Qatar NGL-2 pipeline problems
The Qatar NGL-2 plant, commissioned in December 1979, was designed to process the associated gas from the offshore crude oil fields of Qatar. The dehydrated, sour, lean gas and wet, sour liquids are transported by two separate lines to the Umm Said NGL complex about 120 km (75 miles) from the central offshore station. The 300-mm (12-in.) -diameter liquids line has suffered general pitting corrosion, and the 600-mm (24-in.) -diameter lean gas line has suffered corrosion and extensive hydrogen-induced cracking (HIC or HIPC). Neither line performed to its design parameters, and many problems in the downstream facilities have been experienced. All efforts to clean the solids (debris) from the liquids lines have failed. This in turn interfered with the planned corrosion control program, thus allowing corrosion to continue. Various specialists have investigated the lines in an attempt to find the origin of the solids and to recommend necessary remedial actions. Should the lines fail from pitting corrosion, the effect of a leak at a pressure of about 11 000 kPa (1,595 psi) will be very dangerous, especially if it occurs onshore. To protect the NGL-2 operations against possible risks - both in terms of safety and of losses in revenue - critical sections of the pipelines have been replaced, and all gas liquids pipelines will be replaced soon. Supplementary documents to the API standards were prepared for the replaced pipelines.
- Research Organization:
- Qatar General Petroleum Corp.
- OSTI ID:
- 6840925
- Journal Information:
- SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) Product. Eng.; (United States), Vol. 1:6
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
02 PETROLEUM
42 ENGINEERING
ASSOCIATED GAS
TRANSPORT
NATURAL GAS LIQUIDS
PIPELINES
CORROSION PROTECTION
HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT
PITTING CORROSION
QATAR
OIL FIELDS
HIGH PRESSURE
INSPECTION
NATURAL GAS PROCESSING PLANTS
OFFSHORE SITES
ONSHORE SITES
REPAIR
SAFETY
STANDARDS
ASIA
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CORROSION
EMBRITTLEMENT
FLUIDS
GASES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
LIQUIDS
MIDDLE EAST
MINERAL RESOURCES
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESOURCES
032000* - Natural Gas- Transport
Handling
& Storage
022000 - Petroleum- Transport
Handling
& Storage
420206 - Engineering- Mining & Drilling Equipment & Facilities- (1980-1989)