pipelines. Everything from natural gas to salt water to sand left from the fabrication or installation of the pipe to bacteria can corrode the metal pipe. Regular pigging is just good business. By the time a problem is apparent with a pipeline there is normally already damage involved, increasing the risk of environmental and safety issues as well as jeopardizing the pipeline integrity. Unfortunately, many operators wait and resort to pigging when an issue with the pipe becomes apparent. Regularly scheduled smart pigging as part of your maintenance program is ideal. The Association of Oil Pipe Lines did a five-year study back in the early 2000’s which showed that pipeline segments tested with smart pigs had an approximately 50 percent drop in the number of overall spills. That’s a significant savings in money from extra man hours spent to repair to loss of production due to downtime. Make pigging part of your routine maintenance. Contact the experts at Professional Piping Services at 800-780-6098 to talk about what’s the right plan of action for your pipelines. Certified Underground Utility Contractor License Number CU-C055717
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |