STANDARD METHODS USED IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY FOR

PIPELINE DRYING
https://epcmholdings.com/standard-methods-used-in-the-oil-and-gas-industry-
for-pipeline-drying/

1 Introduction

After hydrotesting, water that remains inside of pipes will speed up

corrosion and change the fluid’s purity. To guarantee their pipes
operate as effectively as possible, all operators must endeavor to
pipeline drying after hydrotesting.

Drying of pipes prevents water from breaking down normally,

leaving space for ground pipework and fluctuations in flow rate.
Even though pipeline drying is seen as a straightforward activity
when done properly, it is really a complex process that requires
great caution to complete. The nature of the workflow alters and
gets harder to control if the pipelines are not managed
appropriately.

A pipeline’s target dryness must be attained in order to properly

commission the pipeline and monitor its integrity going forward.
Achieving the right amount of dryness may help prevent problems
like hydrates and microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC).

Economic considerations and time constraints often influence the

choice of drying techniques, leaving operability and corrosion
problems unaddressed.

The requirements for dryness may be influenced by a variety of

things. Considerations include the kind of hydrocarbon, hydrate
formation circumstances, corrosion studies, pipeline topography,

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piggability, and environmental regulations. Pipes are loaded with
hydrotesting fluids during commissioning; these fluids must be
cleaned and drained from the pipelines before commissioning
and start-up.

When deciding on dryness standards, the composition of these

fluids must be taken into account. The typical moisture limit for
natural gas pipelines is 40 lbs/mmscf, or a dew point of -4°F (-
20°C). When assessing the pipeline dryness criterion, the dew point
is a crucial factor. At anticipated operating temperatures and
pressures, a dew point under the hydrate formation curve is
preferred. For the majority of applications, a dew point of -4°F (-
20°C) is often achievable and adequate. Tables that translate dew
point to moisture content are easily accessible and might be
helpful for establishing dryness standards.

A pipeline is typically dried out in phases using one or more of the

following methods: Pipeline drying methods include using nitrogen
gas, hot air, chilled air, vacuum, pigging/swabbing, and MEG
drying.

2 Drying of Pipeline with Nitrogen

Gaseous nitrogen has the necessary chemical characteristics,

notably its inert, non-reactive nature, which makes it highly stable,
to be used for pipeline drying. Nitrogen gas priming makes
pipelines less likely to have explosive mishaps. Oxygen, water
vapor, and other contaminants that may degrade the pipes or
change the quality of their contents will be replaced with nitrogen
gas when it is released into the atmosphere.

For drying pipelines, nitrogen is a great option because of its low

dew point (as low as -40F/C). Nitrogen has the extra benefit of

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being completely inert; it replaces oxygen, delays oxidation, and
averts explosions. The 24/7 capacity of an onsite nitrogen
generator provides the ideal option since a continual supply of dry
nitrogen into the pipeline is required. With rates ranging from 2
SCFM to 1500 SCFM, an on-site nitrogen generating system can
supply a consistent high-pressure feed of high-purity nitrogen.
Turnkey N2 generators may be made to be mounted on skids or
trucks. We may hire nitrogen generators for a short or extended
period of time to meet urgent demands.

Typically, nitrogen gas is injected into a particular pipeline at one

end to perform nitrogen purging. The remaining water and
pollutants may be expelled via an exit port at the other end of the
pipeline thanks to the gaseous nitrogen’s propulsion power and
chemical makeup.

When the feed gas dewpoint and output gas dewpoint diverge by
at least 10°F, the drying process is said to be finished.

3 Drying of Pipeline with Hot Air

The process for hot air drying is similar to nitrogen-based pipeline

dewatering. The usage of hot air provided by an industrial air
compressor is the primary distinction. When warm air is
introduced into a damp pipeline, water vapor will quickly develop.

The exit port at the other end of the pipeline may then receive the
evaporated moisture. Hygrometers that continuously identify
variations between the inlet and output air dewpoints may be
used to monitor hot air pipeline testing.

A supply of hot air from an air compressor feeds the pipeline at

one end. The water that is present in the pipeline absorbs heat

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energy. As a result, the speed of evaporation of this water
becomes very fast. Moreover, the rate of evaporation is directly
proportional to the temperature of the hot air. The hot air entrance
port is at the other end of the pipe from the exit port. It is the
place where the water vapor is transferred by the air flowing out of
the port.

When the outlet air dewpoint considerably drops and in order to

assess that the whole drying is completed, there is a need for a
capacitive instrument. Easidew transmitter or Cermet II
Hygrometer are the best choices in this regard. They can be
located at the air outlet so that they can effectively indicate the
finalization of the whole process of drying. At the current ambient
temperature, the air will be almost saturated throughout the
procedure. The dewpoint is likely to drop in relation to the feed air
temperature by the compressor whenever the pipeline is dry.

