Repair of Leaks in Thin Wall High Pressure Pipelines Using Composite Reinforcing Technologies

A study was conducted to evaluate two composite repair technologies used to reinforce severe corrosion and thru-wall leaking defects in thin-walled pipe materials; conditions where the welding of conventional Type B steel sleeves cannot be conducted. This program involved the reinforcement of simulated 85% corrosion defects in 6.625-inch × 0.157-inch, Grade X52 pipe materials subjected to cyclic pressure and burst testing. The test matrix also included repaired pipe samples with thru-wall defects that were pressurized using nitrogen gas and buried for 90 days. The program was comprehensive in that it evaluated the following elements involving a total of 81 reinforced corrosion defects. • Corrosion features with a depth of 85% of the pipe’s nominal wall thickness in thin-walled pipe material (i.e., 0.157 inches, or 4 mm). • Thru-wall defects having a diameter of 0.125 inches (3 mm). • Repairs made with leaking defects having 100 psig (690 kPa) internal pressure. • Strain gage measurement made in non-leaking 85% corrosion defects; it should be noted that the remaining “15%” ligament was 0.024 inches (0.6 mm); to the author’s knowledge, no high-pressure testing has ever been conducted on such a thin remaining wall. • Long-term 90-day test that included pressurization with nitrogen gas, followed by relatively aggressive pressure cycling up to 80% SMYS followed by burst testing. This is the first comprehensive study conducted by a major transmission pipeline operator evaluating the performance of competing composite technologies used to reinforce severe corrosion features with thru-wall defects. The reinforcement of leaks has not been accepted by regulatory bodies such as the Canadian Energy Regulator (CER), or the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). A goal of the current study is to validate composite repair technologies as a precursor to regulatory approval. The results of this study indicate that viable composite repair technologies exist with capabilities to reinforce leaks in pipelines that experience operating conditions typical for gas transmission systems (i.e., minimal pressure cycling).