SAEP-388

Previous Issue: New Next Planned Update: 4 November 2018

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Primary contacts: Al-Musalami, Faiz Hijji on +966-13-8809569 and

Al-Abdulmohsin, Nader Mohammed on +966-13-8809551

CopyrightSaudi Aramco 2013. All rights reserved.

Engineering Procedure SAEP-388 4 November 2013

Cleaning of Pipelines

Document Responsibility: Materials and Corrosion Control Standards Committee

Saudi Aramco DeskTop Standards Table of Contents 1 Purpose.......................................................... 2

2 Scope... 2

3 References.. 2

4 Responsibilities 3

5 Techniques for Cleaning Pipelines.. 6

6 Surfactant Cleaning Procedure.... 8

7 Sampling and Acceptance Criteria.... 19

8 Evaluating Chemical Cleaning Performance.... 20

9 Wastewater Disposal... 20 APPENDIX I - Safety Requirements.. 21

APPENDIX II - Preparatory Work... 22

APPENDIX III - Nitrogen Amount Calculation.. 23

APPENDIX IV - Cleaning of Pipelines Containing Valves....... 24

Document Responsibility: Materials and Corrosion Control Standards Committee SAEP-388

Issue Date: 4 November 2013

Next Planned Update: 4 November 2018 Cleaning of Pipelines

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1 Purpose

It is necessary to clean pipelines for their efficient operations, corrosion control,

minimizing black powder formation and reaching the desired pipelines cleanliness

levels. This specification does not override the pipeline manufacturer's cleaning

recommendations especially where warranty rights are involved. Differences shall be

questioned and resolved by the proponent. It is necessary to clean pipelines to meet the

minimum acceptance criteria stated in SAES-L-388.

Cleaning contractors are chosen from the CSD-approved list to perform the cleaning

operations. A cleanliness criterion has been established as a minimum standard for

evaluating the performance of a chemical cleaning run. Cleaning is accomplished by

(not necessarily in the sequence listed below):

Mechanical cleaning (scraping)

Chemical cleaning

Combination of listed above methods

2 Scope

This procedure defines the responsibilities of various departments involved in the pre

commission and operational cleaning of pipelines. It outlines methods to determine the

need for cleaning and the criteria for selecting specific cleaning procedure, and steps

involved in various cleaning procedure alternatives. Advice is available from

Consulting Services Department (CSD) and Pipelines Department (PD) to review

contractors detailed procedures for cleaning specific pipelines.

The procedures listed herein are applicable to clean undesirable deposits in pipelines.

For evaluation and recommendation of alternative cleaning procedures not listed herein,

contact CSD.

For cleaning pipelines containing valves, contact CSD, see Appendix IV.

3 References

The requirements contained in the following documents apply to the extent specified in

this procedure.

Saudi Aramco References

Saudi Aramco Engineering Procedures

SAEP-302 Instructions for Obtaining a Waiver of a Mandatory

Saudi Aramco Engineering Requirement




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SAEP-327 Disposal of Wastewater from Cleaning, Flushing

and Dewatering Pipelines and Vessels

SAEP-1662 Cleaning of Heat Exchangers and Unfired Plant

Equipment

Saudi Aramco Engineering Standards

SAES-A-007 Hydrostatic Testing Fluids and Lay-Up Procedures

SAES-A-104 Wastewater Treatment, Reuse and Disposal

SAES-B-069 Emergency Eyewashes and Showers

SAES-L-388 Pipelines Cleanliness Requirements for

Hydrocarbon Services

Saudi Aramco Best Practice

SABP-L-012 Guidelines for On-Stream Scraping of Pipelines

Saudi Aramco General Instructions

GI-0002.100 Work Permit System

GI-0006.012 Isolation Lock Out and Use of Hold Tag

Saudi Aramco Construction Safety Manual

Chemical Hazard Bulletin (CHB) # 155

Saudi Aramco Hazardous Waste Code (SAHWC)

4 Responsibilities

4.1 The Project Construction Agency is responsible for the overall cleaning activities

of new pipelines.

4.2 Pipelines Department is responsible for cleaning existing pipelines.

Note: Job Safety Analysis (JSA) shall be performed by the proponent before starting the cleaning activities of a pipeline.

For existing pipelines,

4.3 Pipelines Department/Maintenance

Prepare the pipeline mechanically

Provide maintenance support during the cleaning operation

Coordinate cleaning and obtains approved contractor services.




