Fracture Control in Pipelines Under High Plastic Strains: A Critique of DNV-RP-F108

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Cosham ◽  
Kenneth A. Macdonald
Keyword(s):  
Fatigue Loading ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Ground Movement ◽  
Plastic Strains ◽  
Offshore Pipelines ◽  
Fracture Control ◽  
Offshore Industry ◽  
Girth Welds ◽  
Pipeline Design ◽  
High Plastic

Offshore pipelines experience strains greater than yield during pipelay and in service. Installation by reeling introduces high levels of plastic strain, typically on the order of 2 percent for a 12 in. flowline. Controlled lateral buckling in offshore pipelines, due to high operating pressures and/or temperatures, may also give rise to high strains and large cyclic loads. Similarly, frost heave or ground movement in onshore pipelines can cause high strains. To date, most of the cases involving high strains are to be found in offshore pipelines, in terms of both design and the assessment of accidental states. However, some of the experiences in the offshore industry have relevance to onshore pipelines. Fracture control in this context is designing pipelines to address the implications of these high static and cyclic strains during installation/construction and operation. Pipeline design codes such as DNV-OS-F101 and DNV-RP-F108 give guidance. Two issues to consider are: the degradation of the material properties, and the failure of the girth welds. High strains may cause failure or the growth — by stable ductile tearing — of preexisting flaws in the weld. Subsequent fatigue loading may cause pre-existing flaws to grow to failure. Engineering critical assessments (ECAs) are conducted during pipeline design to determine tolerable sizes for weld flaws. Standards such as BS 7910 and API 579 are primarily stress-based and it is not straightforward to apply them to strain-based situations. DNV-RP-F108 addresses this gap by providing additional guidance derived from UK and Norwegian research programmes. Assessing flaws subject to high strains is at the ‘cutting-edge’ of applied fracture mechanics. ECAs often have a reputation of being ‘over-conservative’. ECAs of pipelines subject to high strains may indicate that only very small flaws would be acceptable, whereas practical experience has shown that the girth welds are highly tolerant to the presence of flaws. It is therefore instructive to consider under what situations might ECAs be too conservative, and when they may be non-conservative. The available guidance for ensuring fracture control in pipelines under high plastic strains is discussed in this paper, and the wider issues are addressed.

A Modified Engineering Critical Assessment Approach for Offshore Pipelines

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colum Holtam ◽  
Rajil Saraswat ◽  
Ramgopal Thodla ◽  
Feng Gui
Keyword(s):  
Crack Growth ◽  
Low Cycle Fatigue ◽  
Fatigue Loading ◽  
Critical Assessment ◽  
Offshore Pipelines ◽  
Static Crack ◽  
Production Environments ◽  
Assessment Approach ◽  
Girth Welds ◽  
Crack Growth Rates

Environmentally assisted sub-critical static crack growth can occur in offshore pipelines exposed to aggressive production environments. Recent advances in fracture mechanics testing methods have shown that slow static crack growth rates can be reliably measured in sweet and sour environments under constant stress intensity factor (K) conditions. This has potential implications for the engineering critical assessment (ECA) of pipe girth welds subject to low cycle fatigue loading with long periods of operation under constant static load between cycles, e.g. lateral buckling. This paper demonstrates the influence of including static (i.e. time dependent) crack growth as well as fatigue crack growth in a modified pipeline ECA approach.

Reliability of Inspection for Root Flaws in Riser Girth Welds

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Rudlin ◽  
C. R. A. Schneider ◽  
G. R. Razmjoo
Keyword(s):  
Fatigue Loading ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Public Domain ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Offshore Pipelines ◽  
Inspection Method ◽  
The Public ◽  
Extreme Loads ◽  
Small Root ◽  
Girth Welds

The fatigue loading on deep water risers leads to a requirement for the detection of small root flaws during manufacturing inspection. Mechanised welds for offshore pipelines are also subject to extreme loads during laying, leading to a similar requirement. Automated Ultrasonic Testing using zonal methods have been adopted as the inspection method of choice for these inspections, but there is little information in the public domain regarding the expected reliability of the various systems available. Extensive individual inspection qualifications are carried out for each installation. The extent of these could be reduced by the availability of such background information. This paper reviews data from joint industry projects in the area carried out by TWI, and compares results from these with such data as is available in the public domain. An analysis of future requirements and capability of currently available theoretical models for extending the range of qualifications is also given.

