Qatar NGL-2 pipeline problems
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 via two separate lines to Umm Said NGL Complex about 120 kms. from the central offshore station. The liquids line 300 mm diameter (12 inch) has suffered general and severe pitting corrosion. The lean gas line 600 mm diameter (24 inch) has suffered corrosion and extensively hydrogen induced cracking (HIC), also known as HIPC. Both lines never performed to their design parameters and many problems in the downstream facilities have been experienced. All efforts to clean the liquids lines from the solids (debris) have failed. This inturn interfered with the planned corrosion control programe, thus allowing corrosion to continue. Investigation work has been done by various specialists in an attempt to find the origin of the solids and to recommend necessary remedial actions. Should lines fall from pitting corrosion, the effect of liquids leak at a pressure of about 11000 kpa will be very dangerous especially if it occurs onshore. In order to protect the NGL-2 operations against possible risks, both interms of safety as well as losses in revenue, critically sections of the pipelines have been replaced, whilst the whole gas liquids pipelines would be replaced shortly. Supplementary documents to the API standards were prepared by QPC for the replaced pipelines.
- Research Organization:
- Quatar General Petroleum Corp.
- OSTI ID:
- 5057474
- Journal Information:
- Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States), Vol. SPE13685
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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NATURAL GAS LIQUIDS
TRANSPORT
PIPELINES
FAILURES
QATAR
OIL FIELDS
CORROSION
HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT
LEAKS
NATURAL GAS PROCESSING PLANTS
OFFSHORE SITES
SAFETY
ASIA
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
EMBRITTLEMENT
FLUIDS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
LIQUIDS
MIDDLE EAST
MINERAL RESOURCES
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESOURCES
032000* - Natural Gas- Transport
Handling
& Storage