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4.4 Pipelines Department/Operations Engineering

Prepare necessary operation procedures, advises the foreman of the facility

during the cleaning of pipelines.

Act as a technical representative during pipelines cleaning.

Ensure adequate safety procedures and precautions are taken. Notifies Loss

Prevention Department to review safety before and during cleaning of

pipelines as needed.

Coordinate and obtain the approval of new cleaning chemicals or techniques

from CSD.

Request the presence of specialist personnel from PD and/or CSD as needed.

4.5 Pipelines/Inspection

Has the responsibility for inspection before and after cleaning.

Is responsible to get and keep the cleaning activities records from the

cleaning contractor

Maintains history of pipelines cleaning and incorporates relevant reports and

data into permanent pipelines records

4.6 Loss Prevention Department

Audit cleaning operations and permits

Advise on field safety precautions on request.

4.7 Research and Development Center (R&DC)

Evaluate new cleaning chemicals

Provide specialist/consultant advice and testing on request

4.8 Regional Laboratories

Perform cleanliness criteria test (solid loading), chemical analysis, and

analyses during actual cleaning operations on request.

Verify chemicals used for chemical cleaning on request.

4.9 Consulting Services Department

Maintain and qualify the cleaning chemicals and contractors.

Review and approve the cleaning procedures and subsequent changes

mandated by the field conditions.

Provide specialist/consultant advice on request.




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Witness the cleaning operation on request.

4.10 Cleaning Contractor

The cleaning contractor is selected from the CSD- approved list of pipelines

cleaning.

Contractor has the overall responsibility for the planning and execution of

the chemical cleaning operations.

Contractors responsibilities shall be stated in the contract. Usually, this include, but not limited to, submittal of procedures and documents, supply of

chemicals, inhibitors, auxiliary pumping, heating equipment, on line

monitoring and control of corrosion rates; disposal of all waste water and

chemical solutions and cleaning pipelines to meet, at least, the acceptance

criteria outlined in SAES-L-388.

Provide the required experienced manpower that includes, but not limited to,

Project Manager

Project Supervisor

QA/QC Inspector

Safety Coordinator

Work Permit Receiver

Certified chemist

Cleaning crew

4.11 Design Review Requirements for Pipelines Projects and Major Pipelines Upgrade

Design Basis Scoping Paper (DBSP) and Project Proposal

The DBSP and Project Proposal packages submitted to CSD for review shall

specifically state the need for mechanical/chemical cleaning.

Detailed Design

The detailed design packages shall provide a cleaning document to be used as a

basis during the construction phase of the project for preparation of detailed

cleaning procedures. The cleaning document submitted to CSD for review shall

include:

Scope of work

Proposed cleaning technique(s)

Cleanliness acceptance criteria

Equipment lay-out diagram of the cleaning circuit for the line segments




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Marked-up P&IDs for the line segments

Drying and lay-up requirements

5 Techniques for Cleaning Pipelines

Pipelines are either pre-commission cleaned to remove mill scale, construction debris

and any form of solids, or post-commission cleaned to remove deposits which

accumulate while the line is in service.

Pre-commission cleaning is usually carried out on pipelines. Care during design,

manufacture, fabrication, storage and installation of pipes can minimize these problems.

Good storage facilities with end caps on the constructed pipelines, the internal grinding

of welds where possible and ensuring that weld rods, stones and gloves, etc., are kept

out of the line are practices which should-be implemented.

Newly constructed pipelines are to be turned over to the proponent in a clean condition.

To accomplish this clean condition, these pipelines are typically

chemically/mechanically cleaned to remove construction debris and any form of solids.

Existing pipelines in sales gas service are also chemically/mechanically cleaned to

remove black powder that poses multiple operational problems such as delays in inline

inspection (ILI) runs, erosion corrosion of control valves, plugged filters, and

contamination of customer hydrocarbon supply.

Pipelines are cleaned by scraping and/or chemical cleaning.

5.1 Mechanical Cleaning (Scraping)

Scraping is a mechanical cleaning method for pipelines cleaning. Scrapers are

generally made of polyurethane foam and shaped like oversized bullets.

They are inserted into a pipeline by a specially designed launcher which is

connected to a high pressure medium to propel the scrapers. The polyurethane

material used for the scrapers is sufficiently flexible that it will negotiate bends

in the line. Since scrapers have been known to get stuck in lines the contractor

should be questioned as to how blocked scrapers will be located. At the outlet, a

scraper receiver is employed to recover the emerging scrapers and debris.

