DESIGN STANDARDS FOR CROSS COUNTRY PIPE LINES

(UNLOADING LINES AND PRE COOLING LINES)

CROSS COUNTRY PIPELINES:

The pipeline originated from one place and terminated at another place with in the
country known as cross country pipeline. This terms is widely used in Oil and Gas Pipelines.
STATUTORY RULES /REGULATIONS:

LPG pipeline and its associated facilities are covered under various regulations and
require specific approval from concerned authorities. Various regulations applicable are as
follows:
i) Environmental Regulations :
 Guidelines for Environmental clearance of new projects -1981.
 The Environment (Protection) Act -1986
 Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act 1974.
 Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act 1981
 Manufacture, storage & import of Hazardous chemical Rules-1989
ii) The Factories Act. 1948.
iii) Indian Electricity Rules.
iv) The Petroleum Pipelines (Acquisition of Right of Users in Land) Act’1962.
v) National Highways Act, 1956
vi) Railways Act, 1989
vii) All other statutory approvals required for laying of the pipelines across rail, road, River.

DESIGN TEMPERATURE:
0 0
(-) 30 C to (+) 55 C.

Where ever extreme climatic conditions or security reasons warrants, suitable

alteration in design can be made with approval from statutory bodies.

DESIGN OF COMPONENTS:

1) STRAIGHT PIPE:
The least nominal wall thickness (th ) for the steel pipe , shall be as per ASME B 31.4.
Wall thickness ‘t’ for straight steel pipe under internal pressure shall be calculated by the
following equation :
Pi D
t = ----------
2S

Where
D= outside diameter of pipe.
Pi= Internal Pressure
The allowable stress value S to be used for design calculations for new pipe of
known specifications shall be established as follows:
 S = 0.72 x E x Specified minimum yield strength of pipe. Where
0.72 =Design factor based on nominal wall thickness. In setting design factor,
due consideration has been given to and allowance has been made for the under
thickness tolerance and maximum allowable depth of imperfection provided for in the
specification approved by code.
E = 1 for Seamless, ERW and SAW pipe.

2) CORROSION:

i) All underground and above ground pipes and its components shall be fully protected
against corrosion.
ii) Wall thickness allowance for corrosion is not required if pipe and component are
protected against corrosion.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT:

1) SECTIONALIZING / BLOCK VALVES

With remote shut off provision from the control room shall be provided at the boundary of
station pipeline inlet and outlet locations to isolate the station facility.

2) CHECK VALVES:

Shall be installed to provide automatic blockage of reverse flow in the piping system,
within the station wherever required

3) REMOTELY OPERATED SECTIONALIZING / MAINLINE BLOCK VALVE(S):

i) Shall be provided with blow down connection to isolate the pipeline section and
evacuate the pipeline section in case of emergency and repair.
ii) All blow down piping shall have double valve segregation. Mainline
sectionalizing/block valves shall be installed at maximum spacing of 12 kms in industrial,
commercial and residential areas.
iii) Block valves shall also be installed on the upstream and downstream of river crossings
and public water supply reservoirs.
iv)The number of flanged or threaded joints for station piping shall be to the extent
minimum.
v) No free water in LPG being pump shall be allowed as per IS 4576. Online water
analyzer may be installed at the originating pump station to detect any free water in the LPG
being pumped.

4) PIPELINE SYSTEM &COMPONENTS:

i) Piping shall be designed for handling LPG.

 ii) Piping that can be isolated and need thermal safety valves shall have minimum
2
design pressure of 24 kg/cm or maximum pressure which could be developed by transfer
equipment or any other source etc.
iii) Whichever is higher and conform to bend can be used if the system is intended to
operate less than 20% of SMYS.
iv) In case the system is designed to operate at a hoop stress of more than 20% of
specified minimum yield strength (SMYS), miter bend shall not permitted.
v) Deflection caused by misalignment in miter bend shall not be acceptable.
vi) Sleeve, coupled, and patented joints shall not be used on LPG Pipelines.

5) VALVES:

Steel valves (preferably ball valves) conforming to API 6D shall be used. Cast iron
valves shall not be used.

