Closures that comply

Delivering quality product at required volumes means leaving nothing to chance, including asset maintenance, which is essential to pipeline integrity. Pigging activities, including inline inspection (ILI) and cleaning, help keep pipelines in prime operating condition and extend useful life, but it takes proper equipment, planning and operator training to ensure safety, especially during pig launch and retrieval. Without the right technology for safe and easy access, opening the pig trap closure door can present unacceptable risk to both personnel and infrastructure. In fact, opening the closure is considered one of the most critical operations in pipeline pigging.

Why? The key concern is that when the pig trap door opens it will allow air to mix with hydrocarbons, creating an explosive atmosphere. But that’s not the only potential hazard. Sudden releases of pressure and projectiles can also jeopardise the operators’ safety, and valves must be opened and closed in the appropriate sequence to avoid damaging the pigs and the pipeline system itself.

One way to mitigate incidents is to minimise the time and effort involved in opening and closing the pig trap, which is generally a function of the type of pig trap closure in use — some are simply more straightforward and safer to operate than others. For example, it’s easier to open and close a quick actuating closure (QAC) or quick opening closure (QOC) than it is to install or remove a blind flange …

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Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/equipment-and-safety/05072023/closures-that-comply/