Depending on the deposit present, scraper design can be hard rubber, silicon

carbide, hardened steel wire, or gel. Sometimes balls with scraper chains are

used. A series of scrapers, in larger sizes, is run through the line until all the

fouling is removed.

Scraping is manpower intensive and requires much field supervision. In many

cases, lines not originally designed for scraping cannot be cleaned by this

method. Scrapers usually contain spring-loaded metal blades which are centered




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in the pipeline and pulled by cable or propelled by hydraulic pressure.

To clean existing pipelines in service, refer to SABP-L-012 Guidelines for On-Stream Scraping of Pipelines.

For cleaning newly constructed pipelines and existing off stream pipelines, refer

to SABP-L-012 Guidelines for On-Stream Scraping of Pipelines. The scrapers will be propelled by Nitrogen, dry gas or dry hydrocarbon medium using the

cleaning contractor equipment.

Note: brushes in all supplied scrapers are recommended to be made of brass

material to eliminate sparks due to friction between the scrapers brushes and the

pipe inner wall.

5.2 Chemical Cleaning

The chemical cleaning operation is typically done while the pipeline is in service

or out of service and will be specified by Pipelines Department. The chemical

cleaning methods typically fall under two methods: 1) use of chemicals with

diesel or 2) use of chemicals with gel. Water is not to be used as a mixing

medium when surfactants are used. The chemical cleaning train that contains

the chemicals compartment is typically propelled with dry air or nitrogen.

If air is used to propel the chemical cleaning train, a nitrogen buffer zone

between the chemical train and air is to be utilized. This nitrogen buffer zone

shall be placed immediately upstream and downstream of the chemical cleaning

train. The nitrogen length on each side shall be no less than 10% of the total

length of the pipeline section being chemically cleaned to ensure that diesel and

air do not mix.

Deposits normally include black powder, rust, scale, grease, weld spatter, stones,

etc. Scales and grease are chemically soluble but beads of weld metal are not,

although it is possible for a chemical cleaning operation to loosen these by

undercutting. In this state, they may become detached while the line is in service.

In practice, chemical cleaning should be used to remove soluble scale and grease

but should be followed by multiple scrapers. The line should also be dried as

specified under SAES-A-007 to prevent subsequent corrosion immediately after

cleaning. In the case of pipelines, these shall be filled with nitrogen, dry gas or

dry crude as soon as possible after cleaning. Due to the network length of

piping involved, communication between members of the cleaning crew can be

difficult, and shall be addressed prior to start of the job. Lines containing iron

sulfide will release H2S gas when contacted with acid and suitable precautions

have to be taken as per Chemical Hazard Bulletin (CHB) # 155.




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Cleaning Chemicals

There are mainly two chemical categories used for pipelines cleaning:

1. Acids

For detailed chemical cleaning procedure using acids, refer to

SAEP-1662 Cleaning of Heat Exchangers and Unfired Plant Equipment.

2. Surfactants

Surfactants chemicals are non-corrosive compounds that lower the

surface tension of a liquid, the interfacial tension between two liquids,

or that between a liquid and a solid. Surfactants may act as detergents,

wetting agents, emulsifiers, foaming agents, and dispersants.

For the approved list of surfactants, or approval of new ones, refer to CSD.

6 Surfactant Cleaning Procedure

For newly constructed pipelines, contractors, Pipelines Department and/or Saudi

Aramco Project Management Team (SAPMT) shall submit their respective procedures

covering their area of responsibilities during the chemical cleaning operations.

The procedure shall include the work activities and responsibilities before, during, and

after the chemical cleaning operations.

The contractor, their submitted procedure shall include the following:

Safety requirements (Appendix I)

Responsibilities

Site Access and work permit

Preparatory work (Appendix II)

Equipment layout

Chemical cleaning schedule

Detailed chemical cleaning procedures

The chemical cleaning procedure shall include the valve arrangements before, during, and

after each chemical cleaning run. It shall also include the detailed chemical train

launching procedure, the monitoring and tracking of the chemical train, and the receiving

procedure. The procedure shall also include the data monitoring such as upstream and

downstream pressure of the chemical train, its velocity, and any other important data.