6) INSTRUMENT AND CONTROL SYSTEM:

i) Instrumentation and control system for the Pipeline system in totality shall meet the
requirement as per API Standard 550 "Manual on Installation of Refinery Instruments and
Control Systems.
ii)The control system to be provided in the supply & receiving stations shall be developed
based on study & analysis in entirety, keeping in view the pipeline quantity transported and its
maximum variations.
iii) Flow / Pressure Control Valve Design of control valves shall meet the
requirement of part I of API 550.

CORROSION CONTROL:

i) All above ground and buried pipelines shall be adequately protected against corrosion.
ii) Above ground pipes should be protected from atmospheric corrosion by suitable
coating or paint.
iii) Above ground sections of pipelines should be electrically isolated from the buried
pipeline sections.
iii) Buried pipes likely to be affected by external corrosion should be protected by
combination of anti-corrosion coatings and Cathodic protection.

EXTERNAL CORROSION:

1) EXTERNAL COATING FOR UNDERGROUND PIPELINE:

i) Pipelines should be designed considering the possible corrosive effects of industrial

waste, ground, parallel encroachments to high voltage overhead AC power lines and stray
DC earth currents.
ii) Anticorrosion coating shall be selected reflecting the varying ground conditions
found during soil resistivity survey carried out along the pipeline route.
iii) Coating shall be selected based on following criteria.
 Adhesive property to the metal surface to prevent under film mitigation.
  Sufficient ductility to prevent cracking.
 Strength to resist damage due to handling & soil stress.

CATHODIC PROTECTION SYSTEM:

i) In addition to protective coating, buried pipelines shall also be provided with

cathodic protection system.
ii) During construction period pipeline shall be protected by temporary sacrificial
anode based cathodic protection system
iii) Permanent Cathodic protection system shall be brought into operation as soon as
possible following pipeline construction
iv) Sacrificial Anode or impressed current cathodic protection system shall be
installed to mitigate the corrosion in the pipelines. The system shall have facilities for
measuring the degree of cathodic protection achieved.
v) It shall be ensured that continuous power supply is maintained in cathodic
protection system.
vi) Cathodic protection shall be such that it does not damage the protective coating, pipe
or components.
vii) Sufficient test leads points (TLPs) shall be installed on pipeline for taking electrical
measurements to indicate adequacy of the CP system.

ELECTRIC INTERFERENCE:

i) The anode beds shall be located so that minimum adverse effect is caused to the
existing underground metallic structures.
ii)The pipeline shall be protected against stray DC or AC current induced corrosion by
providing metallic bonds, increased cathodic protection,
iii) Supplemental protective coatings, insulating flanges or galvanic anodes.
MATERIALS AND SPECIFICATIONS:

i) The flange joint shall be either spiral wound metallic gaskets or ring joints.
ii) Plain asbestos sheet / reinforced gaskets shall not be used.
iii) Gaskets used shall confirm to ANSI B 16.20 or equivalent.
iv) Flange connection ratings shall match with the design pressure of the pipeline (on
high pressure side) and in no case shall be less than 300 series rating (low pressure side)
confirming to ANSI 16.5 or equivalent.
v) All tapping or opening shall be minimum 20 mm dia. The materials used shall
conform to ASME B 31.4 or equivalent.
vii) Line pipe shall conform to API-5L.

CONSTRUCTION, WELDING, AND ASSEMBLY:

i) All safety precautions during construction shall be followed as specified in

OISD-GDN-192, OISD- STD-147 and API RP 1102.
ii) All provisions of OISD-STD-141 chapter 7.0 shall apply except para on ditching.
iii) For ditching following provision shall apply.
 iv) While arriving at the Depth of the ditch, due consideration will be given to the route,
location, surface use of the land, terrain features and loads imposed by road / railway.
v) All buried pipelines shall be installed below the ground level in line with the
“Minimum Cover for Buried Pipelines”.