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Figure 1 Pipeline drying with hot air

The process for heated air drying is similar to nitrogen-based

pipeline dewatering. The usage of hot air provided through an air
compressor is the primary distinction. When warm air is
introduced into a damp pipeline, water vapor will quickly develop.

The exit port at the other side of the pipeline may then receive the
evaporated moisture. Hygrometers that constantly identify
variations between the intake and output air dewpoints may be
used to supervise hot air pipeline testing.

4 Pipeline drying with Chilled Air

Using very dry, cold air is another efficient method for removing
moisture from pipes after hydrostatic testing. To remove any

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remaining water, extremely dry, cold air may be forced into a
pipeline by very strong ventilators.

In order to remove moisture effectively, this approach uses chillers

to cool down the air to below-freezing temperatures before usage.
Dewpoint monitoring is done, much like other drying processes, to
gauge how far along the drying cycle is.

Simple rules define the dry air approach of drying pipes. Air with
minimum dew point has less moisture vapor pressure. Thus, by
blowing it inside, the moisture would be absorbed. The main
agent behind drying is the disparity in vapor pressure of the air’s
moisture content of in the pipes and of the moisture content of dry
air. The pipeline will dry up more quickly as the difference is larger.
This is due to the reason that the pipes are underground and the
ground temperature changes, this temperature becomes a
deciding factor in how long the drying phase will last. As the
temperature of the wall of the pipe will be similar to the
temperature of the ground, therefore the dew point related to air
within the pipeline will have a similar temperature as that of the
pipe. As a result, when there is a high ground temperature, the air
within the pipeline may contain more moisture. When the earth is
warmer, pipes might dry up more quickly.

Desiccant and refrigeration technology are both required to

produce low dew point air. Dehumidification is the process of
taking moisture out of the air. The real content of moisture related
to the air might range from minimal in the winter to very large in
the summer. Refrigeration is used in the initial step of the process
of dehumidification to cool the air to less than its dew point. In
Summer ambient air has great temperatures and a lot of
moisture. Mechanical refrigeration dehumidification is particularly

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effective in these circumstances. Condensation then removes
moisture by forcing air through the refrigerated cooling coil.

Usually, the air is chilled to only 2 degrees Celsius. Condensed

moisture will freeze onto the cooling coil below this point, halting
the dehumidification process. Prior to air entering the desiccant, a
temperature of 20 degrees Celsius is crucial. The process
of mechanical refrigeration involves the circulation of a refrigerant,
such as R134a, via a condenser compressor, evaporator,
and expansion valve in a closed, high-pressure loop.

A desiccant dehumidifier is used to complete the process of

dehumidification. Just after the air stream has passed through the
cooling coil, HPS, a desiccant, is utilized to remove moisture from it.
The desiccant is highly effective at extracting moisture because
the airflow is cool and saturated. As a result, the final dew point is
reached at -40 degrees Celsius. Desiccant dehumidification can
operate at any temperature regardless of freezing because
moisture is separated from the flow of air during a vapor phase. A
Honeycomb wheel with HPS impregnated into it. The wheel spins at
eight to ten revolutions every hour. The honeycomb wheel
constantly rotates in all these processes. Electric heaters are used
in the regeneration sector for drying the Honeycomb wheel.

With the help of low pressure, we tend to blow dry air via the
pipeline. Resultantly, the air is dried at atmospheric pressure.
Moreover, the roots blower is used to throw the dry air through the
pipeline. This blower can withstand the pressure of one barg.

Because of the disparity in partial pressure of air and vapors, the

dry air effectively absorbs the water within the pipeline. The
absorbed quantity of water depends on the air temperature within

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the pipeline. Relative humidity of less than 50% prevents corrosion
in the pipeline, therefore dry air offers good corrosion prevention.

Figure 2 Pipeline drying with chilled air

5 Vacuum drying of the pipeline

Water present in the pipeline is physically removed during the

vacuum drying process. The vacuum-drying method depends on
the observation that water’s boiling point changes depending on
the applied pressure. Therefore, we may make the water “boil”
and extract it from inside using a vacuum pump by lowering the
pressure of pipeline to the saturated vapor pressure for the
ambient temperature.

There are three key stages of this process.

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Figure 3 Vacuum Pipeline Drying

Evacuation

The saturated vapor pressure is reached in the initial phase by

drawing lower pressure of the pipeline from atmospheric levels.
The majority of the pipeline’s contents are being evacuated during
this period. Typically, a leakage test is performed at this first stage
to look for leaks that need to be fixed.

Evaporation

Water will begin to evaporate as the pressure rises toward the SVP,
maintaining the pressure balance. As a result, more water
evaporates as the pressure attempts to decrease. The vacuum
pump draws this vapor out from the line, and additional water
evaporation takes its place. Unless all of the free water has
evaporated, this process keeps going.