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Equipment Layout:

VALVE DESCRIPTION:

VALVE DESCRIPTION

MIV Main Isolation Valve

A Chemical/Diesel Injection Valve

B N2/Air Main Injection Valve

C N2/Air Branch Injection Valve

D N2/Air Branch Injection Valve

V1 Launcher Vent

V2 Launcher Vent




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Detailed Surfactant Cleaning Procedure

Before performing surfactant cleaning, rigorous mechanical scarping operation shall be

performed to remove as much solids as possible from the pipeline.

Surfactant cleaning of the pipeline shall be executed to ensure the removal of any sand,

corrosion products such as iron carbonate, iron oxides and iron sulfide, metallic iron, weld

spatter, salt and scale generated during the dewatering and swabbing.

Specific chemical cleaning train should be designed for the entire pipeline in the scope of

the procedure. The segment of pipeline from permanent launcher to permanent receiver

trap is to be chemically cleaned by two (2) cleaning train/runs with additional optional runs

if required. Refer to Figure 1 Chemical Cleaning Train for its configuration.

Pre-requisites:

Prior to start the surfactant cleaning train run, an initial back pressure of minimum 40 psig

shall be ensured in order to perform the run in controlled manner and within the required

velocity.

The medium to build up the back pressure and to propel the chemical cleaning train shall be

with nitrogen and dry air having a minimum dew point -1C. Record log of the dry air dew

point shall be maintained during the back pressure build up and the train run. Dew point

reading shall be taken as the dry air entering into the pipeline every 4 hours.

A slug of nitrogen will be injected upstream and downstream of the cleaning train to create

a buffer zone between the dry air and the cleaning train.

Please refer to Table 1 Chemical Train Composition and Run Duration for its volume. The specified gallons of nitrogen provided in Table 1 is equivalent to at least 20% of the

pipeline length that will be cleaned (10% before that cleaning train and 10% after the

cleaning train).

Whenever the surfactant cleaning is completed as per the approved chemical cleaning

procedure, then the pipeline as required shall be purged and pressurized to a minimum

pressure of 30 psig (Nitrogen) in preparation to the introduction of the transported media.

The planned cleaning run for the pipeline segment along with the expected amount of

chemicals and diluents are to be shown in Table 1.




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Table 1 - Cleaning Train Composition and Run Duration

Pipeline

From To

1st

and 2nd

Surfactant Cleaning Runs**

Dry Air

First Scraper High Density Foam

N/A

1st

Batch of Nitrogen

N2 Gallons XXX

Second Scraper High Density Foam

N/A

1st

Batch Detergent Gallons XXX

Diesel Gallons XXX

Third Scraper Conical Scraper Brush

2nd

Batch Detergent Gallons XXX

Diesel Gallons XXX

Fourth Scraper Scraper Brush

2nd

Batch of Nitrogen

N2 Gallons Chemical

Fifth Scraper High Density Foam

N/A

Dry Air

*Estimated run duration Hrs. XXX

* Estimated travel time is based on dry air velocity of 1.0 kilometer per hour. Velocity, volumes of chemicals and diluents and type of chemicals may be adjusted depending on the gathered results from the previous runs.

** Optional Run Only When Required.

Vacuum Truck will be used on a regular interval to empty the tanks and dispose

it to an approved waste disposal site/company.

Note: Refer to Appendix III for nitrogen amount calculation.




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Figure 1 - Surfactant Cleaning Train

Surfactant cleaning will be performed as per the sequence described as follows:

Steps Description

1 Rig up equipment for both Launcher and Receiver

2 Deploy hoses supply line for connection

3 Pressurize hose against closed valve for 5 minutes to confirm connection leak test

4

Nitrogen purity entering the pipeline should be checked by the contractor using a hand held Nitrogen analyzer and as

per approved pureness of 95% minimum.

Volume and sequence will be as per Table 1 Pipeline Chemical Train Composition and Run Duration

5

Prepared the chemical required quantity base on Contractor concentration of diluents slug. Volume and sequence

will be as per Table 1 Pipeline Chemical Train Composition and Run Duration. Collect one set of sample per batch as per Section 7.

6 As per pre-requisite, verify and confirm that the line is pack to a minimum 40 psig of nitrogen.

Re-packed when necessary.

7

1st Batch of Nitrogen:




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Steps Description

VALVE START-UP POSITION:

VALVE STATUS DESCRIPTION

MIV CLOSED Main Isolation Valve

A CLOSED Chemical/Diesel Injection Valve

B CLOSED N2/ Air Main Injection Valve

C CLOSED N2/Air Branch Injection Valve

D CLOSED N2/Air Branch Injection Valve

V1 CLOSED Launcher Vent


Launch 1st Scraper and Inject Nitrogen

De-pressurize Launcher Trap by opening V1 and V2 vent valve.

