Field Experience With By-pass Pigging to Mitigate Liquid Surge

CATEGORY: PIGGING
16th International Conference on Multiphase Production Technology, 12-14 June 2013, Cannes, France
Field Experience With By-pass Pigging to Mitigate Liquid Surge
Document TypeConference PaperAuthors
G. van Spronsen (Shell Global Solutions International B.V.)
A. Entaban (Shell Global Solutions Sdn. Bhd.)
K. Mohamad Amin (Shell Global Solutions Sdn. Bhd.)
S. Sarkar (Shell India Markets Pvt. Limited)
R.A.W.M. Henkes (Shell Global Solutions International B.V.)
ABSTRACT
By-pass pigs are similar to normal pigs, except that they have by-pass ports which allow for a certain amount of fluid flow throughput. The by-pass flow reduces the pig speed and can thereby smooth out the liquid surge. This is because the longer pig residence time makes it possible for more liquids to be produced out of the pipeline, leaving a smaller liquid volume in the pig-generated slug.
As with non-by-pass pigging, all liquids and solids present in the pipeline before pig launch will be pigged out during the pig passage and nothing will leak backward through the by-pass ports. By-pass pigging can significantly reduce the production deferment as a result of pigging, the capacity requirements for the slug catcher or separator, and the cost of wax inhibitors and risk of wax maintenance pigging. The by-pass pigging technology has been available for a number of years. However, usage of the technology is less than it should be.
Authors describe recent field experience with by-pass pigging for two field cases. Application of by-pass pigging in the gas supply pipeline system of an LNG plant in South East Asia as started in 2012 resulted in very significant production benefits, at negligible cost. Also successful was the by-pass pigging for a pipeline in China in 2012.
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