Industrial commercial or residential areas –1.2m

Streams canals and water crossings -1.5m
Drainage ditches at railways & Roadways -1.2m
Rocky areas -1.2m
Railway crossings -1.7m
River crossing -2.5m

NOTE:

i) The above mentioned minimum cover requirements shall be valid for all class locations.
ii) Minimum depth of cover shall be measured from the top of pipe coating to the top of
undisturbed surface of the soil, or top of graded working strip, whichever is lower. Fill material
in working strip shall not be considered to add to the depth of cover.
iii) Cover shall be measured from the top of road or top of rail, as the case may be.
iv)Incase of rivers/water bodies, which are prone to scour and erosion, adequate safe
cover (minimum 1.5metre) shall be provided below the predicted scour profile expected
during the life time of the pipeline.
v) Soft soil / sand padding of minimum 150 mm thickness to be provided around the
pipe in rocky areas.
vi) For river /water bodies which are prone to scour and erosion, adequate safe cover
shall be provided below the predicted scour profile expected during the life time of the
pipeline.
vii) Good pipeline practices shall be followed for public safety. In case the pipeline is
to be laid through populated area (which otherwise could not be avoided), additional
protective measures to be provided be by way of providing higher wall thickness pipe or
laying at a greater depth or by providing casing pipe.

DEFECTS IN PIPE:

i) All defects in pipe shall be removed in line with ASME B 31.4, API 5L or
equivalent.
ii) Notches or laminations on pipe ends shall not be repaired. The damaged portion
shall be removed as a cylinder and re-welled to the piped properly.
iii) Distorted or flattened lengths shall be discarded.
iv) A dent containing a stress concentrator, such as a scratch, gouge, groove, or arc
burn, shall be removed by cutting out the damaged portion of the pipeline as Cylinder.
v) All dents which affect the curvature of the pipe at the seam or at any girth weld
shall be removed as in ASME B 31.4.
vi) Buckled pipe shall be replaced as a cylinder.
BENDS, MITERS & ELBOWS:

i) To match the contours of the ditch in the event of change in direction, sagging, over
bending etc., the required fittings shall be made either by bending the pipe or factory made
bends or elbows shall be used.
ii) The pipe diameter shall not be reduced at any point by more than 2-½ % of the
nominal diameter, and the completed bend shall pass the specified sizing pig.
iii) Mitered bends are not permitted in mainline.
The minimum radius of field cold bends shall be as follows:

Nominal Pipe Size In Minimum Radius of Bend in Pipe Diameter

NPS 12 and smaller 18D
NPS 14 21D
NPS 16 24D
NPS 18 27D
NPS 20 and Larger 30D

WELDING:

i) Standard of acceptability for welding process, filler materials, and weld quality shall
conform to be API-1104.
ii) Safe Practices in Cutting and Welding shall be ensured with safety work permits as per
OISD-STD-105.

WELDING QUALIFICATIONS:

i) Welding procedures or welders shall be qualified in line with under API 1104, or
section IX of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, whichever is appropriate for the type
of welding to be performed.
ii) Qualification Records: Records of the tests that establish the qualification of a
welding procedure shall be retained as long as that procedure is in use.
iii) A record of the welders’ qualification test, showing the date and results of the
tests, shall be retained during the construction involved and for 6 months thereafter.

WELDING INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA:

i) The quality of all weld joints shall be checked by visual inspection and
supplemental non-destructive testing (NDT) methods or by removing completed welds as
selected for destructive testing (DT).
ii) A minimum of 10% of the girth welds (completely around pipe circumference)
completed each day shall be randomly selected and inspected by radiography or non-
destructive methods.
iii) 100% inspection by radiography of the weld joints shall be carried out at the
location of residential and industrial areas, river, lake, stream crossings(submerged or
 bridge crossings), rail, road, overhead rail / road crossings, offshore and inland coastal
waters and tie-ins etc.
iv)The Non-destructive inspection method used shall produce indications of potential
defects, which can be accurately interpreted and evaluated. All NDT including Radiographic
examination and destructive method of examination shall be performed in accordance with the
requirements of API 1104.