An Overview of Strain-Based Fracture Assessment of Pipelines

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guiyi Wu ◽  
Longjie Wang
Keyword(s):  
Plastic Deformation ◽  
Fracture Mechanics ◽  
Test Data ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Plastic Strains ◽  
Offshore Pipelines ◽  
Pipeline Networks ◽  
Fracture Assessment ◽  
Girth Welds

Development of remote energy requires large pipeline networks to be placed in more challenging environments such as offshore in deeper waters or on land in Arctic or near-Arctic locations. Pipeline installed and operated in such regions may be subjected to large plastic strains. Engineering critical assessments (ECA) are commonly carried out during design, installation and operation of offshore pipelines to determine acceptable flaw sizes in pipeline girth welds. A number of fracture mechanics-based procedures are available for ECA of pipeline girth welds. Most of these methods are primarily stress-based assessments and are therefore not directly applicable to cases where the displacement-/strain-controlled loading generates large amounts of plastic deformation. For such cases, strain-based fracture assessment for pipeline/girth welds should be carried out instead. However, limited guidance on strain-based assessment is available in the current codes and standards used primarily by the oil and gas industries. This paper reviews the existing strain-based fracture assessment methods, and reports the results of preliminary studies performed to compare the methods reviewed with the available full-scale pipe test data.

scholarly journals A Vibration-Based Strategy for Health Monitoring of Offshore Pipelines’ Girth-Welds

Sensors ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 17174-17191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pejman Razi ◽  
Farid Taheri
Keyword(s):  
Health Monitoring ◽  
Offshore Pipelines ◽  
Girth Welds

Integrity Management of Ground Movement Hazards

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong-Yi Wang ◽  
Don West ◽  
Douglas Dewar ◽  
Alex McKenzie-Johnson ◽  
Millan Sen
Keyword(s):  
Management Program ◽  
Ground Movement ◽  
Tensile Failure ◽  
Weld Strength ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Ground Movements ◽  
Decision Points ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Integrity Management ◽  
Girth Welds

Ground movements, such as landslides and subsidence/settlement, can pose serious threats to pipeline integrity. The consequence of these incidents can be severe. In the absence of systematic integrity management, preventing and predicting incidents related to ground movements can be difficult. A ground movement management program can reduce the potential of those incidents. Some basic concepts and terms relevant to the management of ground movement hazards are introduced first. A ground movement management program may involve a long segment of a pipeline that may have a threat of failure in unknown locations. Identifying such locations and understanding the potential magnitude of the ground movement is often the starting point of a management program. In other cases, management activities may start after an event is known to have occurred. A sample response process is shown to illustrate key considerations and decision points after the evidence of an event is discovered. Such a process can involve fitness-for-service (FFS) assessment when appropriate information is available. The framework and key elements of FFS assessment are explained, including safety factors on strain capacity. The use of FFS assessment is illustrated through the assessment of tensile failure mode. Assessment models are introduced, including key factors affecting the outcome of an assessment. The unique features of girth welds in vintage pipelines are highlighted because the management of such pipelines is a high priority in North America and perhaps in other parts of the worlds. Common practice and appropriate considerations in a pipeline replacement program in areas of potential ground movement are highlighted. It is advisable to replace pipes with pipes of similar strength and stiffness so the strains can be distributed as broadly as possible. The chemical composition of pipe steels and the mechanical properties of the pipes should be such that the possibility of HAZ softening and weld strength undermatching is minimized. In addition, the benefits and cost of using the workmanship flaw acceptance criteria of API 1104 or equivalent standards in making repair and cutout decisions of vintage pipelines should be evaluated against the possible use of FFS assessment procedures. FFS assessment provides a quantifiable performance target which is not available through the workmanship criteria. However, necessary inputs to perform FFS assessment may not be readily available. Ongoing work intended to address some of the gaps is briefly described.