Check scraper tracking device prior to insertion.

Open Trap Door and insert Scraper (High Density Foam No Brush) up to launcher reducer. Close Launcher Trap Door.

Crack Open Valve C to purge upstream of the scraper through V1

Once purged, Closed V1 and inject max 3 psi of nitrogen to have a positive pressure upstream of the scraper. Closed Valve C.

Crack Open Valve D to purge downstream of the scraper through V2.

Once purged, close Valves V2 and D.

Pressurize trap to equal line pressure by opening Valve C.

Open main isolation valve (MIV) and Launch scraper by nitrogen.

Continue pumping nitrogen till the required amount has been injected.

Close C and MIV valve.

Launch 2nd

Scraper:


Open Trap Door and insert 2d Scraper (High Density Foam No Brush) up to launcher reducer. Close Launcher Trap Door.

Crack Open Valve C to purge upstream of the scraper through V1.





Open MIV valve and Launch 2d scraper by nitrogen.

After the scraper passes the MIV valve and injection point (Valve A), immediately close C and MIV valve.

VALVE ENDING POSITION




B OPENED N2/ Air Main Injection Valve








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Steps Description

8

Cleaning Train

Diesel and Surfactant Injection I Scraper Loading and Launching Sequence.

FIRST BATCH CHEMICAL










Insert 3rd

Scraper


Open Trap Door and insert 3rd Scraper (Conical with Brush) up to launcher reducer. Close Launcher Trap Door.


Once purged, Closed VI and inject max 3 psi of nitrogen to have a positive pressure upstream of the scraper. Closed Valve C.



Inject 1st Batch of Chemical and Diesel

Open Valve A and inject the required amount of surfactant followed by the required amount of diesel. Refer to Table 1 for the batch volume.

Once fully injected, close Valve A.




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Steps Description

Launched 3rd

Scraper


Open MIV valve and Launch 3rd scraper by nitrogen.

After the scraper passes the MIV valve and injection point (Valve A), immediately close C and MIV valve.










9

SECOND BATCH













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Steps Description

Insert 4th

Scraper


Open Trap Door and insert 4th Scraper (With Brush) up to launcher reducer. Close Launcher Trap Door.





Inject 2nd

Batch of Chemical and Diesel

Open Valve A and inject the required amount of surfactant followed by the required amount of diesel. Refer to Table 1 for the batch volume.

Once fully injected, close Valve A.

Launched 4th

Scraper and Inject 2nd

Batch of Nitrogen


Open MIV valve and Launch 4th scraper by nitrogen.

Continue pumping nitrogen required volume has been injected.

Close C and MIV valve.













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Steps Description

10

5th

Scraper

VALVE START-UP POSITION









Insert 5th Scraper


Check scraper tracking device prior to insertion.

Open Trap Door and insert Scraper (High Density Foam No Brush) up to launcher reducer. Close Launcher Trap Door.






When pressure is equalized, close Valve C.

Close Valve Band disconnect NGU and connect the air dryer's outlet hoses to the manifold.




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Steps Description

Launch 5th

Scraper

Open Valve B, followed by Valve C.

Open the MIV valve and Launched 5th scraper by dry air.



MIV OPENED Main Isolation Valve



C OPENED N2/Air Branch Injection Valve




11 Continue pumping dry air to propel the chemical slug train until it reach to receiver trap.

12 Dew Point and line pressures are to be recorded on an hourly basis at launcher and receiver stations as well as the

scraper movements.

13

With a positive back pressure monitored, station contractor crew leader shall control Valve E and/or Valve F and

release pressure in a controlled manner, maintaining a balance between dry air injection and release for

smooth/intact surfactant train movement having an average of 1 to 1.5 km/hr speed.

14

All liquid/solid slurry shall be received in temporary tanks.

Note: Vacuum Truck will be used on a regular interval to empty the tanks and dispose it to an approved waste

disposal site/company.

15 During the arrival of the Cleaning Train into the receiver, collect liquid samples from the two compartments of the

chemical cleaning train.

16 Once all the scrapers are inside the receiver trap, close the 30 main isolation valve.

17 Ensure that the receiver is free of pressure by venting the Receiver trap from the vent provided that Saudi Aramco

representative in on location. The receiver may be opened and scrapers retrieved.

