Pigging multi-diameter lines

and other specialist techniques

by C Kershaw
McAlpine Kershaw, UK

Contents of this Paper:

Introduction

Multi-diameter pig

Pressure by-pass pig

Magnetic cleaning pig

Pin-wheel pig

Brush pig

Shunting pig

Easy-loading pig

Summary

Copyright 2001 Scientific Surveys Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pipeline Pigging and Integrity Monitoring Conference: Houston, 1990

Introduction
Whilst the majority of pipelines can be successfully pigged using standard proprietary products, there are
occasions where a specialist 'one-off' type of pig is required. Due to the individual nature of such pigs, it is not
reasonable to expect the manufacturers of standard pigs to produce them, and in any case they often do not have
the necessary operational experience to design such a specialist pig.
In 1979 McAlpine Kershaw was established for the specific purpose of designing and producing specialist pigs to
cope with unusual circumstances. Our initial thoughts were to produce a range of various specialist pigs, but we
quickly learnt that it was better to wait for a pipeline operator to approach us with a specific problem and then to
design a pig to solve the problem.
During the 11 years of our existence, we have designed and developed many specialist pigs to solve specific
problems which are described in this paper.

Specialist pigs
Multi-diameter pig
This was the first development project which we undertook on behalf of a Middle-Eastern client who required to
clean a water-injection ring main having diameters of pipe ranging from 20in to 26in. At the time this project was
undertaken, there were no other suitable multi-diameter pigs on the market, but it is fair to say that since that time
SUN Engineering has introduced a full range of multi-diameter pigs for most applications. Our own multidiameter pig is based on a different principle of construction to that of SUN, in that we utilize over-size butterfly
discs which are protected by overlapping thin spring-steel plates. These plates protect the urethane butterfly discs
from abrasion, assist with the cleaning operation and give added support to the pig whilst it is in the pipeline. As
multi-diameter pipelines in the oil, gas and petrochemical industry are few and far between, our involvement with
multi-diameter pigs has been limited.

Pressure by-pass pig

One of the most notable new pig designs to emerge in recent years has been the pressure by-pass pig produced by
ourselves. It was specifically developed for pre on-line inspection pigging operations, and is used for both proving
and cleaning. The front of the pig is fitted with what is effectively a pressure-relief valve having a diameter of
around 40% of the internal bore of the pipeline, the valve being pre-set to open at a chosen differential pressure.
If, during a proving or cleaning run, the pig builds up a large accumulation of debris ahead of it, the differential
pressure across the pig will automatically rise as the pig begins to work harder. If a conventional cleaning pig was
being used, the accumulation of debris ahead of it might well increase until the pig became stuck or substantially
damaged.
This cannot happen with a pressure by-pass pig, since once the pre-set differential pressure is reached, the by-pass
valve opens thereby allowing a substantial volume of fluid or gas to flow through the pig body. This results in the
debris being jetted or blown away from the front of the pig, after which time the differential required to run the
pig will drop, the by-pass valve will close, and the pig will move on. This sequence may take place many
hundreds of times during a run in a particularly dirty pipeline before the pig reaches the receiver.
Also, the by-pass pig cannot ever block the pipeline in the unlikely event that it becomes totally stuck, since the
by-pass facility allows continuous by-pass of product. To date we have designed and supplied many by-pass pigs
ranging from 6-in to 42-in diameter.

Copyright 2001 Scientific Surveys Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pigging multi-diameter lines and other specialist techniques