Estimating the Influence of Natural Hazards on Pipeline Risk and System Reliability

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Porter ◽  
Clint Logue ◽  
K. Wayne Savigny ◽  
Fiona Esford ◽  
Iain Bruce
Keyword(s):  
Natural Hazards ◽  
System Reliability ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Ground Movement ◽  
Injury Death ◽  
Ground Conditions ◽  
Service Disruption ◽  
Pipeline Failures ◽  
Pipeline Design ◽  
Design Construction

Natural hazards (also known as ground movement or geohazards) can cause pipeline failures, with consequences ranging from injury/death, environmental impact, and property damage, to lengthy service disruption and a failure to achieve delivery targets. In North America and western Europe, pipeline failure resulting from natural hazards are typically rare (but costly) events. However, where difficult ground conditions have not been properly accounted for in pipeline design, construction, and operation, natural hazards may have an overriding influence on pipeline risk and reliability. These issues are discussed, and a framework for estimating the influence of natural hazards on pipeline risk and system reliability is introduced.

Challenges About Testing, Welding and NDT of CRA Pipelines in Brazilian Pre-Salt

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petrônio Zumpano ◽  
Genaro Zanon ◽  
Alexandre Galiani Garmbis ◽  
Luciano Braga Alkmin ◽  
Manfred Ronald Richter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Steel ◽  
Material Selection ◽  
Design Strength ◽  
Weld Overlay ◽  
Campos Basin ◽  
Variable Level ◽  
Pipeline Welding ◽  
Girth Welds ◽  
Pipeline Design ◽  
Number Of Passes

Some new pre-salt fields at Santos Basin in Brazil are located in water depths as deep as 2200m and about 300 km away from the coast. There is variable level of contaminants in the produced fluid, mainly CO2 that affects the material selection of the infield flowlines and risers. Based on these constraints, Petrobras has selected UNS N06625 clad or lined steel linepipes to develop the first fields in Pre-Salt area and also the module 3 of Roncador a post-salt field in Campos Basin. Several challenges have arisen during design, construction and installation of these facilities related to pipeline welding procedures, NDT inspection and Engineering Critical Assessment (ECA). Firstly weld overmatching condition may not be fully achieved due to differences in mechanical properties between UNS 06625 and API X65, and concern increases when reel-lay installation method is chosen. Another welding issue is the maximum interpass temperature of nickel alloys (DNV and PETROBRAS standards limit that to 100°C) and this impacts pipeline installation productivity. Thirdly, back purging characteristics and number of passes protected with purging gases affects the possibility of root oxidation. Also, the inspection of the weld overlay in the pipe end of lined linepipes is other point of great concern. As defect sizing is mandatory for ECA, lined pipes have been designed with a weld overlay length which allows the inspection of the final girth weld by AUT. However, AUT solutions are normally more efficient in rolled or extruded materials than in weld overlaid ones. Additionally, the ECA methodology for both girth welds and weld overlay has complexities that are not usually addressed in a regular ECA for carbon steel pipelines (e.g. internal misalignment of girth welds in risers has stringent requirements because of its effects on fatigue performance and, consequently, the ECA girth weld criteria). Also CRA clad/lined pipelines and risers qualification program may include additional testing when compared with usual carbon steel welding qualification process (namely pitting and intergranular corrosion, full scale fatigue, spooling trials of lined linepipes, segment testing for ECA, and others). Finally, the contribution of clad/lined layer in pipeline design strength is also discussed. This work presents challenges PETROBRAS has faced at design and construction phases of on-going Guaré and Lula-NE pre-salt fields and Roncador field projects, as well as the solutions proposed by the project team in order to overcome the issues raised during project execution.