18 Stop air injection

19 Repeat steps 7 to 18 for the 2

nd run.

And 3rd

run if the result requires additional runs.

After the scrapers have been received from the final cleaning run, the remaining collected sludge or waste

materials from the fractionation tanks will be transferred and disposed via vacuum tanker to an approved waste

disposal site/company.

20 PURGING AND FINAL LAYUP Nitrogen Generating unit should be prepared and hooked-up prior to starting swabbing.

Scraper Loading and Launching Sequence:

VALVE START-UP POSITION












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Insert Foam Scraper

Perform foam scraping runs, following completion of chemical cleaning operation, to remove residual chemicals left

in the pipeline.


Open Trap Door and insert Foam Scraper (with No Brush) up to launcher reducer. Close Launcher Trap Door.

Crack Open Valve C to purge upstream of the scraper through VI.

Once purged, Closed VI and inject max 3 psi of nitrogen to have a positive pressure upstream of the scraper. Closed Valve C.




Open MIV valve and Launch Foam scraper by nitrogen.



MIV OPENED Main Isolation Valve



C OPENED N2/Air Branch Injection Valve




21 Continue pumping nitrogen to propel the swabbing train until it reach to receiver trap.

22 Dew Point and line pressures are to be recorded on an hourly basis at both launch and receiving stations.

23 With positive back pressure monitored, manipulate Valve E and/or Valve F and release pressure in a controlled

manner, maintaining a balance between nitrogen injection and dry air release.

24 Once the scraper is inside the receiver trap, close the main isolation valve.

25 Ensure that the receiver is free of pressure by venting the Receiver trap from the vent, and provided that a company

representative is on location. The receiver may be opened and scrapers retrieved.

26 Stop nitrogen injection.

27

Nitrogen Purging and Final Lay-up (as Per SAES-A-007 Section 5.2.3.6)

Continue purging the line with nitrogen, once the required dew point (-1C or lower) and N2 purity are reached at

the discharge vent, the vent will be closed and packing of the pipeline to 30 psig will commence.

28 When the line is at the required pack pressure, the N2 purity will be confirmed at the discharge valve and at all

required valves along the length of the pipeline.

29 Stop nitrogen injection.

7 Sampling and Acceptance Criteria

Sampling of cleaning batch (before injection) will be taken at the launching (from

tanks) and receiving locations (from scraper trap) in order to monitor the surfactant

cleaning run.

7.1 Clean containers will be used to collect the samples and they shall be clearly

identified with the following information:

o Pipeline Name, Date, Location (KM), and Batch Number




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o Samples will be sent to a laboratory for their solid in suspension counting (% in Volume).

o Pipeline will be considered clean enough if it meets the cleanliness criteria stated in SAES-L-388.

7.2 Sampling at the Receiver

1. Control the surfactant discharging flow rate by throttling the discharge valve.

2. A clean container should be placed under the sample valve.

3. Open the sampling valve and flush at least 500 ml of fluid through the

valve. Do not close the valve after flushing.

4. Place the sample bottle under the valve and collect fluid. Do not touch the

valve whilst taking the sample as this could cause particles to loosen and be

released from the valve.

5. Withdraw the sample bottle leaving the valve open. Rinse the inner surface

to the bottle with fluid and discard the fluid. Repeat Steps 4 and 5 for all

the bottles to be used.

6. Repeat the above without closing the valve and collect two (2) liquid

samples per chemical compartment.

7. One sample of fluid will be analyzed by the cleaning contractor to obtain

solids contain per volume. Second sample shall be given to Saudi Aramco

Operations Representative for any future required confirmation of results.

8 Evaluating Chemical Cleaning Performance

Refer to SAES-L-388.

9 Wastewater Disposal

Disposal of all wastewater, and spent cleaning chemicals shall be in accordance with

SAEP-327, SAES-A-104 and Saudi Aramco Hazardous Waste Code (SAHWC).

The disposal of effluents outside Saudi Aramco facilities shall be sent to an approved

wastewater disposal facility provided by the Environmental Protection Department,

Dhahran. For the disposal of effluents outside Saudi Aramco facilities, the chemical

cleaning contractor shall submit a waste disposal manifest to Saudi Aramco Project

Construction Agency in case of new pipelines or Pipelines Department for existing

pipelines.