TESTING& COMMISSIONING:

1)HYDROTESTING OF PIPELINE:

i) Rail/ Road / River crossing sections shall be hydro tested before and after installation at
least for 4 hours at 1.25 times the design pressure.
ii) All sections including previously hydrostatically tested one Viz road / rail and river
crossings shall be retested along with completed mainline sections. A gauging pig shall be
passed through the pipeline to prove the internal diameter of the entire pipeline. The gauging
plate shall have minimum diameter of 95% of the internal diameter of the pipeline.
iii) Water used for the test medium shall be inhibited water i.e water to which suitable
doses of corrosion inhibitors are added depending upon quality of the water.
iv)API-1110 shall be used for guidance for the hydrostatic test.
v) Complete pipeline including previously tested section shall be subjected to a
hydrostatic proof test equivalent to not less than 1.25 times the internal design pressure at
that point for not less than 24 hours or as specified by respective code to which pipeline is
designed and accepted by statutory authority.
vi) Internal test pressure of high pressure station piping shall be done for a duration of
not less than 4 hrs in line with ASME B31.4’
vii) Internal test pressure of low pressure station piping shall be governed by pressure
ratings of fittings and valves fitted in the system. Duration of the test shall be not less than
4 hrs.

2) GEOMETRIC SURVEY:

The Caliper Survey shall be conducted after completion and acceptance of all the
following mainline activities
 Gauge plate run
 Hydrostatic Testing
 Cleaning and swabbing of pipeline
 Mainline Valve installation
 Test section tie-ins
 After tie-in of HDD crossings / other submerged crossings.
 Installation of launching and receiving barrels.

3) PRESERVATION OF PIPELINE:
 If the pipeline is to be preserved for a specified duration before it can be commissioned,
the pipeline shall be completely filled with water with sufficient quantities of corrosion
inhibitors depending upon the quality of water and the period of preservation at a suitable
pressure.

4)DOCUMENTATIONS:

Following records should be made

i) A complete final pipe book including hydro testing data.
ii) As built drawings like Route and profile map of the pipeline, pipeline alignment,
crossings, P&IDs, Layouts , Isometric, Earthing grid, Single line diagrams etc.
iii) Equipment supplier Manuals.
iv) Complete Asset of each location with identification.
v) Radiographs of weld joints
vi) Caliper survey reports and repairs, if any, carried out.

5) COMMISSIOINING:

i) A proper commissioning procedure to be prepared for removal of air and nitrogen and
intermixing of air and hydro carbons
ii) Before starting commissioning these activities should be completed
 Hydro testing is completed for entire pipeline and associated station
piping and records checked and documented.
 Swabbing of the pipeline has been completed for removal of water from
the pipeline.
 Ensure complete removal of ferrous materials / debris from the pipeline
 All sectionalizing valves are installed as per requirement.
 All golden joints are inspected and accepted.
 Caliper pigging of the entire pipeline section completed and a base line
data has been obtained.
 Temporary modifications required at the stations for commissioning have
been completed in all respect.
 Commissioning check list
 Pre pared and ensured availability of all materials tools, tackles and
consumable.
 Fire-fighting facilities shall be kept ready.
 Trained and experience personnel shall be placed to
 Carry out commissioning operation.
 Caution boards shall be displayed while venting in progress.

6) WATER / NITORGEN FILLING:

i) All gaskets shall be changed after hydro test.

ii) At the time of filling water / nitrogen, air shall be released from vent points.
iii) At this stage the system shall be checked thoroughly for leak –proof test.
 iv) The complete leak testing at installation during commissioning at 10% above the
working pressure but not exceeding design pressure of the vessel shall be proof test over and
above the hydro test undertaken for various equipment & facilities at earlier stage.
V) This will ensure leak proof ness of the system as a whole before charging the system
with LPG.
vi)Gasket shall be checked & replaced in case any flange joint is found leaking during
leak testing.