Management of Ground Movement Hazards: An Overview of a JIP

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong-Yi Wang ◽  
Don West ◽  
Doug Dewar ◽  
Alex Mckenzie-Johnson ◽  
Steve Rapp
Keyword(s):  
Best Practice ◽  
Major Elements ◽  
Ground Movement ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Hazard Management ◽  
Ground Movements ◽  
Strain Design ◽  
Hazard Avoidance ◽  
Actual Field ◽  
Girth Welds

Abstract Ground movements such as landslides, subsidence, and settlement can pose serious threats to the integrity of pipelines. The consequences of a ground movement event can vary greatly. Certain types of ground movements are slow-moving and can be monitored and mitigated before a catastrophic failure. Other forms of ground movements can be difficult to predict. The most effective approach could be hazard avoidance, proactive means to reduce strain demand on pipelines, and/or building sufficiently robust pipeline segments that have a high tolerance to the strain demand. This paper provides an overview of a Joint Industry Project (JIP) aimed at developing a best-practice document on managing ground movement hazards. The hazards being focused on are landslides and ground settlement, including mine subsidence. This document attempts to address nearly all major elements necessary for the management of such hazards. The most unique feature of the JIP is that the scope included the hazard management approach often practiced by geotechnical engineers and the fitness-for-service assessment of pipelines often performed by pipeline integrity engineers. The document developed in the JIP provides a technical background of various existing and emerging technologies. The recommendations were developed based on a solid fundamental understanding of these technologies and a wide array of actual field experiences. In addition to the various elements involved in the management of ground movement hazards, the JIP addresses some common misconceptions about the adequacy of codes and standards, including: • The adequacy of design requirements in ASME B31.4 and B31.8 with respect to ground movement hazards, • The adequacy of linepipe standards such as API 5L and welding standards such as API 1104 for producing strain-resistant pipelines, • The proper interpretation of the longitudinal strain design limit of 2% strain in ASME B31.4 and B31.8, and • The effectiveness of hydrostatic testing in “weeding out” low strain tolerance girth welds.

Preventing Girth Weld Failure in Pipelines: Measurement of Loads and Application of Assessment Methods

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andy Young ◽  
Robert M. Andrews
Keyword(s):  
Transmission Lines ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Large Diameter ◽  
Ground Movement ◽  
External Loading ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Axial Loads ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Girth Welds

Abstract Pipeline failures from circumferential cracking at girth welds continues to affect large diameter oil and gas transmission lines, even for modern lines constructed this century. The key factors that contribute to the failure at girth welds are the dimensions of defects present, the material properties of the pipe and weldments, and the presence of loading that drives crack growth. The mechanisms of failure are well understood, but identifying and measuring the contributing factors can be a challenge. Locating girth welds that are subject to elevated loads will enable operators to focus on sections with an increased threat of failure. In this paper, we consider each of the key factors, how these are identified and defined, and the uncertainties in the measurement process. Specific attention is applied to the presence and quantification of loads and how these influence the potential for failure. This includes sources of active external loading due to ground movement, for example, or loads generated in the pipeline from the construction process. Loads can also be quantified by measuring bending strain from inline inspection inertial measurement units. A more complete picture of pipeline loading can be established by integrating a structural analysis that accounts for the direction of pipeline movement and the presence of axial loads. The relationship between assessing pipeline integrity from ground movement — typically with strainbased methods — and establishing whether the defect can survive the load is explored. The relative contribution of bending and axial loads in the failure of defects is considered. The outcome of the study will assist pipeline operators in prioritising actions that enable the quantification of the all the key parameters. The resultant analysis will provide guidance on the girth welds that have an increased risk of failure and this will enable protective actions to be defined and scheduled accordingly.

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