Magnetic cleaning pig

Whilst the presence of ferrous debris, such as welding rods and the like, does not generally present a major
problem in an operational pipeline it is essential that such debris is removed if on-line inspection is to take place.
Most major pig manufacturers offer magnetic-cleaning pigs which are generally standard swabbing pigs with
permanent magnets attached. Under normal circumstances, such pigs are adequate and will generally remove the
debris during three or four runs through the pipeline. However, if the presence of ferrous debris is particularly
high, then a more aggressive approach is required, so that the debris can be removed more efficiently and
therefore more quickly. We are aware of one Middle East pipeline which was so heavily contaminated with
ferrous debris that the pipeline operator carried out a total of 43 separate pigging runs using a standard magneticcleaning pig before all debris was finally removed from the pipeline.Following an investigation into the various
types of magnet available, our first improvement has been to mount and orientate the magnets for maximum
efficiency and performance. The second major improvement is the addition of magnetic brushes which closely
resemble the brushes of an on-line inspection pig (working on the magnetic flux leakage principle). The
advantage of using magnetic brushes is that they can be arranged in close proximity to, or even touching, the
inside wall of the pipe, due to their ability to flex when traversing bends or other restrictions. Permanent magnets,
on the other hand, have to be at least 3in away from the pipe wall to avoid the pig fouling or becoming stuck in a
bend. We have also found that for optimum magnetic cleaning it is better to run two separate pigs coupled
together using a universal joint, with the front section carrying the magnetic brushes and the rear section carrying
permanent magnets. In some situations, we will add a third unit if circumstances demand it.
It is recommended that pipeline operators carry out a magnetic cleaning programme well in advance of any form
of on-line inspection operations, as it is never known how much magnetic debris is present in a particular pipeline
until magnetic cleaning operations have commenced. If, for instance, it is planned to carry out on-line inspection
in perhaps two or three years time, then it would not be too soon to commence magnetic cleaning immediately,
since once the line has been successfully cleaned, further contamination is not likely to take place as ferrous
debris is generally the result of construction operations.
The magnetic-cleaning pigs which we have developed are generally hired to a pipeline operator on the basis that
once the ferrous cleaning operation is completed he has little or no use for the pigs thereafter. Additionally, we
supply magnetic cleaning kits, which are simply bolted around the body of an existing swabbing pig.

Pin-wheel pig
This pig has been specifically designed and developed for the removal of hard wax and scale adhering to the
inside wall of the pipe. Although this wax or scale is usually at its worst in the 4 to 8 o'clock position, the pinwheel pig, through its cleaning discs, will give a 360 circumferential cleaning action.
Each disc, which is up to 2in thick, is manufactured from heavy-duty polyurethane, having an outside diameter in
the order of 4in less than the inside diameter of the pipeline. Protruding radially from the circumferential edge of
each disc are a number of steel fingers which are screwed into threaded housings anchored into the disc. The
length of the fingers is such that the diameter across any two opposite fingers is greater than the inside diameter of
the pipeline by up to 1in, depending on line size. This means that when the disc is travelling through the pipeline
the fingers are bent back at a slight angle which both assists in the cleaning action and also compensates for wear.
The fingers have hardened inserts to reduce wear to a minimum.
Two or more discs are attached to a purpose-built steel body using appropriate retaining bolts with the pig being
either self-propelled through the pipeline (by the fitting of cups or discs) or alternatively towed behind a
conventional swabbing pig. The method of propulsion adopted will, of course, depend upon the circumstances. It
is normal to use four cleaning discs per pig body with each disc being arranged to ensure that the cleaning fingers
on each disc are suitably offset. As the fingers are some 2in apart, this offset ensuring that the total surface area of
the pipeline is cleaned. The use of removable fingers enables many options for wax and scale removal and
cleaning to be adopted.

Copyright 2001 Scientific Surveys Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pipeline Pigging and Integrity Monitoring Conference: Houston, 1990

Also, different types of finger shapes can be utilized to ensure the efficiency of the operation, and on completion
of each run, any worn or damaged fingers can be simply replaced with new ones. Additionally, by increasing the
hardness of the polyurethane disc and the length of the cleaning fingers, increased aggressiveness is achieved.
We always recommend a progressive approach when cleaning a pipeline, in order to reduce the risk of a blockage
which can occur when too much material is removed from the pipe wall. It is preferred that during the initial
pigging runs less than the entire internal surface of the pipe will be cleaned, as it is better to remove wax or scale
from the pipe wall progressively during a number of pigging runs rather than trying to remove it all during one
run. The design of the pin-wheel pig is such that little of the wax or scale removed from the pipe wall will actually
be pushed forward by the pig itself; it will be left behind in the line. For actual removal of this loosened scale
from the pipeline, we use the pressure by-pass pig. Therefore, following each cleaning run using a pin-wheel pig,
the next run would be a pressure by-pass pig to remove the wax and scale from the pipeline.