7) LPG CHARGING:

i) Liquid LPG shall not be directly used for displacement of air in pipeline / vessels.
ii) LPG shall be charged only after ensuring elimination of / absence of oxygen.
iii) While charging LPG, water /Nitrogen shall be drained simultaneously maintaining a
2
positive pressure of around 1-2 kg/ cm in the pipeline.
iv)Pressure in the pipeline system shall be monitored and creation of vacuum condition to
be prevented.
v) Where water draining is resorted to, by opening of end flanges of headers / pipelines,
such flanges shall be blinded at the end of draining operation.
vi)In-case of displacement of Nitrogen with LPG, constant reading of LPG –air mixture
should be taken with explosive meter to ascertain the displacement of Nitrogen with LPG.
vii) Provision should be made for proper drainage of water from vessel, pipelines and
equipment. In case of Nitrogen displacement, controlled venting shall be done.
ix) LPG can be introduced at a controlled rate after displacement of entire water /
Nitrogen.
x) The commissioning operation shall be controlled and supervised by authorized
personnel.

8) PIPELINE REPAIR:

i) Repairs shall be covered by a maintenance plan and shall be performed under

qualified and trained personnel familiar with hazards to public safety, utilization of proper
equipment and repair material. This shall be done in line with AMSE B 31.4, API Publ
2200, API 1104 and API RP 1111. Approvals, procedures and special consideration as per
API Publ 2201 shall be observed for welding as well as hot tapping on pipeline, vessels or
tanks which are under pressure. Piping in the vicinity of repair shall be adequately
supported during and after the repair.
ii) If an inert fluid is used to temporarily displace the liquid in the pipeline system for
the purpose of repair, a detailed procedure containing the following shall be prepared.
 Maximum flow rate.
 Pressure
 Injection temperature
 Disposal of the liquid.
 Safety procedure
iii) Dents meeting any of the following condition shall be removed or repaired.
 Dents which affect the pipe curvature.
 Dents containing a scratch, gouge or groove.
  Dents exceeding a depth of 6 mm in NPS 4” and smaller or 6% of nominal
pipe diameter in sizes greater than NPS 4.
iv) Dents containing external corrosion where remaining wall thickness is less than 87.5%
of that of required for design.
v) All pipes containing leak shall be removed or repaired.
vi) Pipe line shall be repaired by any one of the following:
 By cutting out cylindrical piece of pipe containing the defect and replacing the
same with a pre tested pipe of minimum 2 meter length of meeting the required
pipe specification.
 By installing full encirclement welded split sleeves to contain internal pressure
and shall have a design pressure of not less than the pipe being repaired. This
shall be fully welded both.
 Circumferentially and longitudinally. Length of full encirclement split sleeves
shall not be less than 100mm.
vii) In case of repair of coated pipe, all damaged coating shall be removed and new
coating shall be applied to replacement pieces of pipe, welded patches and full encirclement
welded split sleeves used in making repairs.

9) PATROLLING:

i) A periodic pipeline patrolling program should be maintained for the R.O.W by

the operating company to observe surface conditions, leakage, construction activity,
encroachments, soil washouts and any other factors affecting the safety and operation of
the pipeline.
ii) Periodic inspection shall be carried out for underwater crossings for sufficiency
of cover, accumulation of debris, or for any other condition affecting the safety and
security of the crossings.
iii) Ground Patrolling of On-shore LPG Cross Country Pipelines shall be carried
out once in a week.
iv)Line walk by the official of the company at least once in a year is required to be
conducted after the monsoon.
v) The operating company shall analyze the existing pipeline for new anticipated
external loads, when the pipeline is to be crossed by a new road or railroad. The operating
company shall install mechanical reinforcement, structural protection, or suitable pipe, in
case the design parameters considered are exceeding in order to ensure redistribution of
the external loads acting on the pipeline.

INSPECTION OF PIPE, VALVES AND FITTINGS:

i) Whenever any pipe or component in a piping system can be visually examined

internally or pipe or components are removed from a piping system for any reason, the
internal surfaces shall be inspected for evidence of corrosion and if corrosion is found, the
adjacent pipe or component shall be examined. Discovery of active corrosion, general
pitting of the pipe or component surface, or a leak caused by corrosion shall be investigated
further to determine the cause and extent of the corrosion and further steps shall be taken or
augmented to mitigate corrosion.
 ii) Inspection of pipes, Valves and fittings shall be carried out as per OISD-STD130.