Revision Summary

4 November 2013 New Saudi Aramco Engineering Procedure.




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APPENDIX I - Safety Requirements

All personnel shall be aware of emergency procedures and will attend contractor

safety/site introduction meetings on a daily basis before the start of any work or as

required to ensure that everyone understands his responsibility and what to do in case of

emergency.

First aid and fire protection equipment shall be kept on the site (launcher and receiver)

Minimum of 2 dry powder fire extinguishers (30 lb) shall be available on both sites.

All involved personnel on site shall wear proper protective equipment (PPE).

This includes fire resistance coveralls, Neoprene, PVC or NBR gloves or nitrile rubber,

Safety Glasses and Steel Toed Shoes/chemical resistant boot.

Prior to commencing chemical cleaning operations, warning signs indicating Cleaning is On-going shall be posted at launcher and receiving ends and along the pipeline section corridor particularly at road crossings. Barriers shall indicate the limits of a

pipeline leaning area. Warning signs, in English and Arabic, shall be placed in

permanent locations.

Use of mobile phones and smoking within the scraper trap areas are prohibited.

Any leaks and repairs identified shall only be corrected when the system under test has

been depressurized to zero.

Provide an effective eye wash station and emergency shower per SAES-B-069 on both

launching and receiving station.

If chemicals are needed, chemical Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) should be

attached with the chemical containers and fully understand by all personnel handling it.

Disposal of cleaning waste shall be as per SAEP-327.

Job Safety Analysis (JSA) shall be performed by the proponent before starting the

cleaning activities of pipelines. For more chemical cleaning safety information, refer to

SAEP-1662.




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APPENDIX II - Preparatory Work

For new pipelines cleaning, SAPMT to identify the overall responsible scraping and

cleaning activity coordinator. This coordinator shall ensure that all steps in this

procedure are followed. He should also ensure all safety measures are implemented.

The implementation of this procedure shall be under the direction and supervision of the

operation site coordinator. During the entire cleaning operations, Project inspection

shall be present at all times on site to ensure the monitoring of the chemical cleaning

operations and that it is going according to plan. Constant communications by

personnel on site on the conditions of the chemical cleaning operations shall be done.

For existing pipelines cleaning, the above mentioned responsibilities will be under

Pipelines Department.

The work shall be carried out in accordance with company Standards and General

Instructions. These will include, but not limited to the following:

GI-0002.100 - Work Permit System

GI-0006.012 - Isolation Lock Out and Use of Hold Tag

Check to ensure that all scraper traps' isolation valves and all pertinent branch valves

are not passing. If valves are passing, perform the necessary maintenance to stop the

passing valves.




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APPENDIX III - Nitrogen Amount Calculation

NITROGEN GAS CALCULATIONS

V1 = volume of liquid nitrogen (Gallons)

T2 = Final Nitrogen gas Temperature (Kelvin)

P2= Final Nitrogen gas pressure (atm.)

Vg= final volume of Nitrogen gas (ft3)

Example:

The volume of liquid nitrogen you need to fill 36 pipeline with a length of 1 km at pressure of 60 psi

and temperature of 40C:

r = 18 = 0.4572 meters

l = 1000 meters

Vg = volume of pipe = 3.14 * (0.4572)2 * 1000 = 656.3 m

3 = 23,177 ft

3

P2 = 60 psi = 4.08 atm

T2 = 40C = 313 K

Then: =

=




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APPENDIX IV - Cleaning of Pipelines Containing Valves

For cleaning of pipelines containing valves, contact CSD. In general,

It is always recommended not to operate the valve in a dry condition since it can cause

damage to the seat area. In order to avoid such failure it always recommended to top up the valve prior to any cycling: This will also help to push away any foreign debris that may have become stuck in the grease from the seal face. Any abrasive

contaminants will do far less damage if well lubricated.

The compatibility of the used chemical with valve soft insert to be checked and

confirmed.

Avoid stroking the valve during the pipeline cleaning to avoid any exposure to the valve

seating area: In case the valve cavity filling is required, then a Jumper Hose Assembly

Method is recommended where jumpers hose assembly from the pipeline to the valve

body cavity through the body drain/vent valve.

At the end of the cleaning process, selected valves might be removed for visual

inspection and seat testing if required. If this is not practical then an inside-out air seat

test to be performed on line to ensure that there was no damage to the valve due to the

commissioning activities.

SAEP-388

Documents

Transcript of SAEP-388