What Is Pigging Pipelines?
No matter what type of pipeline system you are operating, at some point n time it is going to need some form of maintenance. The industrial term for this is pigging pipelines and allows you to continue using the pipeline during the whole process so that you do not lose any significant production time. The process has been used in the oil industry for many years very successfully in the larger bore pipelines and is now being used to clean out the smaller diameter pipes as well.
The process of pigging pipelines starts with inserting the pig into the pipeline through a Y shaped funnel in the pipeline known in the industry as a pig launcher. The flow of the product in the pipe then pushes the pig through the section of pipeline that is to be tested and cleaned. When it reaches the end of the section under test it hit the pig catcher and can then be removed. The one thing that can stop a pig from being used in any system is the use of a butterfly valve as there is no way for the pig to pass through the valve.
One of the biggest advantages of pigging pipelines is the major savings for the company having the work done. This is because the entire time the work is being done; the product can continue to flow with no interruptions whatsoever. Thanks to the fact that there is no need for extensive flushing of the lines it also makes it possible to switch from one product to another with excessive product waste or down time cleaning the pipeline for the new product.
The traditional way to clean out pipelines involved using water or some form of cleaning solvent to flush the pipeline and remove all traces of the previous product. Pigging the pipelines removes the need for the use of chemicals to do the work. This means that the process no longer produces toxic waste that must be dealt with. These cleaning chemicals and waste products had to be dumped, which led to massive environmental problems for many companies.
Modern pipeline pigging systems use a highly sophisticated pig that contains a computer that is used to collect a variety of types of information as the pig moves along the pipeline. Because of this the computer must be very well sealed to protect it from the product in the pipeline. The computer records the path that the pig has taken along with important data such as how much blockage there was in the pipe and ultrasonic devices to check for cracks and flaws.
In most cases you are better off to use a company like Syn Serv to take care of all of your pipeline pigging needs. Their strategy is a simple one to provide you with the best possible service for all of your pipeline service needs. Founded in 1997, in Foley Alabama as an industrial water treatment company they now offer a full range of pipeline services and provide corporate owners the perfect one stop solution for the pipeline maintenance needs.
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