Natural gas is a critical resource that powers homes, businesses, and industries. However, the transportation of natural gas through pipelines comes with its own set of challenges. One such challenge is odor fade, a phenomenon where the distinctive odorant in natural gas diminishes over time, particularly at low flow rates. This can pose significant safety concerns as it compromises the ability to detect gas leaks by smell alone.
At Burgess Pipeline Services, we specialize in addressing this issue through a process known as pipe pickling and conditioning. In this blog post, we will walk you through our pipe pickling process and procedures and how they can help solve odor fade.
What is Pipe Pickling?
Pipe pickling is a process that involves treating the interior of a pipeline with chemicals to remove contaminants, and other substances that can interfere with the effectiveness of odorants. This process is crucial in preparing new pipelines for service and maintaining the integrity of existing ones.
Our Pipe Pickling Procedure
Our pipe pickling procedure involves several steps:
Static Method
Preparation: Incorporate odorant conditioning into the early planning stages of a new steel pipe installation. The new pipeline segment should be tied-in and have main line valves or other devices to stop gas flow. An odorant injection tap and one or more taps for monitoring must also be available.
Odorant Introduction: After the pipeline has been purged to 100 percent gas, introduce the desired quantity of liquid odorant at the injection tap. The highly odorized ga flows toward the downstream end of the pipeline. The downstream end is monitored for odor and odorant, and whesn detected, the pipeline should be immediately isolated.
Conditioning and Completion: After the flow has stopped, allow adequate time for completion of the chemical and physical processes required to pickle the pipe. Conditioning during the project can be considered complete when monitoring indicates that odor intensity in the exit gas is adequate and stable at system targets without supplemental odorization.
Monitoring: Each monitoring point along the isolated pipeline must be checked for odor intensity and/or odorant concentration at periodic intervals specified in the procedure.
Flowing Method
Preparation: Odorant conditioning should be incorporated into the early planning stages of a new steel or plastic pipe installation. The new pipeline segment should be tied in and have means to prevent gas flow using main line valves or other flow stopping devices.
Odorant Introduction: Addition of odorant should only take place after the pipeline has been purged to 100 percent gas or company standard. Odorant is introduced into the gas stream at the desired injection rate. The injection point can be located at the front or tail end of the pipe to be conditioned.
Conditioning and Completion: Continuous flow conditioning can be set up with a front-end odorant injection and a tail-end supplemental injection. The front-end injection conditions the new pipe and the tail-end injection maintains an adequate odorant concentration downstream of the new pipe. For front-end injection, the gas at the upstream end of the pipe will contain higher odorant concentrations than the system gas, but the concentration will gradually decrease along the length of the new pipe due to odorant loss. For tail-end injection, the flowing gas will gradually lose odorant along the length of the new pipe. The rate of supplemental odorant injection at the tail end must be controlled so that the gas exiting the new pipe maintains odor intensity and odorant-concentration equivalent to the system targets.
Monitoring: Monitoring points should be established along the new pipeline and within the downstream existing section. When the monitoring points show sufficient odor intensity levels, monitoring frequency can be reduced. Odorant-concentration measurements may also be helpful to complement odor-intensity tests.
How Pipe Pickling Helps Solve Odor Fade?
Pipe pickling plays a crucial role in solving odor fade. By removing contaminants from the pipeline, we can ensure that the odorant remains effective. This is particularly important in pipelines with low flow rates, where odor fade is more likely to occur.
Furthermore, our pipe pickling procedure enhances the detectability of natural gas, thereby improving safety.
Why Choose Burgess Pipeline Services?
At Burgess Pipeline Services, we are committed to providing comprehensive solutions to ensure the safety and reliability of your pipeline systems. Our extensive experience, coupled with our cutting-edge technology, allows us to deliver effective pipe pickling services tailored to your specific needs.
If you’re looking to enhance the safety and efficiency of your natural gas pipelines, contact us today to learn more about our pipe pickling procedures and how they can help solve odor fade.