Brush pig
This pig was developed for a client operating 8-in aviation spirit pipelines, where cleanliness is extremely
important. The pipelines were being cleaned using standard articulated pigs carrying steel wire brushes which
were relatively successful in removing larger dirt particles. However, attempts to improve the cleaning action by
using stiffer brushes merely removed the protection of the corrosion inhibitor from the pipe wall, which was
unacceptable. We designed and produced a unique brush pig using nylon brushes impregnated with carborundum
grit. During trials, it was found that the brush pig was extremely efficient in removing very fine debris from the
pipeline, thereby considerably increasing the times between filter changes at the airfield due to the increased
cleanliness of the product.
Due to superior cleaning ability, far in excess of a conventional cleaning pig, we now use the brush pig in our
service operations for clients requiring as clean a pipeline as it is possible to achieve. However, due to the
efficiency, we generally adopt a progressive cleaning approach, starting off with conventional cleaning pigs and
only using the brush pig for final cleaning once the majority of debris has been removed from the pipeline. For
sizes of 16in and above, a slightly-different design has been adopted, which enables us to produce pigs up to and
including 48in diameter.

Shunting pig
This pig is basically a three-section articulated pig which has been specifically developed for the removal of stuck
or lost pigs from pipelines. Our experience has taught us that if a pig does become stuck or lost in the pipeline,
there is little point in running a second pig of similar or identical design, since this pig is likely to succumb to the
same problem as the first pig and also become stuck or lost. What generally happens to a pig which is required to
push a stuck or lost pig (usually in pieces) is that the additional effort to remove the debris causes the second pig
to become damaged itself. Using a three-section articulated pig, we recognize that the first section will become
damaged to a considerable extent as it pushes the debris ahead of it, but drive will be maintained because of the
second and third sections which never come into contact with the debris being pushed out. Additionally, the
shunting pig is deliberately made to be extremely heavy, to give increased momentum, since light-weight pigs are
of little or no use in removing stuck or lost pigs from pipelines. Much attention is paid to the design of a shunting
pig, such that there is no metal-to-metal contact between the shunting pig and the debris being pushed out; this is
achieved by fitting a hard polyurethane bumper ahead of both the pig body and front cup. The shunting pig is also
equipped with permanent magnets for tracking purposes, together with a battery-operated electro-magnetic device
for positive location when stationary.
A further use for the shunting pig is in pipelines which are particularly hostile to pigs, thereby requiring a much
stronger construction of pig. Also, the extended length and increased number of cups substantially improves its
performance in difficult conditions.

Copyright 2001 Scientific Surveys Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pigging multi-diameter lines and other specialist techniques

Easy-loading pig
This pig has been developed by our sister company ITAC specifically for offshore use during the final tie-in
between a subsea pipeline and the platform riser. Prior to the tie-in being carried out, the pipeline itself will have
been successfully pigged and gauged, as will have the riser. Once the two are tied-in, it is generally necessary to
run a final gauging pig so that the tie-in spool will also have been gauged. As it is virtually impossible to backload a cupped or bi-directional gauging pig into the open end of a subsea pipeline prior to tying-in, it is usually
necessary to run a gauging pig from the very start of the pipeline through to the platform to gauge the tie-in spool.
This is costly and time-consuming, since the only relevant piece of pipe which needs to be gauged is the short tiein spool between the pipeline and riser.
The easy-loading pig is effectively a bi-directional pig using split discs which initially are undersized to the
pipeline bore. This allows it to be easily inserted by a diver into the open end of the pipeline prior to the tie-in
operations. Once inserted, the discs are increased in size to form a tight seal with the pipe wall by activating a
spring mechanism within the pig body. Following tie-in operations, the easy-loading pig is then run through the
tie-in spoolpiece, up the riser and into the pig trap on the platform. This obviously saves tremendous time and
money, especially so where the pipeline is of considerable length.

Summary
The art of pigging a pipeline is not an exact science, especially in respect of pipelines which do not conform to
normal parameters. It is hoped that this paper will give pipeline operators food for thought, and let them know that
help can be on hand in situations where conventional pigs are not appropriate. It is fair to say that nothing is
impossible, providing time, effort, expertise and money are available to solve the problem.

Copyright 2001 Scientific Surveys Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pipeline Pigging and Integrity Monitoring Conference: Houston, 1990

Copyright 2001 Scientific Surveys Ltd. All rights reserved.