Final drying

As soon as the free water has all evaporated, the pressure

begins to drop since there won’t be any more water to maintain

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the balance. It is safe to presume that all of the air inside the
pipeline has been completely expelled and that only the water’s
vapor pressure is responsible for the pressure there. As a result, the
dewpoint and pipeline pressure are closely connected. Once this
pressure (1.032 mbara, equal to a dewpoint of -20 C) has been
reached in the pipeline, it becomes obvious that the pipeline is dry.
This phase may be changed by purging via a dry gas under
vacuum on certain lengthy pipes where the force friction serves a
significant role and delays the drying process. This may hasten the
pace at which water is removed during the last drying stage.

A soak test may be used to conduct one more inspection. Here, the
pressure is locked in and watched over for a while, usually for 24
hours. If any free water is available, it will evaporate, causing the
pressure to increase once again to the temperature of the
ambient pipework. After drying, the product may be put right into
the vacuum, which is almost completely oxygen-free. This,
however, requires that the product is readily accessible, and often,
inert nitrogen gas is used to fill the vacuum in order to prevent any
leakage. Before filling the pipeline, nitrogen may be purged under
a vacuum to achieve very low dewpoints.

The air-drying technique, as well as the vacuum-drying process,

both need the system to be heated for the water to evaporate.
Latent vaporization is the term used to describe this. As the water
must collect this heat from the environment around the pipeline,
which is often dirt or ocean, vacuum drying may be a challenge. In
air drying, the energy is continuously supplied to the system by the
air moving into the pipeline.

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6 Pigging and Swabbing

Pipeline drying may be accomplished mechanically by pigging

and swabbing the pipeline. A pig, a device used for the swabbing
procedure, is constructed of foam or another appropriate polymer
material. A pig is put into the pipeline at one end and then driven
all the way to the other end while being dried along the way. Pig
devices are often made with a wider contact area between them
and the inside walls of the pipes they dry to meet the internal
diameter of the pipelines.

The most common materials are soft foam (also known as swabs),
high and medium density polyurethane foam (also known as poly
pigs), and solid polyurethane type pigs. The media already
present in the pipeline, such as oil, water, food, paint, etc., may be
used to push pipeline pigs as long as there is enough flow and
pressure.

Using magnets, pig locators, or pig transmitters, pigs may be

followed as they go through the pipeline. Even if the pipeline is
underground, these tracking technologies may find a pig
anywhere along the path. Pigging or swabbing is a highly efficient
way to get rid of any particle contaminants and leftover moisture
during hydrotesting.

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Figure 4 Pigging and Swabbing

7 Drying with Mono Ethylene Glycol (MEG)

This technique of chemical pipeline drying removes moisture by

taking use of the hygroscopic qualities of mono ethylene glycol.
Dry air or natural gas is used as the driving force to move this
chemical substance through the lumen of a pipeline from one end
to the other. Any water left over during hydrostatic testing is
removed by MEG drying, lowering the risk of quick corrosion
damage and extending the usable lives of treated pipes.

MEG proving is especially helpful for operators with pipeline

networks that pass through cold areas because of its entire anti-
hydration qualities. The possibility of freezing, pollutant buildup,
and channel obstruction are all removed since their pipes don’t
contain any water.

For swabbing, mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) is often the preferred

fluid. MEG is often selected because it can be recycled and is
simpler to handle than methanol. After MEG treatment, it is typical
practice to expose the equipment in the final park state to a
minimum of 80% MEG concentration, where this number is to
include the impact of residual hydrotest water on its dilution. This

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concentration is necessary because, whereas MEG requirements
for hydration management typically call for a 50% rate in total
fluid, bacterial growth tendency calls for a minimum
concentration of 80%. Since MEG is manufactured using gas and is
often processed by regeneration equipment, it must adhere to
strict criteria wherever it is utilized.

Figure 5 Drying with Mono Ethylene Glycol (MEG)

8 References

1. Y. Daib, Determining volume and concentration to dry gas

pipelines. Oil and Gas Journal 81, 80±83 (1983)
2. M. Gorislavets and A. A. Sverdlov, Numerical investigation of
the process of ventilative drying of a pipeline. Journal of
Engineering Physics 60, 615-623 (1991).
3. A. LaCasse and T. Ingvordsen, Desiccant drying of gas
pipelines. Material Performance 27, 848-851 (1988)
4. Y. Daib, Techniques for drying pipelines by the three-spheres
method. Oil and Gas Journal 81, 112-116 (1983).

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5. Battara and B. Selandari, Mathematical model predicts
performance of pipeline drying with air. Oil and Gas Journal
82, 114-116 (1984)
6. https://nigen.com/pipeline-drying-equipment-after-
hydrotest/#nitrogen

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