2007-07-26

Brenntag Oil & Gas cleans Total pipeline with compressed air and achieves a lower explosion level of 0%

Brenntag Oil & Gas Europe recently cleaned a 140 km / 60.96 cm crude transport line at Total Refinery in Vlissingen, The Netherlands, with N-SPEC® cleaning chemicals. Compressed air was applied as a propelling agent to transport the pigs through the pipeline, a technique hardly ever seen before in Europe due to the higher risks involved. Thanks to N-SPEC®’s patented cleaning properties, Brenntag was able to remove all hydrocarbons from the pipeline and as such bring the lower explosion level (LEL) down to a unique 0%. Peter Verkiel, Product Manager at Brenntag Oil & Gas Europe and manager of the project, elaborates on the topic.

The challenge
The 140 km and 60.96 cm crude transport line, the lifeline for Total’s refinery, had to be modified at two places, and some of the block valves had to be overhauled in order to safeguard the operation of this crude transport line for coming years. To perform these activities, the transport line had to be emptied and cleaned, and most importantly, the environment in the line had to be safe, meaning no danger of explosion during welding and cutting activities. The maximum allowed LEL in this respect was 10% or less.

The above had to be carried out considering following additional requirements:
– a time frame of approx. five weeks to execute the complete project;
– applying compressed air as a propelling agent to transport the pigs through the pipeline;
– minimum waste disposal;
– specific safety precautions as indicated by the client.

Visser & Smit Hanab, a pipeline construction company who was the main contractor for the complete project, called Brenntag in for the cleaning part and to achieve this low LEL within the pipeline by means of its N-SPEC® advanced chemical cleaning services. “Over the years, this product has proven to be a more effective cleaning agent and less hazardous than traditional cleaning agents,” says Mr. Verkiel.

The start-up
Prior to the actual execution of the project, Brenntag cooperated with the client to develop a Project Execution Plan, documenting all elements of the project, and a Risk Inventory and Evaluation (RIE), an analysis of all possible risks and measures to reduce them to an acceptable level for both Brenntag and the client.

The project had been split into three different phases:
– Phase 1: online pre-cleaning of the pipeline with several pigging runs;
– Phase 2: removal of the crude and offline cleaning of the pipeline with N-SPEC 50 and N-SPEC 120, in one single pigging run, followed by cutting/welding services;
– Phase 3: refilling the line with crude.

After both parties agreed on the complete set-up, Brenntag commenced the first phase of the execution.

Information about the company: Brenntag Nordic AB