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Cyclic Pressure and Burst Pressure Studies on API 5L X46 Grade Pipes (Sponsor: M/s. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, Mumbai)

M/s. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, Mumbai is having a large network of pipelines across the country for supply of petroleum. The pipeline of 14″ (API 5L X46 Grade steel) outer diameter and 162 km long (Mumbai-Pune Pipe Line) was commissioned in the year 1985. The pipeline was originally designed to operate at a pressure of 92 kg/cm2. Since inception, the pipeline has failed six times in the longitudinal weld seam while in operation during the years 1986 to 2014. The operating pressure was initially reduced to 80 kg/cm2 and then to 52 kg/cm2. After the recent failure of pipeline in July 2014, intelligent pigging was carried out by M/s. Rosen Europe BV, Netherlands to identify the axially oriented cracks. Some of the pipelines are having defects in the longitudinal weld seams. Hence, the pipeline cannot operate at original design pressure. The integrity of these pipelines is essential to verify the results of intelligent pigging, decide safe operating pressure of pipeline and for life extension. In this connection, cyclic pressure tests were carried out on fifteen numbers of API 5L X46 Grade steel pipe specimens with various defect profiles. The pipe specimens were filled with hydraulic oil and subjected to cyclic pressure of 5 kg/cm2 to 77 kg/cm2 and then back to 5 kg/cm2. The cyclic pressure test was carried out up to 3650 cycles. During the cyclic pressure test, load, load-line displacement and strains at different locations in the pipe specimens were mounted using a high speed data acquisition system. Out of fifteen pipe specimens, thirteen pipe specimens withstood 3650 cycles as per sponsor’s requirement and there was no visible sign of failure observed. The remaining two pipe specimens failed at 1412 and 2010 cycles. Burst pressure tests were also carried out on four pipe specimens with various defect profiles, which were already subjected to cyclic pressure and sustained 3650 cycles of loading. All the four pipe specimens withstood static pressure from 77 kg/cm2 to 128 kg/cm2 as per the sponsor’s requirement and there was no visible sign of failure observed.