CONTROL AND PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT:

Periodic inspections and maintenance shall be carried out for controls and protective
equipment, including pressure limiting devices, regulators, controllers, relief valves, and other
safety devices in accordance with OEM and following OISD Standards

 Pumps : OISD –STD-119

 Compressors: OISD – STD-120
 Pressure Limiting Devices: OISD – STD-132

DOCUMENTATIONS:

The following records shall be maintained for operation and maintenance purposes:
 All records as per clause 11.4 of this document.
 Necessary operation data
 Pipeline patrolling records
 Records and maps showing the location of CP facilities and piping.
 CP monitoring report, test and survey reports.
 Leak and burst records
 Records pertaining to routine or unusual inspections, such as external or
internal line conditions
 Pipeline repair records
 History cards of equipment.
 Near miss, minor and major incidents.

PIPELINE INTEGRITY MANAGEMENT (PIM):

i) A comprehensive manual containing program & practices shall be developed for

existing pipeline / after construction of the new pipeline to manage pipeline integrity taking
into consideration consequence classification / category of pipeline, and risk involved in
each segment of the pipeline.
ii) The integrity management program framework shall take into consideration continual /
periodic assessment & an evaluation process as to its effectiveness of the current health of the
pipeline & to prevent any failure in future.
iii) The integrity management program shall have following basic elements taking
into consideration specificity & merit involved case to case basis:
 Classification of consequence zones/mapping of the pipeline & updated
documentation,
 Analysis that integrates all available information on the pipeline
operation, inspection, surveillance, patrolling, incidents and the
consequences of a failure, criteria for remedial measures,
  A continual process of assessment & documentation and evaluation to
maintain a pipeline integrity.
 Identification of preventive & protective measures to protect high
consequence areas.
 Methods to determine program’s effectiveness,
 Process of review of results by a person qualified to evaluate the
results.
iv)Prompt action shall be taken to address all anomalous conditions that is discovered
through the integrity assessment or information analysis, surveillance /patrolling etc.
v) To maintain safe operating conditions in case of an adverse conditions detected,
pipeline should be shut down until the required repairs are completed and clearance for
operation is given.
vi)In addressing all conditions, health & integrity status, all anomalous conditions of
operations which could reduce the integrity of the pipeline should be evaluated and remedial
action to be taken.
vii) The methods selected to assess the integrity of the pipeline initially shall be one and /
or combination of the followings:
 Internal inspection tool or tools capable of detecting corrosion and deformation
anomalies including dents, gouges, grooves eg Geometric Survey.
 Hydrostatic Pressure test conducted in accordance with clause 11.1 of this
document.
vii) The integrity assessment schedule shall be based on all risk factors that reflect the risk
conditions on the pipeline segment.
viii) The integrity assessment during the lifetime shall consist of an initial (base line) &
continual assessment.
ix) The factors to be considered for risk are:

 Results of previous integrity assessment,

 Coating type and condition
 Leak history
 Repair history
 Cathodic protection history
x) System should be available for detecting leaks of pipeline system. The capability of the
leak detection system shall be evaluated and modified if necessary.

WELD REPAIRS AND INSPECTION:

For section replacement, all weld repairs and inspection shall be carried out in accordance
with API 1104, ANSI B.31.4 and ANSI B.31.8. API 2200, API 2201 and API 1107 shall be
referred for guidance. All repaired welds shall be 100% radiographed.

HYDROSTATIC TESTING OF PIPELINES DURING REPAIR:

 Pre-tested pipe shall be used for all replacements in line with the requirements of OISD 141,
ANSI B.31.4 and ANSI B.31.8 and API 1100.

SAFETY INSTRUMENTATION:

OISD 153, Maintenance and Inspection of Safety Instrumentation shall be referred.

VALVE:

Valves shall be partially operated and serviced once in six months to ensure operability.

ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT:

OISD 137, OISD-RP-147 shall be referred.